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DIANE TRIEU, M.D.
PHYSICIAN PROFILE
OPHTHALMOLOGY
“There have been huge changes over the decades in treatments and
technology that prevent vision loss, as well as improve vision with and
without glasses,” Dr. Weiss says, citing several quick, in-office procedures
that formerly involved surgery and days of recovery time. “One of
people’s greatest fears is loss of vision, and the ability to restore or
maintain someone’s vision is very rewarding.”
Dr. Weiss says that staying active in
research helps her provide state-ofthe-art treatment to her own patients.
She has been an international leader
in the field of corneal dystrophies —
inherited diseases affecting the front of
the eye, whose progression often leads
to visual loss and the need for corneal
surgery. Dr. Weiss’ interest in one
disease, Schnyder corneal dystrophy,
led her to discover the disease’s genetic
cause, which she hopes will lead to
discovering its cure. She currently
leads the International Committee for
Classification of Corneal Dystrophies, a
group of corneal dystrophy experts from
around the world whose publication on
corneal dystrophies is used to help diagnose these rare conditions.
With some hereditary eye diseases, like corneal dystrophies, patients may
not show symptoms until a disease is in its later stages. Eye examination
may reveal signs of the disease before the patient is symptomatic — so
scheduling a yearly dilated eye exam to find early signs of disease is even
more important in treatable conditions. Diabetic retinopathy, a frequent
cause of blindness among diabetics ages 20-64, is a prime example of one
eye condition that can be treated and ameliorated if diagnosed early on.
The condition occurs in two forms: nonproliferative and proliferative.
“Particularly with proliferative retinopathy, someone is at high risk for
vision loss, which is why it’s so important for diabetics to get routine eye
exams,” Dr. Weiss says. “Every diabetic should have a yearly dilated retina
exam, because early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent vision loss.”
Treatment for diabetic retinopathy can range from eye drops or to
injections to laser or surgery. Eating well, exercising and taking other
steps to manage diabetes can decrease a patient’s chances of developing
diabetic retinopathy. “If your diabetes is under good control, it lessens
your risk,” Dr. Weiss says. “If your blood sugar is under poor control, it
increases your risk.” Other conditions that can increase the risk of diabetic
retinopathy include high blood sugar, high cholesterol, anemia, kidney
failure and pregnancy.
The chances of developing blinding diabetic retinopathy are much higher
in those who do not have yearly dilated diabetic eye exams. “The great
tragedy in the U.S. is that diabetic retinopathy is still the leading cause of
blindness in patients 20 to 64 years of age,” Dr. Weiss says. “It really is a
tragedy, because this is preventable blindness in many cases.”
of people’s
“ One
greatest fears is loss
of vision, and the
ability to restore or
maintain someone’s
vision is very
rewarding.
”
Dr. Jayne S. Weiss
Ophthalmologist Dr. Jayne S. Weiss
shares the importance of state-of-the-art
treatment to improve vision.
Dramatic advances in technology and technique often characterize the
field of ophthalmology — and Dr. Jayne Weiss can claim a hand in some of
those advances.
Dr. Weiss, who chairs the department of ophthalmology at LSU
Health Sciences Center, is also a member and incoming chair of the
FDA Ophthalmic Devices Panel, which reviews many new ophthalmic
innovations before they become available to the public. In addition, she
was one of 12 physicians nationwide invited to serve on the National
Advisory Eye Council in 2012.
Jayne S. Weiss, M.D.
Chairman, Department of Ophthalmology
Professor of Ophthalmology, Pathology and Pharmacology
Herbert E. Kaufman M.D. Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology
Director, LSU Eye Center of Excellence
LSU Eye Center Clinic
3700 St. Charles Ave., 6th Floor
New Orleans, LA 70115
(504) 412-1200
28 New Orleans Living l November 2014
Medical School: Mt. Sinai School of Medicine
Residency: Bascom Palmer Eye Institute,
University of Miami School of Medicine,
Ophthalmology
Fellowships: Massachusetts Eye and Ear
Infirmary, Harvard University, Ocular
Pathology; Emory University, Cornea and
External Diseases
Board Certification: Ophthalmology
To learn more about physicians practicing within
the LSU Healthcare Network, please visit
www.lsudocs.com