Dr. Iryna Gorodetska SOE Grant Placement Fundación Oftalmológica del Mediterráneo

Dr. Iryna Gorodetska

Home institution: The Filatov Institute of Eye Diseases and Tissue Therapy (Odessa, Ukraine)

Host institution: Fundación Oftalmológica del Mediterráneo, Valencia

Observation time: June 18, 2011-July 27, 2011 (6 weeks)

 

First of all, I would like to thank to all the team of Fundación Oftalmológica del Mediterráneo  Valencia for their hospitable accommodation and assistance. I can say that these 1.5 months of my observation in Valencia were very fruitful for me, as during this time I was observing the patients’ treatment of next units: Cornea, Vitreo-retinal Unit, Medical Retina Unit, Oncology and diagnostic department.

 

Dr. M. Carmen Desco, Dr. Elena Palacios-Pozo and Dr.Jorge Mataix helped me to learn some of the features and nuances of Age Related Macular Degeneration and Retinopathy of Diabetic. In spite of big number of patients, They have always found a time to explain me every OCT, FFA and ICG. Besides, at the laser theatre Dr. M. Carmen Desco showed me a technique of PDT and Anti-VEGF therapy (intravitreal injection). I have examined patients with various diseases, like allergic, bacterial and viral conjunctivitis, exposure and marginal keratitis, glaucoma, cataract, acute iritis, posterior synechiae and cataract in chronic iritis, toxoplasma chorioretinitis, diabetic retinopathy (pre- and proliferative stage), cherry-red in central artery occlusion, central serous retinopathy, retinal detachment. At this unit I developed a lot my knowledge on medical retina.

 

Together with Dr. Mataix I examined patients with tumors of the anterior and posterior parts of the eye and retrobulbar part using both indirect ophthalmoscopy and ultrasound. Learned to determine the correct size of tumors, and to observe after brachytherapy.  Also I performed differential diagnosis of tumors and nevuses, subretinal hemorrhages. And carried out ultrasonic diagnosis of anterior and posterior parts of the eye.

 

At the Cornea clinic, I saw a lot of cases of keratoconus, different types of keratitis, neurotrophic keratopathy, pterygium and corneal dystrophies, dry eye, Holmes Adie pupil, and oscillopsia, entropion, traumatic displacement of IOL. With the help of Ms. Cristina Peris Martinez , I also studied more on anterior segment OCT and ultrasound . Moreover, in the theatre I saw corneal grafts, cataract surgery, corneal relaxing, and also traumatic cataracts, reposition displaced IOL, IOL fixation.

 

Dr. Amparo Navea, Director of  Fundación Oftalmológica del Mediterráneo showed me some patients with retinal detachment, macular holes, diabetic retinopathy and patients after treatment, and in addition, some cases with cataract and glaucoma. At the theatre, I saw surgery related to retinal detachment, macular holes, peeling of epiretinal membrane, congenital cataracts, vitrectomy with insertion of gas, silicone oil, scleral buckling, cryopexy, medial rectus resection and lateral rectus recession that were performed by Dr. Amparo Navea, and her teams. And also I was present at the operation of patients with high myopia about macular hole (the first time made in Spain) with a special buckling.

 

At the end of the program I made a presentation about the experience of staying in the host hospital, as well as stories about the features of diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases in Ukraine.

 

To conclude, I also have seen the organization of Outpatients Clinics in Valencia.

 

On a final note, I would like to thank to SOE for this grant and Ophthalmology team of Fundación Oftalmológica del Mediterráneo for this great opportunity to improve my knowledge and professional skills that I will use in the treatment of patients in Ukraine.