Editorial

Aravind Eye Hospital’s routine activities continue to be at the peak, focusing on patient care, awareness programmes and continuing medical education (CME) programmes.

Recently, an awareness programme was organised at Sivakasi Government Hospital, highlighting the crucial role of healthcare professionals in promoting eye donation.

World Retinoblastoma Awareness Week was observed in a meaningful manner at Aravind. Retinoblastoma is a rare and rapidly growing eye cancer that primarily affects infants and young children, often leading to removal of the eye. In severe cases, it can be fatal. Raising awareness about this condition is vital to protect the eyesight and lives of children. Hence, during the awareness week, Aravind Eye Hospitals organised a Survivors’ meet in Madurai and Coimbatore, focusing on educating individuals about the genetic causes of retinoblastoma, the importance of early detection, and the available treatment options.

Furthermore, during the Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology 2023 held in New Orleans, US, senior scientists and research students from Aravind Medical Research Foundation (AMRF) visited various laboratories, enriching their expertise and getting updated on the recent trends in eye research.

This issue features updates on these and numerous other topics.

Aravind Events

Internal Capacity Building

Vellore, 9th June

R. Devi, Data Coordinator, Department of Biostatistics, attended the REDCap software database development and management workshop organised by the Biostatistics Department of CMC, Vellore.

CME - ‘DCR - From Inside and Outside’

Aravind-Madurai, 3rd June

Orbit and Oculoplasty Services, Aravind-Madurai organised a one day CME for all Aravind centres. This CME on Dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) focus was on the anatomy, complications and management of lacrimal system disorders. Dr. R. Kim, Chief Medical Officer, Aravind-Madurai welcomed the participants, and Dr. R.D. Ravindran, Chairman, Aravind Eye Care System (AECS), delivered the inaugural address. Dr. R. Usha Kim, Chief, Orbit and Oculoplasty Services, Aravind-Madurai, the organising secretary, provided an introduction and overview of the CME.  Dr. Devjyoti Tripathy, Consultant, Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery, Orbit and Ocular Oncology, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Bhubaneswar and an alumnus of Aravind, participated as a guest faculty and shared his vast experiences in the field. A total of 60 participants, comprising of Orbit fellows and postgraduates from across all Aravind centres attended the programme.

Opening of an Additional Hostel

Aravind-Theni, 3rd June

To address the issue of space constraint in the nurses’ hostel, Aravind-Theni opened an additional facility. Vasthupooja and Ganapathy Homam of the new building were performed in the presence of Dr. P. Namperumalsamy, Chairman-Emeritus, and Dr. G. Natchiar, Director-Emeritus, AECS.

Eye Donation Awareness Programme

Sivakasi, 30th May

Rotary Aravind International Eye Bank (RAIEB), Aravind-Madurai organised the programme at the Government Hospital, Sivakasi. D. Saravanan, Manager, RAIEB spoke about the importance of eye donation and the hospital’s cornea retrieval programme. He also emphasised the crucial role of health care professionals in the cornea retrieval programme. A total of 40 participants, including doctors and nurses attended.

Survivor’s Meet during World Retinoblastoma Awareness Week

Aravind-Madurai/Coimbatore, 20th May

During Retinoblastoma Awareness Week, Aravind-Madurai organised the annual survivor’s meet for children who have overcome Retinoblastoma. The event featured cultural activities by these children, making it a special occasion. The programme was attended by 150 children with their parents and siblings. Dr. Usha Kim extended a warm welcome to the attendees and highlighted the importance of retinoblastoma management. The event recognised the remarkable achievements of some of these children who have cleared board exams and have excelled in various fields, despite their challenges. Dr. P. Namperumalsamy stressed Aravind’s efforts in raising awareness, establishing a research centre, and providing rehabilitation activities to fight against the disease. M.V. Muthuramalingam, Chairman of Velammal Group of Institutions, acknowledged the continuous learning experience he gained during his visits to Aravind. Dr. R.D. Ravindran shared a patient’s success story regarding retinoblastoma genetic testing at Aravind. Dr. VR. Muthukkaruppan, Advisor, AMRF, discussed genetic testing and the affordable cost of testing at Aravind compared to foreign countries. Dr. K. Dharmalingam, Director-Research, AMRF, highlighted Aravind’s dual focus on treatment and prevention, with research and medicine playing integral roles in patient care. Dr. P. Vijayalakshmi, Senior Medical Consultant, Paediatric Ophthalmology, Aravind-Madurai, spoke about the children’s experience when they were able to see through eyeglasses. Dr. Natchiar, reassured parents that after disease identification and tumour removal, routine follow-up visits reduces further issues.

