Description of Rotations
Cataract Surgery
There is time built into each rotation for residents to perform cataract surgeries. Residents assist with care of the full range of patients seen at WVU Eye Institute. Our affiliation with the Veteran's Administration Hospital in nearby Clarksburg, WV, ensures that residents have ample opportunity to provide primary eye care and surgery. Residents usually perform more than 100 cataract extractions, placing the cataract surgery volume for residents in the 90th percentile nationwide. Sutureless cataract surgery with phacoemulsification is emphasized.
Consult/Comprehensive/Low Vision Service
The goal of this rotation is to provide the resident with a well rounded comprehensive (including contact lens), low vision, and in-patient consult experience. Knowledge in all of these areas is essential for general ophthalmology practice.
During this rotation, the resident is responsible for all emergency room and in- patient consultations, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4.p.m. This allows for optimal learning and continuity of patient care.
Comprehensive services are provided by several faculty. Residents also have their own weekly comprehensive clinics with direct faculty supervision provided. Finally, residents in their second and third years rotate regularly through the comprehensive eye clinic at the Veterans Administration Hospital. Cataract surgery, with direct resident participation, is also performed at the Veterans Administration hospital.
Residents are exposed to optical electronic magnification devices, as well as non-optical aids and training techniques to allow partially-sighted patients to make the most of their remaining vision.
Cornea/External Disease and Refractive Surgery
This busy service provides care for the full spectrum of cornea and external diseases. Faculty provide leadership for the Medical Eye Bank of West Virginia. The service has kept pace with the latest developments in refractive surgery.
Glaucoma
Residents receive training in the diagnosis and management of all glaucomas including congenital and complicated secondary glaucoma. They are exposed to the most current medical, laser and surgical treatments such as filtration surgery with antimetabolites and artificial drainage devices.
Neuro-ophthalmology
This service is staffed by a full-time faculty member trained in surgery as well as medical diagnosis and treatment of neurological eye disease. Residents have the opportunity to perform specialized procedures such as lumbar puncture and temporal artery biopsy.
Oculoplastic and Orbital Surgery
This service is very busy, drawing referral patients from the entire state. The surgical experience is substantial, and the number of resident cases places the program in the 90th percentile nationwide.
Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus
This service provides both medical and surgical care for children with a wide range of diseases and adults with strabismus. Residents are exposed to evaluation and treatment of eye diseases including congenital cataracts, congenital glaucoma, strabismus and inherited eye disease. Surgical volume is large and residents have the opportunity to follow patients throughout the preoperative evaluation, surgical procedure and postoperative outcome.
Medical Retina
This service sees approximately 100 patients per week who are investigated with ultrasound, digital angiography and a modern LKC electrophysiology unit. More than 500 laser procedures for age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy are performed each year.
Surgical Retina
The goal of the Surgical Retina rotation is to develop knowledge of the surgical aspects of diabetic retinopathy, proliferative and non-proliferative, retinal detachment, ocular trauma, ARMD, and cataract surgery complications. Most important is the role that the vitreous plays in the creation of these problems and how modification may salvage vision.
Continuity Rotation
The goals of this rotation are to provide the resident with a simulation of what their own general practice may be like once they graduate. During this rotation, residents will hold six general clinics per week, attend the VA hospital one full day and perform cataract surgeries one half day per week. Each general clinic and VA clinic is staffed by faculty, however, it is the residents responsibility to run these clinics.