Wilmer meeting highlights work of residents and faculty

Andy Warhol might have predicted people would get 15 minutes of fame, but residents and faculty of the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins Hospital and University will happily accept their 10 minutes in the spotlight this month.

During the 64th Annual Wilmer Residents Association Clinical Meeting, current and former residents and faculty will have 10 minutes each to present papers they have researched in a fast-paced program aimed at showcasing the multidimensional research and education under way at the Wilmer Eye Institute. The meeting will be held April 22 to 23 at the Thomas B. Turner Building on the university's campus.

Those who attend the meeting can expect to hear some of the latest advancements in research on the medical and surgical management of eye disease and visual disorders, as well as new surgical techniques and therapies. Attendees can earn a maximum of 15.5 category 1 credits toward the American Medical Association's Physician's Recognition Award.

"It is quite a good and broad intellectual experience," Dr. McDonnell explained. "My view is that this event underscores the collegiality and family atmosphere of the Wilmer Institute. People are very dedicated and hard working here, but also take time to get together and spend a few days with each other to share ideas and a few laughs."

Walter J. Stark, MD, director of Wilmer's Corneal and Cataract Services and professor of ophthalmology, and one of the event's organizers, said the meeting is a bit like a homecoming for former residents and fellows. Any resident or fellow is a member of the Wilmer Residents Association, and many return to present their research, hear what their colleagues are working on, and socialize with other alumni, Dr. Stark said. However, anyone who is interested may attend.

In many cases, the material presented has not yet been published, he added.

"It's hot new stuff," he said. "It's an exciting time for our former residents and those who want to attend."

State of the institute The meeting will open with a "State of the Institute" presentation by Dr. McDonnell. Dr. Stark will present the 16th Wilmer Memorial Lecture, which will highlight the contributions the Wilmer Eye Institute has made to the field of cataract surgery.

More than 15 presentations will follow before lunch, all with an emphasis on anterior segment surgery, cornea, and cataract issues. Topics range from a characterization of primary human corneal endothelial cell culture, to non-invasive imaging of corneal infections, to a modified posterior lamellar keratoplasty with a partial flap keratectomy and the use of a novel tissue adhesive. Five more anterior segment presentations will follow lunch with the faculty.

Six presentations will highlight the study of pediatrics and strabismus in a portion chaired by David L. Guyton, MD, and Michael X. Repka, MD. Here, presentations will include a discussion by Dr. Guyton and Maria Pesheva, MD, of surgical management of "Inverted Brown Syndrome," a tight or inelastic inferior oblique muscle masquerading as unilateral superior oblique under action, as well as an analysis of the Harada-Ito procedure on eye movements in bilateral superior oblique palsy by Howard Ying, Xiaoyan Shan, Neil Miller, and David Zee.

The meeting continues with five presentations on oculoplastics and pathology, including a discussion of open-globe injuries treated at the Wilmer Eye Institute, and analyses of the use of MEDPOR TITAN implants and the Buccal Fat Pad for orbital reconstruction.

The focus then turns to epidemiology and uveitis under the direction of chairs Douglas A. Jabs, MD, and James P. Dunn, MD. Seven presenters will describe their research on near-vision impairment in rural Africa, the effects of duty-hour restriction on residency training, mycophenolate mofetil therapy for inflammatory eye disease, trends in epidemiology, and trends in open-globe injuries at the Wilmer Eye Institute.

Saturday sessions On Saturday, the presentations will highlight neuro-ophthalmology, glaucoma, retina, and genetics.

The glaucoma section, chaired by Harry A. Quigley, MD, and Henry D. Jampel, MD, includes six presentations. Topics include a study of the relationship between central corneal thickness and corneal hysteresis with glaucoma damage, and an analysis of the costs associated with laser trabeculoplasty versus IOP-lowering drops.