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Insight into
WINTER 2014
eyesight
Dr. Jerald Bovino receives
prestigious Howe Medal
About the Howe Medal
The University at Buffalo,
Department of Ophthalmology
and the Buffalo Ophthalmologic
Society are proud to
recognize Dr. Jerald Bovino
as one of the extraordinary
members of our profession
with the Lucien Howe Medal.
Dr. Bovino has truly had a remarkable and distinguished
career in ophthalmology. A native of New York City,
Dr. Bovino received his Bachelor of Arts degree from
Queens College. He graduated tops in his class from the
State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine.
Dr. Bovino completed his internship in internal medicine at
Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York City, and served as
Lt. Commander in the United States Public Health Service,
where he was named Medical Director of the New York
Outpatient Clinic.
He completed his residency in ophthalmology at St. Luke’s
Hospital–Columbia University, where he was appointed
Chief Resident in Ophthalmology. During his residency, he
received the William Warner Hoppin Award from the New
York Academy of Medicine. He completed his fellowship
in retina and vitreous surgery at the University of Iowa.
In addition to his stellar career in ophthalmology, Dr. Bovino
is also an accomplished mountaineer who has climbed
Mt. Ranier, The Grand Teton, Mt. Blanc, the Matterhorn
and Mt. Kilimanjaro. He is a multi-engine, instrument and
jet-rated pilot and a certified SCUBA diver. During the 1990s,
he successfully produced four full-length Hollywood movies.
For the past 12 years, he has anchored “The Jerry Bovino
Show” on Aspen Television where he was voted Aspen’s
best TV host.
Dr. Bovino has been married to Ester Preuss for more
than 40 years. They have two children, Rachel and David,
and five grandchildren.
Congratulations to Dr. Jerry Bovino, our 2014
Howe Medal recipient.
In 1874, Lucien Howe became a pioneer
ophthalmologist in Buffalo, New York.
Two years later, he founded the Buffalo
Eye and Ear Infirmary and in 1879,
became Professor of Ophthalmology
at the University of Buffalo.
His contribution to combating eye disease
was the passage of the “Howe Bill” in
the New York State legislature (and
subsequently in other state
legislatures), which required
prophylaxis for ophthalmia
neonatorum. In addition, in 1906
he wrote Muscles of the Eye, which
remained the leading English text
on that subject for the next quarter century.
Howe became president of the New York State
Medical Society in 1906, president of the American
Ophthalmological Society in 1919 and chair of the
section on ophthalmology of the American Medical
Association in 1924. In an effort to promote excellence
within the profession, he established four prizes in
ophthalmology. Those were meant to stimulate research
and discovery. The prizes were established in four
organizations: New York State Medical Society,
American Ophthalmological Society, American Medical
Association, and luckily for us, the University at Buffalo,
in conjunction with the Buffalo Ophthalmological
Society. These prizes became known as Howe Medals
and have recognized the truly great in our profession.
Howe had attended Harvard Medical School and in
1926, he funded the laboratories of ophthalmology at
that university with a gift of $250,000. Howe became
the first director of the laboratory and was active in its
organization at the time of his death in 1928.
Such luminaries as Dr. Carmen Puliafito, Dr. Elizabeth
Olmsted and Dr. Jackson Coleman have won the
award. Like these past recipients, Dr. Jerald Bovino
is considered a credit to Ophthalmology, and to the
Howe Medal.
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Message
from the Chairman
James D. Reynolds, MD
Orchard Park
expansion completed
Our fully-renovated facility at
301 Sterling Drive in Orchard
Park houses the latest in technology,
new ophthalmic equipment and a floor-to-ceiling
refurbishment for greater patient comfort.
There are now 14 areas for patient examinations. Designed
for patient ease and relaxation, everything in the facility is new,
including waiting room furniture, carpeting and overall decor
for a home-like atmosphere.
These Ross sub-specialists are now serving residents in
the Southtowns:
• Umberto Albanese, MD
(Retina)
• Sandra Everett, MD (Cornea)
• Sandra Sieminski, MD (Glaucoma)
• Gareth Lema, MD, PhD (Retina)
• Matthew Pihlblad, MD (Pediatrics)
• Nehal Patel, OD (Optometry)
• Laura Buchanan, OD (Optometry)
We present our winter 2014 issue with
something of interest for all. Our cover story
is the awarding of the prestigious UB Howe
Medal which was given to honor the career
achievements of an ophthalmic pioneer,
Dr. Jerald Bovino. It is a great honor for UB
to hold one of the four legacies of Dr. Lucien
Howe, a great man and visionary. The brief
history of the origin of these four awards is
also provided.
