View Annual Report - Jules Stein Eye Institute

Diabetic Eye Disease
and Retinal Vascular Center
Under the direction of Dr. Steven D. Schwartz, the
Diabetic Eye Disease and Retinal Vascular Center
provides diabetic patients with comprehensive ophthalmic
care. Established more than a decade ago, the
Center has contributed significantly to the understanding,
treatment, and prevention of diabetic eye disease.
Current focus is on innovation in technologies and
techniques that expand the standard of treatment,
such as new lasers and laser strategies, refinement
of microsurgical techniques specific to diabetic eye
diseases, and nontraditional treatment approaches.
The Center’s treatment philosophy is based upon the
systemic nature of diabetes. Patient care is coordinated
with other UCLA departments to address the special
needs of diabetics that lie outside the field of ophthalmology.
Center treatment interventions include laser
and ophthalmic surgery. Recognizing the special care
needed for diabetics in any surgical situation, Center
physicians perform all eye surgeries for diabetics,
including those specific to the disease, as well as
vitrectomy, cataract surgery, and retinal reattachment.
Eye Trauma and Emergency Center
The Eye Trauma and Emergency Center, under the
direction of Dr. Robert Alan Goldberg, provides
immediate response to ophthalmic emergencies
through an eye trauma team available 24 hours a day
for consultative, medical, and surgical care involving
both primary and secondary ocular repairs. Ophthal-
mic emergency care has been provided by the UCLA
Department of Ophthalmology since its inception.
In 1980, the Eye Trauma and Emergency Center was
formally established to encompass all levels of ocular
trauma within the UCLA hospital system, including
support to affiliated institutions.
Patients are commonly referred to the Center for such
ocular traumas as ruptured globe, intraocular foreign
bodies, acute orbital hypertension, retinal detachment,
chemical burns of the cornea and conjunctiva, and
acute vitreous hemorrhage. The Center offers complete
evaluation and treatment of the traumatically injured
eye, including vitreoretinal and/or orbital and ophthal-
mic plastic surgery, anterior segment surgery, and
medical follow up. Primary surgical repairs are performed
immediately for new trauma while secondary
repairs are usually scheduled.
Gerald Oppenheimer Family Foundation
Center for the Prevention of Eye Disease
Established with a generous pledge from Gail and
Gerald H. Oppenheimer, the Gerald Oppenheimer
Family Foundation Center for the Prevention of Eye
Disease is committed to the discovery of agents and
methods to prevent ophthalmic diseases. Areas of
study supported by the Foundation include genetic
and environmental factors that may cause eye disease,
and pharmacologic and natural agents to prevent eye
disease. The Center complements an expanding array
of research in many other fields at UCLA, where
rigorous scientific methods are being applied to study
novel approaches to health care.
UCLA Laser Refractive Center
The UCLA Laser Refractive Center is under the direc-
tion of Dr. David Rex Hamilton. Founded in 1991,
the Center specializes in refractive surgery of both
the cornea and lens of the eye, including clinical and
research applications of new laser technology. The
Center is one of a few in the United States to pioneer
investigations into laser eye surgery.
The UCLA Laser Refractive Center offers all cornea
refractive procedures, including LASIK and LASEK/
PRK; astigmatic keratotomy; conductive keratoplasty,
and intracorneal ring implantation. Advanced intraocular
lens (IOL) procedures are also available, including
presbyopia-correcting IOLs (multifocal and accommodating),
toric IOLs, and phakic IOLs. Patients referred
to the Center undergo a complete ocular examination
that includes corneal topographic mapping, wavefront
analysis, and corneal biomechanical measurements
to identify conditions that may interfere with surgical
correction of refractive errors. Candidates for laser or
intraocular lens surgery receive intensive education
to understand the benefits, risks, and alternatives to
surgery. Participation in clinical trials for new refractive
devices and techniques to treat nearsightedness,
farsightedness, and presbyopia may be an option for
qualified patients.
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