By Kristen Mulvihill
Scheie Vision Annual Report 2018
In November 2018, the Scheie Eye Institute launched a Thyroid Eye Disease Program.
Thyroid Eye Disease (TED) is the most common orbital disorder in adults and is predominantly seen in patients with hyperthyroidism. The condition can affect anyone, although it is more common in women and smokers.
"TED causes irreversible facial disfigurement. In addition to the impact that it has on vision, it can severely affect a patient's emotional well-being," said César A. Briceño, MD, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Pennsylvania.
Patients affected with TED can have their visual function severely limited by disfiguring proptosis (protrusion of the eye), dry eyes, and double vision. They often require long-term care, which may involve medical and surgical interventions to improve their visual function and eye appearance. The care of these patients is often multidisciplinary, requiring expert management of proptosis, double vision, and dry eyes.
"Reconstructive surgery for TED can dramatically improve not only the vision and ocular comfort, but it can also help to reverse many of the disfiguring facial changes that are brought on by this disease," said Dr. Briceño.
The Thyroid Eye Disease Program offers advanced, comprehensive care for patients with TED. In this clinic, patients will jointly see two physicians with unique areas of expertise: oculoplastics and orbital specialist Dr. César A. Briceño and neuro-ophthalmic and strabismus specialist Madhura Tamhankar, MD. Together, these physicians will evaluate each patient and devise an appropriate treatment plan. Patients will be offered rehabilitative therapies onsite with these physicians, such as decompression surgery, eye muscle surgery, and eyelid surgery.
"We strongly believe that having a TED program that combines two sub-specialties will enable our patients to have a better understanding of their condition," said Dr. Tamhankar. "Our patients will be offered a comprehensive treatment plan. By aiming to create a center of excellence in managing TED, our goal is to offer our patients novel therapies when they become available in the future."