The event featured video clips showcasing the talents of the retinoblastoma survivors, including dancing, singing, poetry recitation, playing musical instruments and many others. The dedicated team of doctors, fellows, MLOP, genetic testing team, and research students were introduced to the audience. Jayanthi, a 21-year-old retinoblastoma survivor currently pursuing B.Ed. in special education encouraged parents to be supportive to their children in order to boost their confidence. Survivors and their family were provided sumptuous food, and children were given attractive gifts.

Aravind-Madurai
Aravind-Madurai
Aravind-Madurai
Aravind-Madurai

Aravind-Coimbatore organised a special event during the 8th year of World Retinoblastoma Awareness Week, inviting retinoblastoma patients and their families. The event saw a significant turnout, with a total of 117 retinoblastoma survivors along with their parents and siblings. All of them underwent comprehensive eye examinations. The programme commenced with a warm welcome address by R. Umapriya, HR-Manager, Aravind-Coimbatore. Dr. Prema, Medical Consultant, Aravind-Coimbatore provided a detailed explanation about the different categories and stages of retinoblastoma, as well as the treatment options. Dr. Pradeep Kumar, Geneticist, Kovai Medical Centre and Hospital, spoke about the importance of genetic tests, while Dr. Kavitha Yuvarajan, Medical Consultant,  Aravind-Coimbatore, elaborated on the process of customised prosthetic fitting. Dr. Saravana Kumar, Anaesthetist, Aravind-Coimbatore gave an insightful talk on inhalational anaesthesia and addressed patient’s queries. Rajakumari, Counsellor, delivered the vote of thanks. Children who attended the event received hot pack lunch boxes, building blocks, umbrellas, smileys, and balloons. Vinod and Traver entertained the children with games, songs and dances. This was followed by a magic show.

An interactive session was arranged for parents, providing them an opportunity to share their experiences and connect with one another. Patients showcased their talents through various performances such as dance, playing keyboard, Silambattam, monoact, and more. Two patients, one working in the medical field and the other in IT, delivered motivating speeches that uplifted the spirits of everyone present there. One of them said, “Self motivate yourself, remember that your parents are your strongest support, if anyone criticises your disability, it’s because they are jealous of your growth. You are superior to them, so don’t get depressed”. They encouraged others not to get disheartened by any criticism regarding their disabilities. The atmosphere was filled with positivity and liveliness as patients interacted with each other, leaving with a renewed sense of positivity. A delicious lunch was served after the formal programme.

Aravind-Coimbatore
Aravind-Coimbatore
Aravind-Coimbatore
Aravind-Coimbatore

AMRF

AMRF – UoE Cornea Research Conference

Madurai, 14-15 June

AMRF conducted a two-day Cornea Research Conference in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh (UoE). This conference was initiated through the interaction between Dr. N. Venkatesh Prajna, Chief, Cornea & Refractive Surgery Services, Aravind-Madurai , Prof. Kev Dhaliwal and Dr. Beth Mills, Centre for Inflammation Research, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, the University of Edinburgh, UK. The conference was led by Prof. K. Dharmalingam, and coordinated by Dr. D. Bharanidharan, Scientist-Microbiology and Bioinformatics, AMRF.

During the conference, scientists from UoE introduced a new technology called “FluoroPi” aimed at establishing and developing a cost-effective device for diagnosing the causative microbe of microbial keratitis in patients. Further, clinicians, scientists, and research scholars engaged in brainstorming the current challenges and solutions in microbial keratitis. Dr. Bharanidharan also provided an overview of the core research facilities and ongoing research projects of AMRF. Sharing of the research activities between the two institutions served as a remarkable initiative, laying foundation for ongoing and future collaborative projects, as well as fostering long-term associations between them.

