Clinical Glaucoma Fellowship

On behalf of the glaucoma faculty at Yale Eye Center, we appreciate you taking the time to explore our fellowship training program in glaucoma.

The Clinical Glaucoma Fellowship at the Yale Eye Center is a one-year program, beginning in July. Our fellowship is certified by the Association of University of Professors of Ophthalmology Fellowship Compliance Committee (AUPO FCC) and is based at the Yale Eye Center in New Haven, Connecticut. We accept one glaucoma fellow a year.

The Glaucoma Fellow becomes an active member of the Glaucoma Section, working closely with the clinical faculty, Ji Liu, MD, Soshian Sarrafpour, MD, and James Martone, MD, in the clinical and surgical care of our glaucoma patients.

The Yale Glaucoma team utilizes the most technologically advanced instrumentation including computerized perimetry, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), wide field fundus photography, ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM), and high-resolution anterior segment imaging. The state-of-the-art operating rooms have the most advanced equipment including Femtosecond laser, intraoperative aberrometry and the newest operating microscopes.

Special services offered include:

• Cataract Cataract surgery: no stitch cataract surgery, femtosecond laser assisted cataract surgery, and interoperative aberrometry
• Cutting edge intraocular lens options including trifocal lenses, multifocal lenses, extended depth of focus lenses, and toric lenses
• Surgeries for dislocated lenses, lens exchanges and repositionings, pupil repair surgeries, and complex cataract surgeries
• Computerized and manual visual field assessment with custom programs
• Optical Coherence Tomography and Angiography
• Gonioscopy, slit lamp examinations, optos wide field fundus photography, and ultrasound biomicrocopy
• Medical and surgical treatment of primary and secondary glaucoma
• Laser procedures including Pascal Synthesis Ophthalmic Scanning Lasers, Argon laser procedures, YAG capsulotomies and iridotomies, selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT), and micropulse laser procedures
• Minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries including iStent and Hydrus trabecular bypass microstents, Kahook dual blade goniotomy, Trabectome, iTrack ab-interno canaloplasty (ABiC), Gonioscopy-Assisted Transluminal Trabeculotomy (GATT), and Xen gel stent implant.
• Traditional Glaucoma Procedures including Trabeculectomy and Glaucoma Drainage Device Implants

Facilities

The 5000-square feet Glaucoma Clinic includes an array of state-of-the-art equipment including:

• A laser treatment room with Pascal synthesis ophthalmic scanning lasers, Argon, SLT, YAG, and diode lasers
• A perimetry suite
• Two photography suites with a high-resolution anterior segment camera and OCT, Optos wide field and Topcon fundus cameras for high-resolution color stereo and nerve fiber layer photography, Swept-source OCT and Spectral-domain OCT.
• Top of the line examination rooms, Epic EMR, and a minor procedure room

Surgical Procedures

Incisional surgery is performed at the Shoreline Ambulatory Surgical Center, Bridgeport Ambulatory Surgical Center, and Yale New Haven Hospital. There are multiple dedicated, fully equipped operating rooms with ceiling-mounted or floor-based operating microscopes and top of the line Alcon phacoemulsification devices.

Surgical procedures performed by the Glaucoma Section include:

• Standard cataract surgery, femtosecond laser assisted cataract surgery and use of interoperative aberrometry
• Complex cataract surgery techniques including Malyugan rings, iris hooks, capsular retractors, capsular tension rings, irido-zonulo-hyaloido-vitrectomy (IZHV), and pars planar decompression
• Cutting edge intraocular lens options including trifocal lenses, multifocal lenses, extended depth of focus and toric lenses
• Complex anterior segment cases including scleral fixated intraocular lenses, sutured lenses, and pupilloplasties
• Micro invasive glaucoma surgeries including iStent, Hydrus, Kahook dual blade goniotomy, Trabectome, iTrack ABiC canaloplasty, GATT, micropulse TSCPC, ECP, and Xen gel stent implant
• Traditional Glaucoma Procedures including trabeculectomy and glaucoma drainage device implants (including Ahmed, Baerveldt, and Molteno implants)
• Cyclodialysis cleft repair
• Glaucoma Surgery Revisions
• Pediatric Glaucoma Cases including exams under anesthesia, traditional surgeries, and revisions

The fellow will either serve as primary surgeon with assistance by a faculty member or assist a faculty member in these procedures. In some cases, the fellow may also be asked to assist a resident in surgery.

Please see our appearance on Prism Eye Rounds for some of the cases we see and techniques we routinely apply in the care of our patients.

Responsibilities

The Glaucoma Fellow has certain independent responsibilities in addition to his/her training at the Glaucoma Clinic and Operating Rooms.

• As a Clinical Instructor faculty member, the fellow participates in the on-call schedule at Yale New Haven Hospital with other faculty members. This involves backing up the residents for night-time and weekend emergencies and occasionally assisting the residents in or performing emergency surgery.
• The Glaucoma Fellow staffs the resident-based hospital clinic one half day every other week. Here the fellow gets the opportunity to function as the attending for resident physicians.
• The Fellow also participates in the Glaucoma Conferences, journal clubs, video reviews, and various other activities.

Research

Although this is primarily a clinical fellowship, participation in research projects is encouraged. We anticipate that one or more of the research projects performed by our fellows will lead to publications in peer-reviewed journals.

• The research projects are primarily of a clinical nature.
• Although basic research is not a typical part of the clinical fellowship, the basic science laboratories are available to those with special interests. In some cases, a two-year fellowship can be arranged, with one year in the laboratory.

If you would like an application or have questions about the Yale Vitreoretinal Fellowship, please contact our education coordinator at yaleophthalmology@yale.edu.