Research Patient Care Pediatric Ophthalmology
In a forthcoming research paper, Anne Strong Caldwell, MD, a PGY-3 ophthalmology resident at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, finds that there is no significant difference in adverse outcomes between anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) treatments and laser treatments given to babies with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in a real-world setting.
When Erin Major, OD, a pediatric optometrist in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, sees a patient at Children’s Hospital Colorado for the first time, she starts with a simple question: How do you say your name?
Patient Care Awareness Autoimmune disease
While there are many clinical commonalities among multiple sclerosis (MS), neuromyelitis optical spectrum disorder (NMOSD), and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody disease (MOGAD), researchers now agree that the three autoimmune disorders are distinct and warrant different diagnostic criteria.
Research Patient Care Cataracts
Men undergoing cataract surgery typically have more pre-operative comorbidities than women and face higher rates of some complications, according to a new study by faculty members in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Patient Care Awareness Low Vision Rehabilitation
In the low vision rehabilitation clinic at the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center, specialists help patients regain some of their daily lives. Oftentimes, that means helping and educating caregivers, too.
Patient Care Awareness Drug Development
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) can be described as an umbrella term, says Marc Mathias, MD, associate professor of ophthalmology and retina specialist at the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center.
Patient Care Awareness Mental Health
Historically, there have been few treatment options for patients with active thyroid eye disease (TED), but new research and clinical trials are revealing a new horizon for managing the rare autoimmune disease that causes tissue behind the eye to become inflamed.
Being diagnosed with glaucoma is often a life-changing event. With no current cure, the disease, which results in damages to the optic nerve causing irreversible vision loss, is expected to affect up to 112 million people worldwide by 2040.
Patient Care Education Community
It’s been another remarkable year full of noteworthy research, impressive innovation, and inspiring patient success stories for the Department of Ophthalmology.
The communications staff in the University of Colorado School of Medicine Dean’s Office covered a variety of stories from the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center that captured the exceptional care, effort, and time faculty members, research staff, and trainees put in each day.
Research Patient Care Artificial Intelligence (AI)
It's not uncommon for patients to consult the internet with ocular symptoms before a physician, says Karen Christopher, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Innovation Patient Care Glaucoma
About once a month, Deidre St. Peter, MD, assistant professor of ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, performs a XEN Gel Stent surgery, implanting a tiny tube-like structure into the eye to reduce pressure and prevent vision loss associated with open-angle glaucoma.
Daniel Ozzello, MD, assistant professor of ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, sometimes compares treating thyroid eye disease, an autoimmune disease that affects muscles and tissue behind the eye, to a flood.
Patient Care Drug Development Retina rare disease
Thirteen-year-old Grace Hoyt received potentially the best birthday gift ever this month when pediatric ophthalmologists at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital Colorado administered the first treatment designed specifically to slow her vision loss associated with posterior column ataxia with retinitis pigmentosa (PCARP), a rare genetic condition that affects vision and the nervous system.
Patient Care Awareness Pediatric Cancer Retina
This summer, six-year-old Coleman Tawresey will go more than 12 consecutive weeks without a doctor’s appointment – something he hasn’t been able to do since being diagnosed with retinoblastoma when he was two.
Pediatric ophthalmologists now have a tool to help ensure babies with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) are receiving necessary follow-up care as the eye condition evolves in the weeks and months after birth.
Jack Schaef wants to fly as a pilot someday, but it might just be water that helps make that dream come true.
Patient Care Clinical Research
While some of his grade school classmates looked up to famous athletes or television characters, Will Osier’s childhood superhero was his ophthalmologist. Now, more than 15 years later, Osier is set to attend the University of Colorado School of Medicine where his doctor pioneered a treatment that saved his vision.
Patient Care Advancement Low Vision Rehabilitation
Although vision impairments affect people of all ages and backgrounds, the cost of an initial low vision rehabilitation evaluation can prevent patients from getting the comprehensive care they need.
Patient Care Community Advancement Oculofacial Plastic & Orbital Surgery
Many patients have been touched by the compassionate care they receive at University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Sometimes, the families of these patients honor that care posthumously. Sophie Liao, MD, associate professor of ophthalmology at CU School of Medicine, was named the inaugural Robert H. Bell Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology in gratitude for the care she delivered to one such patient in 2021.
