News
May 15, 2013
Dr Wykoff analyses recent data investigating a link between aspirin use and AMD
Please click here to read this article
May 9, 2013
MAY 2013: 5 YEAR AREDS2 DATA RELEASED MEANS MODIFICATION TO OUR CURRENT VITAMIN & SUPPLEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PATIENTS WITH DRY AGE RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION
For more information please click here
Mar 13, 2013
Dr Charles Wykoff serving as Program Director is organizing the inaugural Vit-Buckle Society meeting including 36 presentations on medical and surgical retinal diseases.
Dr David Brown, Dr Tien Wong & Dr Matthew Benz will also be presenting on optimal management of retinal pathologies. Come join us!
For more information and registration information please click here
Mar 11, 2013
Dr. Richard Fish will be giving a lecture on " The Eye of Visual Artists: Past and Present" on Monday April 8th
Dr. Fish will be giving a lecture on " The Eye of Visual Artists: Past and Present" on Monday April 8th from 11-12 pm and again from 7 -8 pm as a part of the "Houston Arts and Medicine Lecture Series".
For more information please visit the link below:
Click here to read press release
Feb 19, 2013
Dr. Major and Dr. Schefler will both be speaking at the Texas Ophthalmological Society meeting in San Antonio, TX on May 17th & 18th
Dr. Major will be discussing refractory wet macular degeneration and Dr. Schefler will be discussing choroidal melanomas.
For more information please visit the link below:
Click here to go to the TexMed website
Feb 19, 2013
Dr. Major and Dr. Wykoff spoke at the 2nd Annual Symposium on Enhancing Geriatric Understanding and Education (SEGUE) Conference on February 16th, 2013
The title of Dr. Major's lecture was "Five Systemic Medicines That Can Blind Elderly Patients" and Dr. Wykoff gave an update on Age-Related Macular Degeneration.
For more information please visit the link below:
Feb 18, 2013
Dr. Matthew S. Benz serves as primary U.S. physician in the trial and second author for the publication that leads to FDA approval of Jetrea for vitreomacular traction.
New England Journal of Medicine, August 2012: Enzymatic vitreolysis with ocriplasmin for vitreomacular traction and macular holes.
Stalmans P, Benz MS, Gandorfer A, Kampik A, Girach A, Pakola S, Haller JA; MIVI-TRUST Study Group.
Summary: Vitreomacular adhesion can lead to pathologic traction and macular holes. Severe, symptomatic cases are typically treated by vitrectomy. Ocriplasmin is a recombinant protease with activity against fibronectin and laminin, components of the vitreoretinal interface. Treatment of vitreomacular adhesion by ocriplasmin is a less invasive procedure as it is given by intravitreal injection. Ocriplasmin resolved vitreomacular traction and closed macular holes in significantly more patients than did injection of placebo.
Stalmans P, Benz MS, Gandorfer A, Kampik A, Girach A, Pakola S, Haller JA; MIVI-TRUST Study Group.
Click here to download this paper
Feb 11, 2013
Retina Consultants of Houston publishes first study for controlled higher dosage of Ranibizumab for Recalcitrant Neovascular AMD
Ophthalmology, November 2012: Super-dose Anti-VEGF (SAVE) Trial: 2.0 mg Intravitreal Ranibizumab for Recalcitrant Neovascular Macular Degeneration-Primary End Point.
Brown DM, Chen E, Mariani A, Major JC Jr; SAVE Study Group.
Summary: Despite monthly treatment, some neovascular AMD patients still experience persistent leakage on fundus fluorescein angiography or spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT). To improve visual and anatomical outcomes for these patients, a higher dose (2.0 mg) of intravitreal ranibizumab was administered to these recalcitrant patients for three monthly loading doses and subsequent PRN doses as determined by OCT and clinical exam. Intravitreal injections of 2.0 mg ranibizumab led to statistically significant visual acuity gains and anatomic improvement in patients with persistent intraretinal, subretinal, or subretinal pigment epithelial fluid during a previous regimen of chronic monthly 0.5-mg ranibizumab injections.