A total of 14 papers were presented by UoE, AEH and AMRF team over the course of two days, covering various aspects of corneal research.
Additionally, 16 posters were presented.

  • Hariharan G’s poster titled Isolation and characterisation of the extracellular vesicles from Aspergillus flavus clinical isolate received the Favourite Poster Award.

Below is the list of presented papers:

  • Prof. K. Dharmalingam – Comparatives proteomics of conidial surface proteome and early exoproteome of A.flavus and A.fumigatus
  • Dr. Lalitha Prajna – Microbial keratitis – current clinical diagnostics, pitfalls, and wish-list
  • Dr. N. Venkatesh Prajna – Microbial keratitis – current treatments, patient prognosis and state of the art (trials)
  • Dr. Stuart Dickson – Seeing is believing: Microscopic molecular imaging. The distal lung as a window to the eye
  • Dr. Syam Mohan & Dr. Kay Russell – Development & evaluation of FluoroPi: a frugal microscope for microbial keratitis diagnosis with SmartProbes
  • Dr. Beth Mills – AspLFD: point of care diagnosis of Aspergillus causing fungal keratitis
  • Dr. N. Siddharth – Development and clinical evaluation of A CRISPR/Cas12a based diagnostic platform for ocular fungal infections
  • Dr. Leonie Fingerhut – Approaches to 3D cell culture model of microbial keratitis
  • Dr. Sheelagh Duncan – Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy: a new approach for treating microbial keratitis
  • Dr. Gowri Priya C – MiRNAs regulating human limbal epithelial stem cells
  • D. Bharanidharan – MiRNAs role in fungal keratitis
  • Dr. OG. Ramprasad – Exploring the mechanism of action of a novel chemical crosslinker designed to treat keratoconus
  • Dr. Daipayan Banerjee – Comparative transcriptomic and proteomic analysis to identify key genes and pathways in pterygium in the Indian population
  • Dr. Anshupa Patnaik – Proteomics in fungal keratitis- a clinician’s perspective

LAICO

30th On-site Ophthalmic Instrument Maintenance Course

Rwanda, 22-26 May

Prof. N. Manickam, Consultant and N. Kasthuri and S. Meenakshi, Bio Medical Engineers, Instruments and Equipment Maintenance Department, Aravind-Madurai, were the resource persons for the on-site programme organised by The Fred Hollows Foundation, Rwanda. A total of 17 Biomedical Technicians from various Government General Hospitals in Rwanda, selected by the Health ministry of Rwanda, attended the programme. The five-day course included discussions and demonstrations on the basic equipment used in eye clinics, such as Direct Ophthalmoscope (DO), Streak Retinoscope, Indirect Ophthalmoscope (IO) and Slit Lamp. These instruments were dismantled and reassembled in front of the trainees. The trainees brought 21 different non-working instruments including, Streak, DO, Autorefractometer, Non-Contact Tonometers, Applanation Tonometer, Autoclave, Slit Lamp, Lensometer (Manual and Auto), A /B Scan and Keratometer. Most of the equipment was successfully repaired and some were made functional by simple replacement of parts.

Needs Assessment Visit to Indira Gandhi Eye Hospital & Research Centre

Gurugram, Haryana, 29-31 May

Thulasiraj Ravilla, Director-Operations, AECS, Dr. Madhu Bhadaurai, Director, Regional Institute of Ophthalmology Eye Hospital Sitapur, Dr. Thiruvenkatakrishnan, Chief, Cornea & Refractive Surgery Services, Aravind-Chennai, R. Meenakshi Sundaram, Senior Manager, Clinical Services, Aravind-Madurai and R. Suresh Kumar, Senior Faculty, LAICO conducted the needs assessment visit to IGEH in Gurugram, India’s corporate hub. The objective of the visit was to assess the current performance and quality of IGEH, identify areas for improvement, suggest remedial measures, and guide the hospital in becoming a centre of excellence.

