Eyeworld

by Vanessa Caceres EyeWorld Contributing Editor World-class care, teaching, and research in KKESH-Wilmer collaboration Wilmer faculty work onsite at Saudi Arabia- based facility T alk about international rela- tions. Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, and King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital (KKESH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, are collaborating to share faculty and research. "Wilmer has had faculty in- volved in research programs in Africa, Asia, and other parts of the world for many years, but nothing on the scale of this affiliation with KKESH," said Peter J. McDonnell, M.D., director and William Holland Wilmer Professor of Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute. "The Saudi Ministry of Health has made an enormous commitment to fund this effort because it believes it will bene- fit the citizens of that country." The affiliation, which started last year, began because of the long- standing relationship between the institution and Wilmer alumni. David Paton, M.D., a Wilmer alum with an interest in international ef- forts, was KKESH's first medical di- rector from 1982-1984 (he is also founder of Project ORBIS and former chairman of Baylor College of Medi- cine). Dr. Paton helped establish KKESH's well-known international status, Dr. McDonnell said. Day-to-day work at KKESH KKESH, a tertiary care ophthalmic hospital operated by the Saudi Min- istry of Health, has a capacity of 250 beds. The hospital sees 1,500 pa- tients a day and has 40 faculty in different areas, such as anterior seg- ment, glaucoma, and neuro-oph- thalmology, said Ashley Behrens, M.D., executive medical director, KKESH, and KKESH/Wilmer profes- sor of international ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute. Ophthalmologists at the center see patients in two daily sessions, typically seeing 30 patients per ses- sion, Dr. Behrens said. Although this sounds like a higher number than one might typically see in the United States, the system at the hos- pital helps to accommodate the vol- ume, he said. EW Ophthalmology Business 44 July 2011 H ealthcare is a universal need that knows no borders. Devices and in- struments are commonly devel- oped through multinational efforts. Now we are seeing a trend in international cooper- ation for teaching and education. The col- laborative agreement between KKESH and Johns Hopkins is a win-win for patients around the world. Individually, each institu- tion is a world-class facility. Together, there are synergies that make for a dynamic and powerful partnership. At a recent clinical conference held at KKESH, the discussion centered on the use of subconjunctival Avastin (bevacizumab, Genetech, South San Francisco, Calif.) versus photodynamic therapy for corneal neovascularization fol- lowing PKP. This is just one example of the important and innovative work being done there. Watch for publications, courses, and book chapters from the faculty at KKESH. Their efforts will help guide the treatment of patients around the world. John Vuckich M.D., international editor External view of the entrance of KKESH Source: Ashley Behrens, M.D. The medical TV located in the OR area. Each operating room has three high-definition cameras: one recording the surgeon, one recording the sur- gical procedure under the microscope, and one recording the rest of the team. The OR central desk and surgeons' lounge have two large flat screens monitoring all the rooms simultaneously at all times, so, with a quick glance at the screen, nurses and surgeons know how cases are run- ning in each room Source: Ashley Behrens, M.D. International editor's corner of the world

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