Click here to download this paper
Feb 10, 2013
Dr. Brown spoke to basic scientists, clinicians, and healthcare experts at the Angiogenesis, Exudation and Degeneration conference in Miami, Florida on Feburuary 9, 2013.
He discussed the recent changes in the development of DARPin, a genetically engineered protein that exibits a specific and high-affinity binding to vascular endothelial factor (VEGF). DARPin, which would also be given as intravitreal injection, is a potential future treatment for exudative macular degeneration and related diseases. For more information on the conference, please visit the link below:
Click here to go to the Angiogenesis, Exudation, and Degeneration 2013 website
Feb 8, 2013
Dr. Brown is the primary author on a publication proving the efficacy of aflibercept (Eylea) for treatment of macular edema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion.
American Journal of Ophthalmology December 3, 2012: Intravitreal Aflibercept Injection for Macular Edema Secondary to Central Retinal Vein Occlusion: 1-Year Results From the Phase 3 COPERNICUS Study.
Brown DM, Heier JS, Clark WL, Boyer DS, Vitti R, Berliner AJ, Zeitz O, Sandbrink R, Zhu X, Haller JA
Summary: This study compares 2 mg aflibercept (Eylea) injections with sham injections for treatment of macular edema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). Monthly injections of 2 mg intravitreal aflibercept resulted in a statistically significant improvement in visual acuity at week 24, which was largely maintained through week 52 with subsequent as needed dosing of intravitreal aflibercept.
Click here to download this paper
Feb 5, 2013
Dr. Brown will be speaking at the American Diabetes Association's 60th Annual Advanced Postgraduate Course in New York, New York on February 23, 2013
Dr. Brown will be speaking at the American Diabetes Association's 60th Annual Advanced Postgraduate Course in New York, New York on February 23, 2013. He will be discussing diabetic retinopathy and macular edema. Over 400 guests including physicians, physician assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, dietitians, pharmacists, psychologists, certified diabetes educators and other health care professionals are expected to attend this event. For more information please visit the link below:
Click here to go to the ADA website
Feb 4, 2013
First paper showing how anatomic changes in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) matter!
Retina, October 2012: Anatomical Measures as Predictors of Visual Outcomes in Ranibizumab-Treated Eyes with Neovascular AMD.
Brown DM, Tuomi L, Shapiro H; PIER Study Group.
Summary: This study analyzes patient outcomes from traditional monthly injection schedules and quarterly injection schedules to determine whether anatomical characteristics of eyes undergoing ranibizumab therapy were predictive of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) outcomes. Patients who were inactive on optical coherence tomography at months 5 and 8 and on fundus fluoroscein angiography at months 3 and 5 typically maintained BCVA gains from baseline at month 24 even on quarterly injection schedules. Those patients who experienced leakage not only typically lost the initial BCVA gains achieved but finished with net vision losses compared with baseline at the Month 24 end point. These findings support the need for close monitoring of anatomical changes even after initial improvements due to the frequent need for retreatment to maintain BCVA gains.
Click Here to Download this paper co-authored by Dr. Brown
Feb 4, 2013
Largest Neovascular AMD trial leads to FDA approval of Eylea for treatment of Neovascular AMD!
Ophthalmology, December 2012: Intravitreal aflibercept (VEGF trap-eye) in wet age-related macular degeneration.
Heier JS, Brown DM, Chong V, Korobelnik JF, Kaiser PK, Nguyen QD, Kirchhof B, Ho A, Ogura Y, Yancopoulos GD, Stahl N, Vitti R,Berliner AJ, Soo Y, Anderesi M, Groetzbach G, Sommerauer B, Sandbrink R, Simader C, Schmidt-Erfurth U; VIEW 1 and VIEW 2 Study Groups.