We choose to highlight our research efforts
by focusing in on the achievements of our
Vice Chairman and Director or Research,
Dr. Steven Fliesler. As you can readily see,
Dr. Fliesler is a rare talent and a dramatically
productive researcher. He is at the pinnacle
of his amazing career.
Clinically, we spotlight our acquisition and
utilization of exciting new technology, wide-field
retinal imaging, which promises to revolutionize
retinal diagnoses. Dr. Yoganathan will be
giving a series of lectures to local eye care
professionals on the dramatic meaning of
having this technology available in Buffalo.
We also highlight the talent of one of our
most experienced and gifted ocular trauma
surgeons, Dr. Sandy Everett, through the eyes
of a patient. The patient’s story and Dr. Everett’s
successful surgical repair make excellent
reading. Coincidentally, we also note in a
separate piece the mission work of Dr. Everett
at The Ross.
Finally, we introduce our new faculty, fellow,
and residents. We are excited for their arrival
and have high expectations. Dr. Buchanan is a
very welcome addition to our comprehensive
faculty.
Hopeful ways
PO Box 1037
Getzville, New York 14068 USA
Email: [email protected]
www.HopefulWays.org
EIN # 46-3069446
Ross Eye Institute
Hopeful Ways and the people of Nicaragua thank you for the generous
donation by the Ross Eye Institute in support of the Hopeful Ways
Nicaragua Eye Care Mission Project. The donation included:
• 1 Surgical microscope
• 2 optometrist chairs
e after
Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Western Hemispher
few social
Haiti. The country has few resources, and the government has
programs. The people are friendly and welcoming, and they struggle
daily to provide food and shelter for their families.
care
Your donation will help to provide much needed, and free eye
services to these impoverished people.
Please contact me if there are any questions, and we appreciate
support.
Thank you.
Jim Carlins
President, Hopeful Ways Inc.
716-909-8942
[email protected]
Enjoy!
2
your
Drs. Everett and
Imbrogno recently
visited Nicaragua on a
vital eye care mission.
The Ross worked
together with Hopeful
Ways to get much
needed equipment for
day-to-day use there!
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Residency and Fellowship
Programs at The Ross: an update Dr. James Reynolds
Recent graduates move
on from their residency
degree at New York Medical College in 2009 while
on a Navy scholarship. He completed his transitional
internship at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth and
then worked as a primary care physician with extra
training in diving and radiation health for several years
in Charleston, SC before returning to Buffalo to start
his residency at The Ross.
The Ross Eye Institute, in
conjunction with the University
at Buffalo, is pleased to have
graduated three outstanding
surgeons from residency:
Dr. James Chelnis, Dr. Walter
Kunz and Dr. Domenic Turco.
And Dr. Vincent Imbrogno
has graduated from the Cornea,
External Disease, Refractive
Surgery Fellowship.
Cynthia Tung, MD received her undergraduate
degree at Cornell University and her medical degree
at the University of Rochester. She successfully
completed an internship with Unity Health System in
Rochester, NY and an Ophthalmology Residency at the
University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas.
Dr. Chelnis is pursuing extended training in the
field of Oculoplastics and Reconstructive Surgery in
Tennessee, while Dr. Kunz continues with Cornea,
External Disease and Refractive Surgery in Oklahoma.
Drs. Imbrogno and Turco have taken on private
practice positions in Western Pennsylvania. All four
surgeons bring their experience at The Ross out
into the field where they will care for thousands
of patients in the upcoming years.
Dr. Tung is currently in the Cornea, External Disease
and Refractive Surgery Fellowship at the Ross Eye
Institute and will spend this academic year involved
with complex anterior segment disease, corneal
diseases and trauma.
Today: residency, fellowship and
guest surgeons from around the world
Overall, residency training continues its strong
tradition with a full-time faculty boasting a range of
specialists from cornea, glaucoma and oculoplastics
to pediatrics and retina. This multitude of subspecialties
allows patients to have broad access to fellowshiptrained surgeons—all under one roof.
And we welcome four new
physicians into our program!
This year we bring in another diverse class in
helping continue the mission of training, care and
research. Their arrival represents a homecoming
of sorts, following years of academic training in
different parts of the country.