Patient Care Education Community Students
As we close the books on 2022, it’s worth looking back to see how far we have come this year. The communications staff in the University of Colorado School of Medicine Dean’s Office covered a variety of stories from the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center, from welcoming new faculty to sending off the next generation of eye doctors into the field, pioneering new treatments for blinding diseases, and winning recognition for groundbreaking research.
Patient Care Advancement Autoimmune disease Uveitis & Ocular Immunology
Caleb Hebel was in his mid-30s, the prime of his life, with two active children and one on the way, when his mysterious ailment started. “I was go, go, go,” he recalls. “I played hockey, golf, and lifted weights. Our kids were involved in sports, so we were always going places.” On top of that, he was the chief financial officer of a real estate development company and principal of a family business.
As winter weather moves into Colorado, so do health risks related to snow blindness. Whether you are hiking or snowshoeing at higher elevations, skiing, or skating on a frozen lake, you should protect your eyes from this condition, also known as photokeratitis.
At first glance, dry eyes may seem like a minor complaint, but eye care providers at the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus know that severe cases can be difficult to treat, often stemming from multiple factors. Left untreated, dry eye disease can impair vision and affect quality of life.
For over 20 years, 61-year-old Annette Sandoval struggled with dry eyes, a condition many Coloradans experience given the state’s arid climate. Allergies can also trigger dry eyes, as well as frequent computer use, medication side effects, and numerous health conditions. In many cases, the condition can significantly affect quality of life, as it did for Sandoval.
Looking for ways to introduce new ophthalmic technicians to a supportive career development path, the University of Colorado Department of Ophthalmology in partnership with UCHealth Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center created the Ophthalmic Assistant (OA) Academy, a clinical mentorship program.
Patient Care Pediatric Ophthalmology Retina
A new service in Colorado will strengthen care and comfort for infants with retinopathy of prematurity through a hybrid in-person and telemedicine approach. Many infants born prematurely face the risks of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a potentially blinding eye disease that occurs because blood vessels in the back of the eye are not fully developed and could grow abnormally after premature birth.
Patient Care Community Cataracts
“You can’t hurt steel.”
Phil Cusimano means it, too. While fixing his roof a few months ago, the 74-year-old veteran fell through and onto his patio – getting right up with nothing but a scratch.
Cusimano is known for his strength, from excelling in track and field during his high school days to enlisting in 1967 to serve in the Vietnam War. His kryptonite seemed to be his eyes.
Patient Care Advancement Cataracts Glaucoma
Philip Tarlow’s inspiration to pursue art was sparked at an early age. He recalls a kindergarten teacher noticing his fascination with construction workers, which ultimately became the subject matter of his creations 30 years later.
Patient Care Awareness Low Vision Rehabilitation
By the time Karre Wakefield’s friends and classmates turned 16 and got behind the wheel, she had accepted riding as only a passenger. Wakefield was born with hydrocephalus, or excess fluid in her brain, which damaged her optic nerve and rendered her ineligible for a driver’s license in the state of Colorado.
Research Patient Care Awareness
For more than a decade, Tom Poindexter managed his glaucoma with drops as routinely as brushing his teeth. Catching it early, he was diagnosed with open-angle glaucoma, the most common form, in his 50s.
UCHealth
April 16, 2024
According to Naresh Mandava, MD, chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, the West Nile virus is a neurotrophic virus which means it primarily affects the nervous system. For patients like Sonny Hutchison with immunosuppressed systems, it can lead to temporary or — in rare instances — permanent vision problems.
Denver 7
April 05, 2024
Department of Ophthalmology resident Dallin Milner, MD, explains the perils of looking directly at the sun during a partial solar eclipse and how doing so can cause permanent eye damage.
Pueblo Chieftan
March 31, 2024
Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center specialists Niranjan Manoharan, MD, and Marc Mathias, MD, offer tips for safely viewing the eclipse and explain how retina tissue can be damaged — and will not regenerate, leading to permanent vision loss — if a person looks directly at the sun for too long.
Optometry Advisor
March 28, 2024
Optometrist Kaleb Abbott, OD, MS, FAAO, assistant professor of ophthalmology, writes that dry eye in glaucoma has created a conundrum for clinicians who attempt to manage their patients’ intraocular pressure (IOP) while simultaneously limiting ocular surface disease.
Kara Mason