Conference Attended

35th Annual Meeting of Asia-Pacific Association of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (APACRS)

Singapore, 8-10 June

Dr. N. Venkatesh Prajna,
Chief, Cornea & Refractive Surgery Services, Aravind-Madurai
Topic: Update on fungal keratitis -Newer trends in diagnosis

Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology 2023

New Orleans, US, 23-27 April

Prof. Dr. K. Dharmalingam
Title: Defining the host response to ocular pathogens using transcriptomics and proteomics (Paper presentation)

Dr. Gowri Priya Chidambaranathan
Title: Decline in the function of adult human retinal pigment epithelial stem cells with ageing (Paper presentation)

P. Saranya
Title: Decline in the adult human lens epithelial stem cell function with ageing and in cataract (Paper presentation)

K. Saraswathi
Title: Genomic and transcriptomic profiling identifies aberrant signalling pathways in ocular B cell lymphoma (Paper presentation)

Dr. A. Vanniarajan
Title: Distinct epigenomic alterations in retinoblastoma (Poster presentation)

R. Iswarya
Title: Human trabecular meshwork stem cells derived exosomes enhanced wound healing and antioxidant property: an attempt towards a cell-free therapy for glaucoma (Poster presentation)

During the visit to US, the research students had the opportunity to visit various renowned institutions and interact with experts in their respective fields. At Tulane University, New Orleans, they visited the Structural and Cellular Biology laboratory and interacted with Dr. Muralidharan Anbalagan, who is working on metastasis in cancer models. Dr. Anbalagan’s expertise includes working with animal models, xenografting, imaging techniques and various molecular techniques.

The team also visited Albert Einstein School of Medicine, New York, where they interacted with Dr. Satish Nandakumar, who is working on hematopoietic stem cells- CRISPR/Cas9 mediated Stem Cell Editing to study the mechanism of blood cancer predisposition. Additionally, they visited Dr. Jurkunas Lab and other general lab facilities at Schephens Eye Research Institute, Boston, where they observed instrumentation facilities such as ultracentrifuge, Mass spectrometry, Live cell imaging system, learned mice eye dissection from them and had discussion with Dr. Joseph Ciolino who is working on exosomes from various cells and cell lines.

Dr. Vanniarajan had meetings with experts during his visit. He met with Dr. Lieberman at Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta to discuss structural alterations of the mutant proteins especially myocilin. He also had discussions with Dr. Srinivasan, at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in Atlanta focusing on developing methods for microbial detection, especially Streptococcus Pneumoniae. Additionally, he held a meeting with Dr. Vijayakumar, at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta to discuss the research on non-human primate models for bacterial and viral infections.

At Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Dr. Vanniarajan met Dr. Muralidharan and discussed mouse xenograft and bone metastatic cancer models. He also had meeting with Dr. Paul Bernstein at the Moran Eye Centre, Salt Lake City discussing nutritional intervention for retinal dystrophies. Furthermore, at the University of Texas Health in San Antonio, he met Suryavathi to discuss patient-derived explants in mice for studying cancer progression in women cancers.

