
| President’s Message
February 2016 |
The Value of Giving Back!
There are many reasons why people decide to give back to their communities, whether that is a need to make a difference, a desire to strengthen a community, or simply the goodness of their hearts. The San Diego County Optometric Society is no different and we have a variety of charities for which we advocate and support. As a rule, we partner with organizations which endeavor to reduce preventable blindness and promote the importance of eye care and optometry’s role in filling this need.
The San Diego County Optometric Society would like to announce our first international charity of choice, Optometry Giving Sight!
In 2003, the World Council of Optometry, the Brien Holden Vision Institute and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness created Optometry Giving Sight to mobilize resources from the global optometric community to help eliminate refractive error blindness and low vision. Their mission is threefold, dedicating their resources to train local eye care professionals, establish vision centers for sustainability, and deliver eye care and glasses. Their vision is a world where avoidable blindness and vision loss due to a simple lack of eyeglasses is eliminated by utilizing access to quality vision and eye care services for those in need.
This year you will have opportunities to hear from Optometry Giving Sight and how you and your practice can support their global initiative by making donations and/or raising funds. Their I Care & Share program is a great way to support their project and also market your practice to patients who value a company which gives back to these in need. Through this program you can base your donation on a product or service, such as eyeglass sales. For example, you could donate $2 for every pair of glasses you sell. Through this ‘buy one – give one principle’ you are letting your patients know that you care and share!
These fundraising efforts support a range of high-impact, long-lasting programs in underserved communities around the world. With your help, Optometry Giving Sight supports 35 projects in 27 countries. They provide vital support to community education and advocacy activities to raise awareness of the importance of eye health and the role of the Optometrist as primary eye care providers. To learn more about Optometry Giving Sight, please go to www.givingsight.org. For information on how you can help, please contact Eric Anderson at eric.anderson@givingsight.org.
While we value the importance of supporting our global community, the SDCOS also makes it a point to support local philanthropy as well. We have many volunteer outreach programs which allow for our members to actively give back by assisting in vision screenings and eye exams. These include our Lions Optometric Vision Clinic and Monarch School Screenings. We also support COA’s charitable arm, the California Vision Foundation. The Richard Rex Foundation is a SDCOS fund used to supplement costs of eyeglasses, contact lenses or low vision aids for patients in need. I would encourage our members to take advantage of these programs, which not only make for an incredibly rewarding experience, but help to make us a strong presence in San Diego!
So whatever your motivation may be, I encourage you to see the value in giving back! You not only promote the profession of optometry, but also make our local and global community a little healthier and happier!
| Retina Corner
Highlights from the recent American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting: The Effect of Corticosteroids on Diabetic Retinopathy and a Potential New Treatment Option for Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy |
By Nikolas London, MD, FACS
Last month I commented on the presentation of the highly-anticipated Protocol S results from the Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network (DRCR.net). In short, the results showed that anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections were essentially as efficacious as pan-retinal laser photocoagulation (PRP) for proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), with some clear advantages over laser. This month I wanted to present a related presentation from the meeting, as well as discuss another interesting presentation on a potential medical treatment option for proliferative vitreoretinopathy. This latter presentation is near and dear to my heart as this was my pet project while a fellow at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia.
Charlie C. Wycoff, MD, PhD. Analysis of Diabetic Retinopathy Progression in Patients Treated with 0.2 mg/day Fluocinolone Acetonide Over 36 Months
So, the role of intravitreal anti-VEGF injections in diabetic retinopathy is becoming increasingly clear. From Protocol S we know that anti-VEGF injections are effective for proliferative diabetic retinopathy, with several potential benefits over PRP. We also know the ability of anti-VEGF injections to reverse signs of diabetic retinopathy from the RIDE, RISE, and VIVID/VISTA trials. In RIDE/RISE, PDR events were significantly reduced at 2 years from 34% to 11% with monthly ranibizumab treatment. Given that diabetic retinopathy is driven by multiple inflammatory cytokines in addition to VEGF, a logical follow-up question is whether intravitreal corticosteroid therapy might confer a similar benefit.
In short, the answer is a definitive “yes.” At the recent AAO meeting, Charlie Wykoff presented a subgroup analysis of the FAME study looking at the progression to PDR in eyes with diabetic macular edema (DME) treated with 0.2mg/d fluocinolone acetonide (FAc) vs. sham over 36 months. Whereas 31% of sham-treated eyes developed PDR by 36 months, only 18% eyes treated with FAc developed PDR by 36 months (P<0.001). This effect was even more pronounced in eyes with chronic DME at baseline where fluocinolone treatment reduced progression to PDR from 31% to 14% at 3 years (P=0.001).
