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For Immediate Release
April 28, 2011
New Technology for Corneal Transplants
Lion’s Club Donation Purchases Equipment for Improved Procedures
(Windsor, ON) – Patients in Windsor-Essex requiring corneal transplants to correct or restore vision will benefit from new, state-of-the-art equipment which will offer patients quicker visual recovery, lower rejection risk and a more predictable outcome.
Thanks to a $75,000 donation by the Lions Sight Conservation Foundation, which raises funds for eye treatments in Ontario hospitals, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital will be using specialized DSAEK equipment for future procedures.
“This generous $75,000 gift will have a significant impact for our ophthalmology surgery patients,” said Loris Macor, chairman of the Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital Foundation. “It will allow us to purchase leading edge DSAEK equipment for our surgeons to use advanced surgical techniques to treat patients with eye disease in Windsor-Essex.”
“We are committed to supporting ophthalmological surgical centres in Southwestern Ontario. This very latest in equipment will create and maintain “Centres of Excellence” in hospitals from Windsor to London,” said Dr. Harry Wismer, chairman of the District A-1 Lions Sight Conservation Foundation.
“DSAEK corneal surgery has a three-year waiting period in London. We wanted to make this procedure more available in the Windsor area,” Dr. Wismer added.
DSAEK stands for Descemet's Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty. More simply put, the DSAEK technology is the latest evolution in corneal transplants which allow for improved techniques beyond traditional transplant techniques, known as Penetrating Keratoplasty (PK).
According to Dr. Ann Chiu, who performed Windsor’s first ever corneal transplant at HDGH on July 24, 2009, DSAEK has significant advantages over PK, including:
“This equipment will give eligible patients in the Windsor area a new hope in restoring vision locally,” said Dr. Chiu. “I would like to thank the Lions Sight Conservation Foundation for allowing me to provide better care for our community.”
The cornea is the transparent, dome-shaped window covering the front of the eye. It is a powerful refracting surface, providing two-thirds of the eye’s focusing power. A corneal transplant is recommended when damage to the cornea causes a drop in vision, or pain that interferes with daily activities such as driving, reading, or working at a computer.
Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital is the premier tertiary acute care hospital for the Windsor-Essex region. The hospital provides advanced care in such areas as complex trauma, renal dialysis, cardiac care, stroke and neurosurgery, acute mental health and a broad range of medical and surgical services required to support these specialized areas.
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For more information contact Steve Erwin, Director of Communications at 519-973-4433.
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