This is the third year of the cornea fellowship,
which has sent its graduates on to academic centers
and private practice.
Centrael “Sonny” Evans, MD received his
undergraduate education at Brigham Young University
and is a graduate of Emory Medical School. His areas
of interest include global medicine, having published
an analysis of pediatric cataract surgery in Africa.
He is also highly interested in medical education
and process improvement.
This past year, we welcomed international guest
surgeons, including Dr. Waheed Ibrahim from
Nigeria. Dr. Ibrahim was sponsored by the
International Council of Ophthalmology, coming
to Buffalo to work with Dr. Deepa Yoganathan and
Dr. Gareth Lema, The Ross’ vitreo-retinal surgeons.
He enjoyed a four-month observational sabbatical
while other research fellows worked in the
pediatrics division with Dr. Matthew Pihlblad.
Jamie Schaefer, MD received her undergraduate
degree at Canisius College. After graduating from
St. George’s University School of Medicine, she
spent a year at the University of Florida with the
Center for Vision Research with primary focus in
the field of glaucoma. Before returning to Buffalo,
she completed her internship in Internal Medicine at
Nassau University Medical Center, Long Island, NY.
Steven Stockslager, MD completed his undergraduate
degree at SUNY Buffalo and earned his medical
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A year of
acomplishment for
Dr. Steven Fliesler
“When one of our own receives high accolades for work
in the field of research, it benefits the entire organization,”
says Dr. Steven Fliesler, PhD, Vice Chairman of the
Department of Ophthalmology and Director of Research
for the Ross Eye Institute Vision Research Center.
The UB Distinguished Professor Award
2014 has been a year of accomplishment for the
Research Center, and specifically Dr. Fliesler, both
in the University at Buffalo community and within
ARVO, the most respected national organization for
ophthalmological research.
By policy, at no given time can more than 5% of the total
active UB faculty carry the UB Distinguished Professor
distinction.
National recognition through ARVO
“Every time a person gets elected to a national office or
serves on a committee in a major professional society
like ARVO, the university name goes along with them,”
said Fliesler. “When considered for allocation of resources
or service on a study section at the NIH, that name
recognition makes a difference.”
Dr. Fliesler has been actively involved with The Association
for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) since
1976, which led to his Silver Fellow designation in 2009.
This past May, he struck gold, being named an ARVO
Gold Fellow based on his service activities for the eye
research community through ARVO.
SUNY Chancellor’s Award
Fliesler’s service on the ARVO Annual Meeting Program
Committee (which he chaired for the past 3 years, until
May) and chairing the publications committee are among
the activities that accrue in ARVO’s point system for
fellowship designation.
The UB Distinguished Professor Award honors UB
professors who have achieved distinction and are national
or international leaders in their fields. In a ceremony on
October 8, Dr. Fliesler was awarded this exclusive honor.
The annual SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence
was conferred upon Dr. Fliesler at a special ceremony
at North Campus on October 8, 2014. Dr. Fliesler was
honored for Scholarship and Creative Activities.
The annual Chancellor’s Award is a system-wide honor
bestowed upon a very select group of faculty. This award
recognizes a body of published work that is highly
recognized both in terms of number of publications
and impact in the field.
The publications committee assesses ARVO journals
such as Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences,
the major eye research journal in the world. The committee
also conducts workshops that cover some aspect of
publishing...”nuts & bolts” material that is not taught
in school.
Under Fliesler’s direction, the committee recently decided
to help underwrite the costs of publishing articles from
people in 3rd world countries such as India, Bangladesh
and other countries where such costs may be prohibitive.
ARVO welcomes Dr. Zhang
Dr. Fliesler has one year remaining as chair of the
publications committee. Sarah Zhang, fellow researcher
at The Ross, is the chair elect and will enhance her
career while succeeding Fliesler in May of 2015.
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ARVO Board of Trustees
The VA grant award is $450,000 for three years; such
grants are only available to people who hold a VA staff
appointment. Fliesler holds dual appointments at the
Buffalo VA and via The Ross, at the University of Buffalo.
The DoD grant award is $941,946 for three years. These
awards are in addition to Fliesler’s current, four-year, $1.92
million grant award from the National Institutes of Health.
Fliesler was recently elected to a 5-year term on
the Board of Trustees by the retinal cell biology (RC)
constituency he represents. The board guides the entire
functionality of ARVO, lobbies Washington on behalf
of the eye research community, develops community
outreach functions, and more.