Publications

  1. Huang P, Thomas CC, Ambati K, Dholkawala R, Nagasaka A, Yerramothu P, Narendran S, Pereira F, Nagasaka Y, Apicella I, Cai X, Makin RD, Magagnoli J, Stains CI, Yin R, Wang SB, Gelfand BD, Ambati J. Kamuvudine-9 Protects Retinal Structure and Function in a Novel Model of Experimental Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2023 May 1;64(5):3. View More
  2. Pillai MR, Balasubramaniam N, Wala N, Mathews AM, Tejeswi B, Krishna H, Ishrath D, Rathinam SR, Sithiq Uduman S M. Glaucoma in Uveitic Eyes: Long-Term Clinical Course and Management Measures. Ocul Immunol Inflamm. 2023 May 4:1-7. [Epub] View More
  3. Gokulakrishnan K, Nikhil J, Viswanath B, Thirumoorthy C, Narasimhan S, Devarajan B, Joseph E, David AKD, Sharma S, Vasudevan K, Sreerraj VS, Holla B, Shivakumar V, Debnath M, Venkatasubramanian G, Varambally S. Comparison of gut microbiome profile in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls – A plausible non-invasive biomarker? J Psychiatr Res. 2023 Jun;162:140-149. View More
  4. Sindal MD, Ratna B, Tagare S. Retinal Leukemic Infiltrates. Ophthalmol Retina. 2023 May 5. [Epub] View More
  5. Hazel EA, Erchick DJ, Katz J, Lee ACC, Diaz M, Wu LSF, West KP Jr, Shamim AA, Christian P, Ali H, Baqui AH, Saha SK, Ahmed S, Roy AD, Silveira MF, Buffarini R, Shapiro R, Zash R, Kolsteren P, Lachat C, Huybregts L, Roberfroid D, Zhu Z, Zeng L, Gebreyesus SH, Tesfamariam K, Adu-Afarwuah S, Dewey KG, Gyaase S, Poku-Asante K, Boamah Kaali E, Jack D, Ravilla T, Tielsch J, Taneja S, Chowdhury R, Ashorn P, Maleta K, Ashorn U, Mangani C, Mullany LC, Khatry SK, Ramokolo V, Zembe-Mkabile W, Fawzi WW, Wang D, Schmiegelow C, Minja D, Msemo OA, Lusingu JPA, Smith ER, Masanja H, Mongkolchati A, Keentupthai P, Kakuru A, Kajubi R, Semrau K, Hamer DH, Manasyan A, Pry JM, Chasekwa B, Humphrey J, Black RE. Neonatal mortality risk of vulnerable newborns: A descriptive analysis of subnational, population-based birth cohorts for 238 143 live births in low- and middle-income settings from 2000 to 2017. 2023 May 8. [Epub] View More
  6. Erchick DJ, Hazel EA, Katz J, Lee ACC, Diaz M, Wu LSF, Yoshida S, Bahl R, Grandi C, Labrique AB, Rashid M, Ahmed S, Roy AD, Haque R, Shaikh S, Baqui AH, Saha SK, Khanam R, Rahman S, Shapiro R, Zash R, Silveira MF, Buffarini R, Kolsteren P, Lachat C, Huybregts L, Roberfroid D, Zeng L, Zhu Z, He J, Qiu X, Gebreyesus SH, Tesfamariam K, Bekele D, Chan G, Baye E, Workneh F, Asante KP, Kaali EB, Adu-Afarwuah S, Dewey KG, Gyaase S, Wylie BJ, Kirkwood BR, Manu A, Thulasiraj RD, Tielsch J, Chowdhury R, Taneja S, Babu GR, Shriyan P, Ashorn P, Maleta K, Ashorn U, Mangani C, Acevedo-Gallegos S, Rodriguez-Sibaja MJ, Khatry SK, LeClerq SC, Mullany LC, Jehan F, Ilyas M, Rogerson SJ, Unger HW, Ghosh R, Musange S, Ramokolo V, Zembe-Mkabile W, Lazzerini M, Rishard M, Wang D, Fawzi WW, Minja DTR, Schmiegelow C, Masanja H, Smith E, Lusingu JPA, Msemo OA, Kabole FM, Slim SN, Keentupthai P, Mongkolchati A, Kajubi R, Kakuru A, Waiswa P, Walker D, Hamer DH, Semrau KEA, Chaponda EB, Chico RM, Banda B, Musokotwane K, Manasyan A, Pry JM, Chasekwa B, Humphrey J, Black RE; Subnational Vulnerable Newborn Prevalence Collaborative Group and Vulnerable Newborn Measurement Core Group. Vulnerable newborn types: analysis of subnational, population-based birth cohorts for 541 285 live births in 23 countries, 2000-2021. 2023 May 8. [Epub] View More
  7. Prajna NV, Radhakrishnan N, Prajna L. Association of Serious Adverse Effects with the Contamination of Ocular Medications-A Global Perspective. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2023 May 11. [Epub] View More
  8. Young BK, Cole ED, Shah PK, Ostmo S, Subramaniam P, Venkatapathy N, Tsai ASH, Coyner AS, Gupta A, Singh P, Chiang MF, Kalpathy-Cramer J, Chan RVP, Campbell JP. Efficacy of Smartphone-Based Telescreening for Retinopathy of Prematurity with and without Artificial Intelligence in India. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2023 May 11. [Epub] View More
  9. Venugopalan LP, Aimanianda V, Namperumalsamy VP, Prajna L, Kuppamuthu D, Jayapal JM. Comparative proteome analysis identifies species-specific signature proteins in Aspergillus pathogens. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2023 May 11. [Epub] View More
