SUMMER EVENTS
Surgeon training—advancing
treatment options
Eversight Connecticut continually strives to support
physicians and help them implement the best surgical
techniques to improve patient outcomes. In May,
nine surgeons from New Jersey and Connecticut
gathered at Yale University for a hands-on training
wet lab to learn techniques for performing Descemet’s
Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK).
DMEK surgery is an excellent solution for patients
whose corneal condition affects only the innermost
endothelial layer. The method, however, requires a
special set of surgical abilities — skills instructors at
the wet lab imparted in a one-on-one setting.
Dr. Shahzad Mian, an ophthalmologist and associate
professor at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye
Center, was the provost, in addition to other speakers
and instructors, including Dr. Christopher Hood,
Dr. Kevin Shah, Dr. Lorenzo Cervantes, Dr. Scott
Wagenberg and Dr. Pankaj Gupta.
“This was the first Eversight wet lab in the
Northeastern United States, and it showcased the
leading clinical expertise and services that we provide
to corneal surgeons,” said Eversight Connecticut
Executive Director Ryan Cady. “It is these kinds of
training opportunities that will ensure people in our
community have access to the latest in quality care.”
The next generation
A major priority for Eversight Connecticut is to
take advantage of opportunities to educate young
ophthalmologists about eye banking so they can
experience the full scope of donation.
In June, Eversight Connecticut hosted five residents
from the Yale School of Medicine. They practiced
transplant suturing techniques and learned about
the inner workings of the eye bank from Eversight
Connecticut Professional Relations Manager Caithlin
Lopes.
“This was a great chance to meet future corneal
surgeons and start developing an understanding with
them about the donation process and what makes the
gift possible,” Lopes said. “If they can get to know
us, we hope they’ll decide to become ambassadors
of donation and really make a difference in their
community and profession as their careers progress.”
Donor Family Ceremony
In partnership with the New England Organ Bank and
LifeChoice Donor Services, Eversight Connecticut cohosted a donor family ceremony in May to celebrate
the memory of 70 donors who gave the gifts of life,
sight and mobility.
The gathering was a time of healing while families
shared stories of their loved ones. Upon arrival, each
family chose a glass filled with colored sand, and
during the Sand Ceremony, the families carried their
sand to the front of the ballroom and said their loved
one’s name aloud. They poured the sand into a large
glass vessel, and the intertwining layers of red, yellow,
green, blue, orange and pink served as a symbol of
the interconnectedness between people who make
donation and transplantation possible.
“These events are special for both the families and
our staff,” Cady said. “It is a powerful opportunity to
connect with each other and learn how together, we’re
making vision a reality for people in need.”
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