Summary: Two similarly designed phase-3 studies (VIEW 1, VIEW 2) of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) compared monthly and every-2-month dosing of intravitreal aflibercept (Eylea) injection with monthly ranibizumab (Lucentis). Anatomical and visual acuity outcomes for the aflibercept groups were noninferior and clinically equivalent to the outcomes for the monthly ranibizumab group for the primary end point. Therefore, intravitreal aflibercept dosed monthly or every 2 months after 3 initial monthly doses produced similar efficacy and safety outcomes as monthly ranibizumab. These studies demonstrate that aflibercept is an effective treatment for AMD, with the every-2-month regimen offering the potential to reduce the risk from monthly intravitreal injections and the burden of monthly monitoring.
Click Here to Download this paper co-authored by Dr. Brown
Jan 29, 2013
Updated list of enrolling clinical trials have been posted!
We have posted an updated list of enrolling clinical trials!
To view these trials and website links, please go to the "Research" portion of our website.
In this section, we list the majority of clinical trials available for our patients, along with a link to clinicaltrials.gov, the world's largest and most complete listing of ongoing clinical trials in all fields of medicine.
As these clinical trials change frequently, with new ones added and older trials closing, please check this area frequently.
May 15, 2012
Retina Consultants Houston welcomes Dr. Amy C. Schefler, MD
Ophthalmologist and ocular oncologist Dr. Amy C. Schefler, MD, has joined Retina Consultants of Houston.
Dr. Amy Schefler grew up in New York City and graduated Cum Laude from Yale University with Highest Distinction in Behavioral Neuroscience. She received her medical degree from Cornell University with Honors and was awarded the Dean's Research Award and the Edward Norton Prize, awarded to the student with the best performance entering the field of ophthalmology. Dr. Schefler completed a one-year pre-residency fellowship with ocular oncologist David Abramson, M.D. at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and spent time learning from world-renowned ocular oncologists Carol and Jerry Shields, M.D. at Wills Eye Institute. Dr. Schefler then completed her ophthalmology residency, vitreoretinal surgery fellowship, and an ocular oncology fellowship at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, the top-rated eye hospital in the country.
She was awarded a Heed Ophthalmic Award, a Society of Heed Fellows Award, and the Ronald G. Michels Fellowship Foundation Award, the nation's highest honor for a retina surgery fellow. Following fellowship, Dr. Schefler served on the Bascom Palmer faculty as Chief Resident and Co-Director of Ocular Trauma, followed by two years on the faculty as an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology performing vitreoretinal surgery and ocular oncology surgery. Dr. Schefler's research is focused on tumors of the eye in children and adults and she is the author of 50 peer-reviewed publications, 11 book chapters, and over 40 national and international meeting presentations. She serves as a reviewer for 20 major ophthalmic journals.
Dr. Schefler is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, the American Society of Retina Specialists, and the International Society of Ocular Oncology. She is a Clinical Voluntary Assistant Professor at Methodist Hospital and Memorial Hermann Hospital.
She is fluent in Spanish and spends her free time with her husband and two children.
Dr. Schefler will begin seeing patients in July 2012.
To schedule an appointment call 1-800-833-5921 or 713-524-3434
Oct 18, 2011
David M. Brown MD FACS was honored as the only Texas retina specialist named to the Becker ASC 135 Leading Ophthalmologist in America List
Click here to view this press release
May 26, 2011
Retina Consultants of Houston welcomes Dr. Charles C. Wykoff, MD PhD
Ophthalmologist and retina specialist Charles C. Wykoff, MD PhD, has joined Retina Consultants of Houston.
Dr. Charles Wykoff grew up in northern California and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He received his PhD in Molecular Biology from Oxford University in England and received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. Dr. Wykoff completed his ophthalmology residency and vitreoretinal fellowship at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and was awarded a Heed Fellowship and the Ronald G. Michels Foundation Award, the nation's highest honor for a retina surgery fellow. Following fellowship, Dr. Wykoff served on the Bascom Palmer faculty as Chief Resident and Co-Director of Ocular Trauma. Dr Wykoff's research interests pertain to endophthalmitis, angiogenesis and vitreoretinal surgery topics including retinal detachments, diabetic retinopthay and macular holes. Dr Wykoff’s research has resulted in over 60 combined peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts, book chapters and national meeting presentations. Dr. Wykoff is fluent in Spanish and spends his free time with his family including two children. He is an active triathlete and loves to hike and travel.
