Images Magazine Spring 2013 - Bascom Palmer Eye Institute

new centerBascom PalmerOpens New Centerfor Treatment ofseverely dryeyes anddamagedcorneasState-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment of patients with ocular surface disordershas significantly improved thanks to innovations at the new Bascom PalmerOcular Surface Center.Patients with ocular surface conditions which, until recently,were very difficult if not impossible to manage, can now seek help among the center’s myriadof treatment options. Ocular surface disorders include dry eye syndrome, meibomian glanddysfunction, allergies, scarring from glaucoma medications, chemical burns, thermal burns, andimmunological conditions such as Mucous Membrane Pemphigoid and Sjogren SyndromeOcular surface diseases can severely affect eyesight and quality of life and many times patients’cases go undiagnosed and undertreated, due to a lack of understanding of symptoms and inaccurateevaluation. And as people are living longer, these disorders are becoming more prevalent.The new center, under the direction of Victor L. Perez, M.D., associate professor ofophthalmology, microbiology and immunology and cornea and external diseases specialist, is one ofjust six such centers in the United States and is devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of patientswith corneal scarring, severe dry eyes, and immunosuppression challenges. A novel concept of BascomPalmer’s new Ocular Surface Center is the collaboration between physicians and scientists to discoverand integrate both clinical and research advances and–in real time–translate these findings to helppatients with ocular surface disorders.Some people come to Bascom Palmer suffering from severe dry eyes after receiving a bone marrowtransplant to combat their cancer. “Sadly enough, they develop this immune rejection, and guesswhat? One of the main organs affected is the eye,” said Perez. The clinician-researchers at the centerdevise effective strategies to combat immune rejection following corneal transplantation. Many ofthese patients come to Bascom Palmer after traditional therapies fail elsewhere, Perez said. Offeringadditional, individualized therapies can make a big difference in their outcome and quality of life.26