Eversight Illinois Vision Spring 2017 SpringVision_IL_19Apr17_FNL | Page 11

Breaking boundaries
In many parts of the world, corneal transplantation is limited
by a lack of foundational and advanced clinical training.
Eversight is one of the first organizations to provide training
to physicians and healthcare professionals in regions most
affected by preventable blindness.
In December, Eversight partnered with a team of renowned
corneal surgeons to remove these barriers and train physicians
from across Asia on the latest techniques in corneal
transplantation. During the Asia Cornea Society Scientific
Conference in Seoul, South Korea, Eversight sponsored a
training wet lab and provided donor tissue for four successful
live cornea transplant surgeries that were streamed to the
more than 200 conference attendees.
“It’s an incredible privilege for Eversight to work
with such innovative leaders in the field of corneal
transplantation,” said Collin Ross, Eversight
International Executive Director. “We’re working
together to share our skills and expertise, to help
train physicians dedicated to restoring sight.”
A new look
Before any cornea is made available for transplant or research
it must undergo a stringent evaluation process at the hands
of specially trained technicians using the latest microscope
technology. Now, Eversight is taking a whole new look at tissue
evaluation with the CellChek D+ microscope, recently
integrated into each of our laboratories.
The CellChek D+ produces images with detail never seen
before by earlier technology. Eversight technicians can now
see corneas in 3-D and make more accurate evaluations that
help prevent transplant complications. The microscopes
have the capability to do much more—functions that will be
further explored in the coming months.
“The CellChek D+ is an important investment in the
quality of services and patient safety,” said Michael
O’Keefe, Eversight Chief Clinical Officer. “We’re excited
to find more ways this technology can advance our
eye banking practices.”
Innovations Task Force
Improvements in cornea transplant surgery and vision therapies
are developing at an incredible rate, creating new opportunities
for Eversight to grow our services. To keep pace and anticipate
emerging medical innovations, Eversight formed the Innovations
Task Force, an internal team comprised of representatives from
key departments including clinical operations, recovery,
processing, research, quality and client services, with guidance
from members of our Medical Advisory Committee.
One exciting opportunity identified early on by the Task Force
was the need for autologous serum eye drops for physicians
treating dry eye disease. The drops, developed using a patient’s
own blood, are a novel therapy for a syndrome that can lead to
ulcers and vision loss if left untreated.
“In eye banking, and ophthalmology as a whole, we’re
seeing so many exciting discoveries with great promise
in treating vision loss,” said David Bosch, Eversight
Chief Marketing Officer. “Our Innovations Task Force
allows us to stay on top of emerging procedures,
processes and therapies important to researchers,
surgeons and their patients.”
Spring 2017 | V I S I O N | Page 11