More news from the
Research Division
VA and DoD Grants awarded
Dr. Fliesler was recently notified that he will be
receiving funding both from the Veterans Administration
(a VA Merit Review grant) and the Department of
Defense (a DoD Vision Research Program Translational
Research Award). These highly competitive awards
will support Fliesler’s studies on the effects of blast
overpressure exposure on the retina.
Husband and wife team Drs. Sarah Zhang & Josh J.
Wang have been with The Ross for two years. Zhang
has had some important papers accepted for publication
this year. They collaborated with Fliesler on a major
review article that’s already been cited in Cell, the
world’s leading research journal.
“It’s a new area of research for me,” said Fliesler.
“We’re studying the effects on the retina of conditions
that simulate those to which soldiers are exposed in
war zones, such as roadside bomb explosions. Often,
soldiers who experience this type of trauma initially
have little or no problem seeing. However, weeks
to months later, their vision becomes compromised.
Our preliminary studies point to subtle, but progressively
worsening, molecular and cellular changes in the
retina that underlie these visual deficits.”
Dr. Xiuqian Mu has also had a very good year, publishing
three papers, including one with Fliesler that recently
appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences.
Dr. Gareth Lema, MD, PhD has recently joined the faculty.
He has a PhD in physiology and biophysics and an MD
degree from UB, did his ophthalmology residency training
here, then did a vitreoretinal fellowship in Rochester,
returning as an assistant professor on The Ross faculty.
Lema spends about 20% of his time doing research.
WORK PUBLISHED in 2014
• Pihlblad M, Chelnis J, Schaefer D. Eyelid Desmoplastic
Trichilemmoma: 2 Case Reports and Review. Ophthal Plast
Reconstr Surg. September/October;30(5):e136-e138.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24777258>
• Pihlblad M, Demer JL. Hypertropia in unilateral isolated
abducens palsy. J AAPOS. 2014 Jun;18(3):235-40.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24924275>
• Madigan WP, Reynolds JD, Strominger M, Wagner RS.
Management of congenital fourth cranial nerve palsy.
J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2014 Mar-Apr;51(2):70-2.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24661367>
• Zhang SX, Sanders E, Fliesler SJ, Wang JJ. Endoplasmic
reticulum stress and the unfolded protein responses in retinal
degeneration. Exp Eye Res. 2014 Aug;125C:30-40.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24792589>
• Chen C, Cano M, Wang JJ, Li J, Huang C, Yu Q, Herbert TP,
Handa JT, Zhang SX. Role of unfolded protein response
dysregulation in oxidative injury of retinal pigment epithelial cells.
Antioxid Redox Signal. 2014 May 10;20(14):2091-106.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24053669>.
• Boriushkin E, Wang JJ, Zhang SX. Role of p58IPK in
Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-associated Apoptosis and
Inflammation. J Ophthalmic Vis Res. 2014 Jan;9(1):134-43.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24982747>
• Flynn E, Ueda K, Auran E, Sullivan JM, Sparrow JR. Fundus
Autofluorescence and Photoreceptor Cell Rosettes in Mouse
Models. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2014 55(9):5643-52.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25015357>
• Sapkota D, Chintala H, Wu F, Fliesler SJ, Hu Z, Mu X.
Onecut1 and Onecut2 redundantly regulate early retinal cell
fates during development. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.
2014 Sep 30;111(39):E4086-95. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1405354111.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25228773>
• Gao Z, Mao CA, Pan P, Mu X, Klein WH. Transcriptome of
Atoh7 retinal progenitor cells identifies new Atoh7-dependent
regulatory genes for retinal ganglion cell formation. Dev Neurobiol.
2014 Nov;74(11):1123-40. doi: 10.1002/dneu.22188.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24799426
• Li R, Wu F, Ruonala R, Sapkota D, Hu Z, Mu X. Isl1 and Pou4f2 form
a complex to regulate target genes in developing retinal ganglion cells.
PLoS One. 2014 Mar 18;9(3):e92105. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0092105.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24643061>
• Reynolds, JD. Insights into ROP. American Orthoptic Journal 2014; 64:43-53.
(The Ross contributors in bold):
List of REFEREED journal articles that have been published by REI
primary faculty in 2014:
• Conley SM, Stuck MW, Burnett JL, Chakraborty D, Azadi S,
Fliesler SJ, Naash MI. Insights into the mechanisms of macular
degeneration associated with the R172W mutation in RDS.