These are interesting results, with further evidence of the continued role of corticosteroids in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy. These data, along with the data on diabetic retinopathy retinopathy reversal from RIDE/RISE and the VIVID/VISTA studies promise improved outcomes with reduced collateral damage for our diabetic patients, and I am eager to see how they will be developed into clinical practice.
Richard S. Kaiser, Emerging Therapies for Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy
Switching gears, Dr. Richard Kaiser gave an eloquent overview of current and emerging therapies for the bane of surgical retinal detachment repair – proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). PVR is the most common cause for recurrent retinal detachment following successful surgical repair, with a cumulative risk of nearly 10% overall, and substantially higher in detachments associated with certain risk factors. The treatment of PVR is limited to surgical removal of the membranes, and while multiple potential targets in the pathogenesis of PVR have been identified, pharmacologic adjuvant and/or prophylactic options are all but non-existent. Patients frequently require multiple surgeries to reattach the retina once PVR has developed, making the treatment course quite frustrating for both surgeon and patient.
PVR is known to be driven by growth factor and inflammatory cytokines, and interventions directed at these molecules have been studied. Both intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide and oral prednisone have failed to improve the surgical success rate, whereas the intravitreal dexamethasone implant has shown potential benefit in case reports. Similarly, low-molecular weight heparin and 5-fluorouracil have been studied with limited benefit. Dr. Kaiser concluded by discussing a potentially exciting option in oral isotretinoin, which has been noted to have a benefit in prior studies, particularly for preventing PVR in high-risk patients, and is currently being evaluated in a randomized clinical trial under Dr. Kaiser at Wills Eye Hospital.
Thanks again for reading. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions.
Best wishes, and until next time,
Nik
Nikolas London, MD
Retina Consultants San Diego, Poway, La Jolla, and Coronado
www.retinaconsultantssd.com
858-451-1911 (office)
415-341-5456 (cell)
nik.london@gmail.com (personal email)
retinaconsultantssd@gmail.com (RCSD email)
COA Optometrists Visit the Dominican Republic for Lions In Sight Mission Trip |
Thanksgiving week was an eventful time for 5 COA members as they joined two recent UCB graduates and one other OD for a Lions In Sight (www.LionsInSight.org) clinic in Santo Domingo, the capital city of the Dominican Republic and home to over one million people. Thirteen techs were also members of the team that provided vision care, eyewear, and pathology screenings for nearly 3800 patients at three different sites within the city. Most of the patients were seniors and working adults, but many school children were provided with eyewear as well. Nearly 4000 pairs of eye wear were dispensed as some patients were given separate near and far prescriptions (vs bifocals) and plano patients were often given sunglasses.
Team leaders Drs. John Demshar of Stockton and Bob Meisel of Alpine as well as Dr. Todd Pickens of Sutter Creek were part of a similar vision trip to Haiti in April, so they got to experience both sides of Hispaniola. The island is located between Cuba and Puerto Rico and there is a large demarcation between the two countries. While Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and was devastated by the January 2010 earthquake, the Dominican Republic is more affluent and safer, as the country was not affected by the natural disaster six years ago. There are problems with reliable power, as there were several outages while the clinic took place.
The DR is the most visited country in the Caribbean as tourism has provided a huge boost to the economy. Most come for the beaches and spectacular golf courses, but the Lions In Sight team was there for another reason: to provide eye care and eyewear to as many patients as possible!
CE CornerWe are committed to helping you fulfill your CE requirements through our local meeting with the support of our sponsors! |
Speaker: Dr. George Comer. …
Topic: Glaucoma Case Challenges
George W. Comer, OD, MBA
Associate Professor
Southern California College of Optometry
Joined us in 1982
BS, University of Houston
OD, University of Houston
MBA, University of California, Irvine
Residency in HospitalBased Optometry, VA Medical Center, Lexington, KY
714.449.7405 • Fax 714.992.7871
gcomer@ketchum.edu
Dr. Comer is a 1981 graduate of the University of Houston College of Optometry. He completed a residency in hospitalbased optometry at the VA Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky and the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Kentucky School of Medicine. He is also a graduate of the University of California, Irvine Graduate School of Management with an MBA in health care management.
Dr. Comer is currently Associate Professor at the Southern California College of Optometry. He is immediate past Chair of the Disease Section of the Academy and is the Chair of the Disease Section Diplomate Program.
He has lectured extensively on glaucoma diagnosis and management and has a special interest in use of technology in this area such as new forms of perimetry and new optic nerve head and nerve fiber layer imaging.