  10. Rajendra S, Shah VM, Manayath GJ, Kumar K. Multimodal Imaging Features of Subacute Methanol-Induced Bilateral Optic Neuropathy. J Neuroophthalmol. 2023 May 11. [Epub] View More
  11. Yolin Angel, Anitha V, Meenakshi R, Kasi M. Therapeutic contact lens-related infection by a novel pathogenic fungus Coniochaeta hoffmannii-a case report. Indian J Med Microbiol. 2023 Jul-Aug;44:100361. View More
  12. Pawar N, Ravindran M, Fathima A, Ramakrishnan K, Chakrabarthy S, Aparna K, Uduman MS. Assessment of parental awareness about pediatric visual problems by Knowledge-Attitude-Practice survey in South India. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2023 May;71(5):2175-2180. View More
  13. Bhirud A, Chandrakanth P, Agrawal M, Mishra A. Universal slit-lamp-mounted mobile adapter with 20 D lens for fundus photography: “Litter to glitter”. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2023 May;71(5):2222-2224. View More
  14. Jerrome S, Joseph S, Niranjana B, Vidya S, Kumaragurupari T, Balagiri S, Senthilkumar VA, Krishnadas SR. Evaluation of the agreement and reliability of Transpalpebral Tonometers compared with Goldmann Applanation Tonometer – A systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocol. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2023 May;71(5):2225-2229. View More
  15. Vivekanandan Ramakrishnan VR, Venugopal A, Benzy M, Venkatesh R, Ravindran M. A novel transconjunctival, intrascleral, ab-externo, knotless, and double-flanged technique with 6-0 Prolene for iridodialysis repair. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2023 May;71(5):2257-2259. View More
  16. Murugan SB, Somanath A. Uveitis following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination: Is it real? Indian J Ophthalmol. 2023 May;71(5):2282-2283. View More
  17. Joshi SM, Nagtode AH, Gosalia H, Chandrakanth P, Venkatesh R. Social media: A new-age educational platform for the millennial ophthalmologist! Indian J Ophthalmol. 2023 May;71(5):2292-2293. View More
  18. Chandrakanth P, Gosalia H, Verghese S, Shiroya P, Narendran V. Fungal corneal ulcer detection in a slit-lamp-based intraocular lens microscopy clinical setup. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2023 May;71(5):2301-2302. View More
  19. Gurnani B, Kaur K, Chaudhary S, Balakrishnan H. Ophthalmic manifestations of monkeypox infection. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2023 May;71(5):1687-1697. View More
  20. Subbulakshmi S, Kavitha S, Venkatesh R. Prostaglandin analogs in ophthalmology. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2023 May;71(5):1768-1776. View More
  21. Dhanaseelan T, Odayappan A, Vivekanandan VR, Venkatesh R. Retrospective analysis of the role of anterior segment optical coherence tomography and outcomes of cataract surgery in posterior polar cataract. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2023 May;71(5):1913-1917. View More
  22. Sen S, Udaya P, Maheshwari JJ, Ramasamy K, Kannan NB, Dharmalingam K. Profiling of idiopathic macular hole vitreous proteome identifies the role of extracellular matrix remodelling, epithelial-mesenchymal transformation and unfolded protein-response pathways. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2023 May;71(5):2027-2040. View More
  23. Murugan SB, Somanath A. Commentary: Systemic lupus erythematosus retinopathy: Eye or multisystem involvement? Indian J Ophthalmol. 2023 May;71(5):1994-1995. View More
  24. Shetty SB, Aguiar M, Vijayalakshmi P, Pradhan P. Augmented loop myopexy with concurrent intraocular lens implantation for myopic strabismus fixus. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2023 May;71(5):2089-2093. View More
  25. Magagnoli J, Narendran S, Pereira F, Cummings TH, Hardin JW, Sutton SS, Ambati J. Association between Fluoxetine Use and Overall Survival among Patients with Cancer Treated with PD-1/L1 Immunotherapy. 2023; 16(5):640. View More
  26. Govindaraj I, Kuriakose A, Rajendran A. Enlarging aneurysm with paracentral acute middle maculopathy in idiopathic retinal vasculitis, aneurysms and neuroretinitis (IRVAN) – a case report. Eur J Ophthalmol. 2023 May 15. [Epub] View More
  27. Rammohan R, Baidwal S, Venkatapathy N, Lorenzo-Morales J, Raghavan A. A 5-Year Review of Coinfections in Acanthamoeba keratitis From South India. Eye Contact Lens. 2023 May 24. [Epub] View More