Hum Mol Genet. 2014 Jun 15;23(12):3102-14.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24463884>
• Rowan S, Weikel K, Chang ML, Nagel BA, Thinschmidt JS, Carey A,
Grant MB, Fliesler SJ, Smith D, Taylor A. Cfh genotype interacts
with dietary glycemic index to modulate age-related macular
degeneration-like features in mice. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2014
Jan 23;55(1):492-501.<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24370827>
• Gu X, Fliesler SJ, Zhao YY, Stallcup WB, Cohen AW,
Elliott MH. Loss of caveolin-1 causes blood-retinal barrier
breakdown, venous enlargement, and mural cell alteration.
Am J Pathol. 2014 Feb;184(2):541-55.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24326256>
• Sane M, Selvadurai A, Reidy J, Higgs D, Gonzalez-Fernandez F,
Lincoff N. Transient visual loss due to reversible ‘pending’ central
retinal artery occlusion in occult giant cell arteritis. Eye (Lond).
2014 Aug 1. doi: 10.1038/eye.2014.181. [Epub ahead of print]
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25081291>
• Gonzalez-Fernandez F, Sung D, Haswell KM, Tsin A, Ghosh D.
Thiol-dependent antioxidant activity of interphotoreceptor
retinoid-binding protein. Exp Eye Res. 2014 Mar;120:167-74.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24424263>
• Trakadis YJ, Alfares A, Bodamer OA, Buyukavci M, Christodoulou J,
Connor P, Glamuzina E, Gonzalez-Fernandez F, Bibi H, Echenne B,
Manoli I, Mitchell J, Nordwall M, Prasad C, Scaglia F, Schiff M,
Schrewe B, Touati G, Tchan MC, Varet B, Venditti CP, Zafeiriou D,
Rupar CA, Rosenblatt DS, Watkins D, Braverman N. Update on
transcobalamin deficiency: clinical presentation, treatment and
outcome. J Inherit Metab Dis. 2014 May;37(3):461-73
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24305960>
• Malikowski TM, Bosch JB, Min S, Duffey ME, Patel SP.
Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors in corneal endothelial transport.
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2014 Apr 21;55(4):2652-8.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24667858>
• Bansal S, Myneni AA, Mu L, Myers BH, Patel SP. Corneal sensitivity
in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. Cornea. 2014
Jul;33(7):703-6. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24858016>
5
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Wide-field
photo technology
aids in rapid,
accurate diagnosis
within the retina
The Optos Optomap imaging system is a
diagnostic tool used by Doctors Gareth Lema,
Umberto Albanese, Deepa Yoganathan and
Jack Sullivan, retinal specialists at the Ross
Eye Institute.
For example, one common use is to discover
peripheral ischemia, or retinal tissue that doesn’t
have good blood circulation. When they identify
poor circulation in the peripheral retina, they can
often target that area with a laser to stop that tissue
from stealing oxygen and nutrients from the good
working tissue found in the center of the retina.
Early detection of retinal conditions such as
diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular
degeneration and glaucoma is enhanced with
ultra-wide digital retinal imaging.
Optomap imaging provides Ross ophthalmologists
with the clearest photographs of the retina using
this pioneering technology.
“By identifying the pathology in the periphery, we
can help preserve someone’s sight,” said Yoganathan.
Over 80% of the retina in one image
An optomap takes only seconds to perform, is
not painful, and typically does not require dilation.
The Ross is among the first in Western New York
to have the technology, which has been upgraded
since its introduction in 2000.
Traditional methods of examining the retina
typically reveal only 10-15% of the retina at one
time. The ultra-wide imaging system captures more
than 80% of the retina in one panoramic image.
“This technology offers a 200-degree wide field
image of the retina, which is the widest possible
out of any camera,” said Dr. Yoganathan.
Vital tool for diagnosis and treatment
The Optos is more than a camera, explained
Yoganathan. The red and green lasers create the
image. Separating the red from the green laser
helps identify melanoma.
Numerous clinical studies demonstrate the
power of optomap as a diagnostic tool.
“Use of this technology improves accuracy
in diagnosis and increases treatment options,”
said Dr. Yoganathan.
And using the optomap, specialists like Yoganathan
can monitor the progression of disease in patients
with cycle cell, or vein occlusions. “Those patients
also have peripheral circulation problems, and it helps
us to categorize them more accurately,” she said.
Dr. Yoganathan at the
Buffalo Ophthalmology
Symposium in May.