Dr. Wykoff will begin seeing patients in July 2011.
To schedule an appointment call 1-800-833-5921 or 713-524-3434
May 17, 2011
Ronan E. O’Malley, MD and Retina Consultants of Houston are pleased to announce the joining of their practices
Dr. O’Malley will continue to see patients at the o ffice at 6750 West Loop South #1060, Bellaire, Texas 77401. In addition, Dr. Richard H. Fish and Dr. Tien P. Wong will begin seeing patients in the Bellaire office.
The physicians and staff are excited at the merger of these two reputable, longstanding practices. We look forward to continuing to provide the Houston community with the latest and best retinal care
available in the world.
Appointments for the Bellaire offi ce can be made as usual by calling 713.521.0555.
More information about our physicians, offi ce locations, etc. can be found at www.houstonretina.com. Check our website for updates as the merger continues.
Click here to download the merger announcement
May 6, 2011
Abstracts Presented at ARVO by Retina Consultants of Houston Physicians.
At the latest meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Dr. David Brown and Dr. Eric Chen presented the latest data from clinical trials conducted at Retina Consultants of Houston/ Greater Houston Retina Research. Dr. Chen presented data from the SAVE trial, utilizing high dose ranibizumab for recalcitrant wet age-related macular degeneration, while Dr. Brown presented data on the use of ranibizumab for diabetic macular edema from the RISE trial.
Click here to download data from the SAVE Trial
Click here to download data from the RISE Trial
Apr 1, 2011
New Retina Consultants of Houston office now opened in Katy, Texas
Retina Consultants of Houston is pleased to announce the
opening of our new west side office in Katy, Texas!
Located at LaCenterra Shopping Center
23501 Cinco Ranch Blvd. Suite G205
This new state-of-the-art office features more exam rooms, a spacious patient reception area and the latest technology to diagnose and treat retinal diseases.
To schedule an appointment call our Katy office 281-394-7959 or our main office 713-524-3434
Please click here to view our flyer for further location information
Jun 7, 2010
Microplasmin Results Presented At World Ophthalmology Congress in Berlin
Microplasmin study shows promising results for two serious eye conditions. See press release in Research Section for details.
Apr 30, 2010
WE'VE RELOCATED OUR SUGAR LAND OFFICE
Great news for our Sugar Land and South Texas patients! We have relocated to a brand new, larger and totally modern office. The new office is Suite 305 in the new Medical Office Building #3 on the campus of Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, adjacent to the hospital and our old location at Medical Office Building #2.
Mar 23, 2010
WE'VE RELOCATED OUR 1960 AREA OFFICE TO NANES DRIVE
For patients in the 1960, Champions, Humble, Tomball, Magnolia, and Kingwood areas: WE HAVE MOVED our office on Red Oak Drive to a new, improved, larger and well-appointed office only a few blocks away in the Nanes Professional Building. We look forward to serving you in our new expanded and totally upgraded office. Our new address is 17030 Nanes Drive, Suite 214. Our phone number will remain the same: 281-587-1987.
Sep 15, 2009
New! Links for Clinical Trials Now Available
Retina Consultants of Houston and Greater Houston Retinal Research are pleased to announce a new portion of our website: Clinical Trials Update.
In this section, we list the majority of clinical trials available for our patients, along with a link to clinicaltrials.gov, the world's largest and most complete listing of ongoing clinical trials in all fields of medicine.
To view these trials and website links, please go to the "Research" portion of our website.
As these clinical trials change frequently, with new ones added and older trials closing, please check this area frequently.