Classifieds |
FirstSight is pleased to announce availability of Optometric office space right next door! We are looking for motivated Optometrists who are looking to step out on their own. This is a great turn-key opportunity – A FirstSight sublease offers the benefits of a private practice with little capital to get started. FirstSight will provide all office and top-rated optometric equipment including a Point of Sale system. All of these benefits enable optometrists to build a patient base while providing excellent customer care. We are looking for an Optometrist for our stand-alone office located next to Eyeglass World in Chula Vista which is opening in April 2016. If you are a driven Optometrist who is looking to run your own practice, please send a copy of your CV to odjobs@firstsightvision.net or you can contact Dr. Hoang Ho at 909.552.9860 for more details. (02/16)
San Diego private practice is in need of a fill-in OD on April 8th, 11th, 13th, and 15th with the potential to turn into a permanent part time position on Monday and Fridays. Please contact 760-402-6518 or e-mail dr2020eye@yahoo.com (03/16)
Seeking Optometrist for Monday and/or Tuesday and/or Thursday. Must have own liability insurance coverage. Independent contractor position only. For a full-day schedule: First appt scheduled at 10am and last appt at 5pm. Lunch between 1-2pm. For a half-day schedule (can be arranged for Tues/Thurs only): First patient to be seen at 2pm and last appt scheduled at 5pm. Patients are scheduled every 20 minutes. Please attach resume if interested to collegegroveoptometry@yahoo.com (03/16)
Practice wanted Local Optometrist interested in purchasing a private practice in San Diego. Please contact dr2020eye@yahoo.com (03/16)
Optometrist PT We desire a motivated, professional, energetic and caring optometrist, with social skills, to join our family orientated practice. We provide care to all ages emphasizing, vision, wellness, medical, and contact lenses. In addition, we have an amazing optician and optical. We have a fantastic, friendly, and a fun loving support team caring for our patients. Please submit your resume to healthyvision4u@gmail.com 760-757-8771 (02/16)
San Diego private practice in need of fill in OD on Monday and Friday. Please contact 760-402-6518 or e-mail dr2020eye@yahoo.com (03/16)
EQUIPMENT CLEANING: Keratometers, Slit Lamps, Phoropters, Lensometers, Projectors, Retinal Cameras, Visual Fields, OCT’s, Radiuscopes, Labscopes, Surgical Microscopes and more. Yearly maintenance contracts available. Servicing San Diego and Riverside County. Medical Equipment 4 Less Call/Text 951-225-5597 OR Email Med4lcleanings@gmail.com (02/16)
CA Licensed Optometrist needed for part time work at correctional facilities in Susanville, CA, Pelican Bay, CA and Salinas Valley, CA. Contact Tabitha Ford or Renika Williams, toll free 855-502-3600. (02/16)
For Sale Essilor Ultimate Edition Gamma Digital System Tracer/Edger system: 2 1/2 years old 2800 cycles. 24K or take over lease payments inventory of poly uncuts available. e-mail questions to eye3231@gmail.com (02/16)
Practice For Sale, part-time satellite office in North County. Right person can turn it into full time. Interested? Contact me at eye3231@gmail.com (02/16)
Part-time Optometrist needed for 1 to 2 days per week in two-location practice in North County. Number of days dependent on schedule availability. Must have EMR experience. Please respond with resume/CV to: villageidoc@sbcglobal.net (02/16)
Welcome, new members!! |
Volunteer Corner |
Next Screening: March 14, 2016
Contact Dr. Bob Meisel for more information at rmeisel@netscape.net ; www.monarchschools.org
Volunteer OD’s needed for flexible shifts throughout the year according to each doctor’s availability. OD’s unable to volunteer at the clinic can see patients at their office.
Call 619-298-5273, between 9-1:00 pm.,
Monday -Friday ~ 1805 Upas St, San Diego, CA 92103
Doctors interested in donating glasses to the Lions Optometric Vision Clinic (LOVC) please bring them to a CE meeting or contact Nancy-Jo at 619-663-8439 to make arrangements for delivery.
SDCOS keeps a list of all doctors willing to speak in front of groups about various topics, do home visits for patients, and assist in student mentoring. ODs interested in the Speakers Bureau, Home Visits, Student mentoring, and Low Vision OD’s, please contact Nancy-Jo at 619-663-8439
SDCOS Announcements |
Continuing Education Seminars are at the Handlery Hotel 950 Hotel Circle North, San Diego, 92108
.
Two-hour seminar, Thursday, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm. Buffet meal included and served ½ hour prior to lecture.
Five-hour seminar, Sunday, 8:00 am – 1:30 pm. Buffet meal included and served ½ hour prior to lecture.
Upcoming Events |
February 18th, 2016: 2 Hour CE
February 26-27th, 2016: COA House of Delegates Meeting, Newport, CA.
February 28th: COA Optowest, Newport, CA
March 20th: 5 Hour CE: Specialty Contact Lens Symposium and Workshop

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