Dr. Yoganathan has found this technology vital in
diagnosing her diabetic patients. 30% of her patients
have diabetes, with occult—or hidden—peripheral
disease related to diabetes.
“Patients sometimes have undiscovered pathology
in the periphery that is easily identified by this wide
field imaging device,” said Yoganathan. “During the
early, non-proliferative stage, these patients may need
a follow up with us in 6-12 months. There have been
times that the wide-field digital images show peripheral
ischemia, and we treat them with a laser that day.”
The Ross Eye Institute is committed to offering
patients the latest in diagnostic technology, and the
Optos wide-field imaging device is one example of
the tools that are available to its ophthalmologists.
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Patient Spotlight:
Lindsay Harmon
It happened on New Year’s Day 2010, around
1 a.m. After leaving a tavern on Main Street
with a group of friends, Buffalo resident
Lindsay Harmon, 29, got into an argument
with a woman she didn’t know.
Lindsay describes what happened next.
“She got into my face, and I started pulling my
girlfriends away saying ‘let’s go, let’s go’ and I
heard a gentleman say, ‘she’s got a knife!’
“I was pulling my one girlfriend away and felt what I
thought was a punch to the right side of my face and my
eye. I ducked down on the ground and everyone scattered.
I started touching my eye, looking at my hand... and all I saw
was blood. I started screaming, ‘I can’t see, I can’t see!’“
Lindsay’s recovery was aided by a tremendous support
system and the availability of abundant specialty care.
“My friends and family were terrific,” said Lindsay. “My
one friend moved in, and she would help me with eye drops,
cleaning and anything I was told to do. She would drive me
to The Ross or to pick up prescriptions when I could not drive.
Lindsay had been stabbed in the right eye, right cheek,
and left arm with a steak knife, causing very serious injuries.
A friend of hers called an ambulance, which rushed her to
the Erie County Medical Center (ECMC).
“Dr. Everett was so great... she basically reattached my eye.
Had (the knife) gone any further, I would have lost the eye
and maybe had serious problems with infections, which
could have been life threatening. They took care of me
every step of the way.”
Lindsay was seen very shortly after she arrived in the ER.
She was evaluated and treated with the goal of closing the
globe. An eye shield and bed rest was mandatory until she
could be taken to the OR.
Dr. Everett confirmed Lindsay’s suspicions. “She was lucky
that the knife did not penetrate further causing a traumatic
cataract or a retinal detachment,” said Everett.
Lindsay required surgery to close the wounds, which was
performed in the wee hours of the night. Sandra L. Everett,
MD, a surgeon at the Ross Eye Institute, performed surgery,
assisted by Susan Smith, MD and Matthew Pihlblad, MD.
Fortunately for Lindsay, Dr. Everett is a cornea specialist
with significant previous trauma experience.
Lindsay is convinced she would have lost her eye if she hadn’t
been attended to right away. “And I’d have lost vision if I had
not followed (Dr. Everett’s) home treatment to the letter.”
“She was persistent in using medications correctly, and keeping
her appointments allowing for close follow up,” added Everett.
Aside from multiple lacerations of the right eyelid and
upper cheek, the official diagnosis ominously indicated the
severity of the injury:
Today, Lindsay is back at her job as a collection agent, and
her vision is about 20/25 - 20/30. She wears glasses, but only
for protection—she uses no corrective lenses. What remains
from the surgery is one tiny speck on the eye.
Ruptured right globe.
The corneal laceration and scleral laceration totaled about
18 mm, quite large considering the eye is 23.5 mm long on
average. What followed was close observation for infection,
and monitoring for a retinal detachment.
Lindsay looks back at the attack reflecting on a strength she
didn’t know she had.
“I am glad it was me and not one of the others,” she said.
“I’m strong enough to handle it. It changed me, grounded me.
It also brought my friends and family closer, to a new level. “
At first, Lindsay visited The Ross once a week, then once
every two weeks, then once a month. Once the eye patch
was removed, she describes her progression of sight as
“double vision at first, then looking up, not straight on, then
foggy... then after a while, I started to see clearly.” During
her recovery, she stayed with her father. It was a year
before she could see well enough to function normally.
Lindsay has referred family and friends to The Ross and to
Dr. Everett. “She’s not only my eye doctor, she’s my good
friend,” she said.
“Lindsay is a warm and caring individual,” said Everett.
“She and I became close due to her harrowing experience.”
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