Posted on October 27, 2004 at 10:25 a.m.
BIRMINGHAM, AL — The UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) will hold a reception on October 28 to honor the EyeSight Foundation of Alabama for its contributions to the creation of the UAB Department of Ophthalmology glaucoma research and treatment service. The service, which opened in renovated space in the Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital at UAB last year, combines glaucoma diagnosis, treatment and research in one central location.
The reception will begin at 5 p.m. on Thursday, October 28 at the glaucoma service on the 4th floor of the Eye Foundation Hospital. Speakers will include Dr. Lanning Kline, chair of ophthalmology, Dr. Christopher Girkin, director of the glaucoma service and Felix Drennen, chairman of the EyeSight Foundation Board of Trustees. The glaucoma service’s clinic and research space were renovated under an EyeSight Foundation grant of $400,000.
The EyeSight Foundation of Alabama is a nonprofit foundation whose mission is to be a catalyst for improving eyesight through education, research and access to care. The foundation was known as the Alabama Eye Institute, Inc. after the sale of the Eye Foundation Hospital to UAB. The foundation’s new name — EyeSight Foundation of Alabama — was adopted in 2001.
The glaucoma service is centered around unique retinal imaging equipment and a $3.2 million grant from the National Eye Institute, one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to initiate a study of glaucoma in African-Americans.
“UAB has three very sophisticated imaging devices; a stereophoto camera, a confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope and an optical coherence tomography scanner; that can take detailed images of the inside of the eye and optic nerve,” says Girkin.
“The new equipment can detect subtle changes in the eyes of glaucoma patients as many as five years before standard diagnostic techniques, allowing us to move more quickly with aggressive treatment. The sooner glaucoma is detected, the better the chances of preserving vision,” he says.
The NIH-funded African-American Glaucoma Study is the only one of its kind in the country, examining ways to provide better diagnostic methods for early detection of the disease. Glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness, is four to five times more common among African-Americans than whites. Overall, about 3 million Americans have glaucoma.
“We have reason to believe that current diagnostic measures are less likely to detect glaucoma in African-Americans, leading us to search for more effective ways to diagnose the disease,” says Girkin.
Glaucoma is caused by a number of eye diseases, which in most cases produce pressure within the eye. The elevated pressure is caused by a buildup of fluid in the eye that, over time, damages the optic nerve.
At first, glaucoma has no symptoms. Vision stays normal and there is no pain. As glaucoma remains untreated, people may notice that although they see things clearly in front of them, they miss objects to the side and out of the corner of their eyes.
Without treatment, people with glaucoma may find that they suddenly have no peripheral vision. It may seem as though they are looking through a tunnel. Over time, the remaining forward vision may decrease until there is no vision left.
While glaucoma cannot be cured, treatment can slow the progression of the disease and help preserve sight. Common treatments include medications and surgery, both laser and conventional.