Training

Enrolments for June 2023
Course title
Training Centre
No. of enrolments
Long Term Fellowship Programmes – For Ophthalmologists
Fellowship in Anterior Segment / Intraocular Lens Surgery Chennai 1
Fellowship in Glaucoma Madurai 1
Fellowship in Cornea Chennai 1
Fellowship in Medical Retina Chennai 1
Fellowship in Retina and Vitreous Chennai 2
Coimbatore 2
Fellowship in General Ophthalmology Chennai 1
Short Term Training Programmes – For Ophthalmologists
Phacoemulsification Madurai 2
Tirunelveli 2
Pondicherry 1
Coimbatore 2
HelpMeSee Simulation-based Training in MSICS Madurai 1
Small Incision Cataract Surgery Madurai 2
Tirunelveli 1
Pondicherry 1
Coimbatore 1
Short Term Training Program – For Paramedicals
Fundus Fluorescein Angiography & Ultrasonography Madurai 1
Instrument Maintenance – For Technicians
Online Course on Ophthalmic Instruments Maintenance – Part I LAICO 2
Management Courses
Community Outreach and Social Marketing of Eye Care Services LAICO 16

Statistics

Patient Statistics – May 2023
Hospitals
Total
Madurai
Tirunelveli
Theni
Coimbatore
Pondicherry
Tirupur
Dindigul
Salem
Tuticorin
Udumalpet
CbeCC
Chennai
Tirupati
Kovilpatti
Hospital Out-patient visits
Paying (New & Review) 299,720 70,566 36,559 10,312 41,409 31,908 5,383 9,694 13,964 6,277 5,251 5,236 42,984 16,910 3,267
Free: Direct walk-in (New & Review) 107,631 25,391 8,388 3,182 13,817 11,583 2,445 1,559 5,033 1,751 2,511 – 13,748 17,257 966
Outreach Out-patients
Comprehensive Eye Camps 33,748 8,617 4,294 836 5,532 7,368 245 – 1,708 490 120 – 2,663 1,875 –
Diabetic Retinopathy Camps 1,743 669 – 276 722 76 – – – – – – – – –
Glaucoma Camps  –  –  –  –  –  – – – – – – – – – –
Refraction Camp 3,740 1,021 903 713 730  – 259 –  – – 114 – – – –
Mobile Refraction Unit 1,805 – – – 698 – – – 1,107 – – – – – –
School Screening – – – – – – – –  – – – – – – –
Paediatric Eye screening camps – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
RoP Screening 1,658 290 241 196 659 76 – – – – – – 167 29 –
Vision Centres 80,584 26,902 14,925 6,313 6,199 15,686 1,623 – 4,397 – 2,152 – 2,387 – –
Community / City Centres 18,276 9,542 3,093 2,554 – 3,087 – – – – – – – – –
Total OP Examinations 548,905 142,998 68,403 24,382 69,766 69,784 9,955 11,253 26,209 8,518 10,148 5,236 61,949 36,071 4,233
Total number of camps 219 47 31 16 43 32  3 – 10 3 2 – 18 14 –
Surgeries
Cataract 50,986 12,742 5,040 1,421 7,011 7,113 785 1,060 3,092 887 1,126 344 5,784 4,190 391
*Other Surgeries 25,711 7,384 3,312 523 4,678 3,077 114 209 817 69 72 186 3,590 1,654  26
Total Surgeries 76,697 20,126 8,352 1,944 11,689 10,190 899 1,269 3,909 956 1,198 530 9,374 5,844 417
*Other surgeries include major surgeries, minor surgeries, intra-vitreal & other injections and laser procedures.

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