SOCIETY INSTALLS NEW OFFICERS

David G. Buerger, MD, FACS, was formally installed as president of the Pittsburgh Ophthalmology Society (POS) at the society’s annual banquet held March 29 at the Terrace Room of the Omni William Penn Hotel. Dr. Buerger, who served as president-elect since 2017, will serve a two-year term for 2019 through 2021

He has been an active member of the POS since 1996 and is a founding member of the Thorpe Circle, which was established in 2014 to help offset the costs associated with the Annual meeting so that the society could continue to invite the best and brightest lecturers in the field of ophthalmology to the Pittsburgh area.

Dr. Buerger earned his medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, where he served as class president for four years. He completed a transitional internship at Mercy Hospital before being selected to attend Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia for his ophthalmology residency. Following his year as chief resident, he completed a fellowship in Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery with Joseph Flanagan, MD, chief, Oculoplastic Surgery at Wills Eye Hospital.

Board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology, Dr. Buerger returned to Pittsburgh in 1996 to practice as a physician and surgeon with Pittsburgh Oculoplastic Associates and practices with Drs. Daniel Buerger, Philip Choo, and Cari Lyle.

Dr. Buerger is a fellow of the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Academy of Ophthalmology and is a diplomate of the American Board of Ophthalmology.

Marshall W. Stafford, MD was elected to serve as president-elect of the POS and will serve a two-year term. Dr. Stafford has been an active member since 1996 and has served as Treasurer of the Society since 2003.

Dr. Stafford earned his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA, in 1990. He completed a transitional internship at the Medical Center of Delaware in Wilmington before attending the Eye and Ear Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, for his ophthalmology residency. He completed a fellowship in Glaucoma at Washington University Eye Center, St. Louis, MO, in 1994.

Board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology, Dr. Stafford serves as chairman, Department of Surgery, St. Margaret Hospital, UPMC, and is clinical assistant professor, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He has been the team ophthalmologist for the Pittsburgh Steelers Football Club since 2012.

The formal installation of officers took place at the Annual Banquet, held March 23 at the Terrace Room in the Omni William Penn Hotel.  In her final remarks as President, Sharon Taylor, MD thanked the POS Board, Membership and Allied Course Directors for their assistance during her tenure.  In her two years as president, she initiated the Wet Lab program (a hands-local program which is typically found at larger ophthalmology conferences.  Board member Ian Conner, MD, PhD was also instrumental in the planning of the Wet Lab series. Dr. Taylor formally installed David G. Buerger, MD, FACS as President.   His first officially duty was presenting the President’s plaque and thank you gifts to Dr. Taylor in recognition of her service.

POS Hosts  3^rd Annual Wet Lab

June 4 and June 5

The Pittsburgh Ophthalmology Society hosted the 3^rd Annual Ophthalmology Community Wet Lab: Yamane Technique and Iris Defect Repair Workshop at the UPMC Eye Center – Eye and Ear Institute on June 4 and June 5.

Two separate sessions were offered to maximum attendee participation, with each session offering a didactic portion and two-hour hands on workshop.

Thank you to the following companies who were instrumental in providing equipment, support staff and teaching assistance:   Bausch and Lomb and Microsurgical Technology.  The Society also thanks UPMC Eye and Ear for use of the wet lab for this worthwhile endeavor. 

A maximum of 10 physicians attended each session where they had opportunity to explore and learn the indications and surgical steps required for Yamane scleral IOL fixation technique and iris defect repair.

One-on-one learning and coaching were available, and each person was able to self-direct learning and practice opportunities. Attendees become familiar with tools for managing iris or pupillary defects; learned the indications and surgical steps required for Yamane scleral IOL fixation technique; and practiced successful steps for anterior vitrectomy by pars plana approach in the setting of unexpected vitreous presentation during cataract surgery.

Ian Conner, MD, PhD and Sharon L. Taylor, MD, FACS served as course directors and initiated the program offering.  Thank you to POS members Deepinder Dhaliwal, MD, Alex Mammen, MD and Thierry Verstraeten, MD who served as instructors and along with the directors and industry instructors, shared their expertise and pearls of wisdom with their colleagues.  

 Comments from participants were uniformly positive and the Society looks forward to offering sessions in 2020.  While we always plan to have vitrectomy practice available, we also welcome suggestions for future wet lab topics or for other educational sessions members would like to see offered.  If you have a skill set others would benefit from learning and practicing, please let us know.  Submit suggestions to Nadine Popovich, administrator, at npopovich@acms.org.

The Society thanks the following sponsors who provided instruction and equipment for the Program:

  Course Director Ian Conner, MD, PhD, (left) instructs participant Joel Brown, MD. Far right, Instructor Thierry Verstraeten, MD tutors attendee        Michaela Hickey, DO.

Instructor Thierry Verstraeten, MD assists Michaela Hickey DO at the 3^rd Annual Wet Lab, sponsored by the Pittsburgh Ophthalmology Society.

2019 - 2020 Monthly Meeting Series

Jill Foster, MD (center) pictured with (left to right):  Srinivas Kondapalli, MD; Daniel Buerger, MD; Sharon L. Taylor, MD (President); and    David Buerger, MD (President-Elect)

 Dr. Foster was the final presenter of the POS 2018-2019 academic season and delivered two excellent lectures.  Thank  you to David Buerger, MD for inviting       Dr. Foster to  Pittsburgh.   Following the first lecture, Sohani Amarasekera, MD, Resident at the University of Pittsburgh Eye Center, presented an interesting case for review and  discussion. 

The Society would like to thank Allergan for support of the February meeting. 

Carl Awh, MD, (center) pictured with (left to right):  Sharon L. Taylor, MD; Andrew Eller, MD, Benjamin Botsford, MD and Thierry Verstraeten, MD 

 Dr. Awh started the 2019 meeting season with two interesting presentations. Following the first lecture, Benjamin Botsford, MD, Resident at the University of Pittsburgh Eye Center, presented an interesting case for review and  discussion. Thank you to Dr. Verstraeten for inviting Dr. Awh to Pittsburgh and to Regeneron and Spark Therapeutics for support of the program. 

Debra Goldstein, MD (left) with Pamela Rath, MD (who invited Dr. Goldstein) and Sharon Taylor, MD, President. 

 lFollowing Dr. Goldstein's first lecture, Jennifer Lee, MD, Resident at the University of Pittsburgh Eye Center, presented an interesting case for review and  discussion. Thank you to Carl Zeiss Meditec and Genentech for co-sponsoring the meeting.

Shakeel R. Shareef, MD (left) with Sharon L. Taylor, MD and Ian Conner, MD, PhD. (right). Dr. Shareef was the guest speaker for the October 4 meeting. Thank you to Dr. Conner who extended the invitation to Dr. Shareef and to Alcon for sponsoring the meeting.