Glaucoma/Anterior Segment Fellowship

• Tulane Medical Center
• University Medical Center

The above sites are located in downtown New Orleans, within walking distance of each other.

Satellite Clinics

• Eye Associates of West Jefferson, Marrero, LA
• Alexandria VA Health Care System, Alexandria, LA
• Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System, Biloxi, MS

Tulane: Ze Zhang, MD and Crystal Le, MD (Fellowship-trained Glaucoma Specialists)

UMC: Crystal Le, MD (Fellowship-trained Glaucoma Specialist)

VA Alexandria: Julie Foreman, MD (Fellowship-trained Glaucoma Specialist)

VA Biloxi: Ze Zhang, MD and Crystal Le, MD (Fellowship-trained Glaucoma Specialists)

Fellow is taught the indications, and will perform over 40 laser procedures including Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty, YAG laser iridotomy, Argon laser iridoplasty, and micropulse and diode cyclophotocoagulation.

The fellow is expected to participate in surgery at Tulane, both VA hospitals, and University Hospital. The fellow has a wide variety of surgical exposure, and will become proficient in the surgical management of different glaucoma treatment options including trabeculectomy with and without anti-fibrotic agents, bleb revision for leaky blebs and hypotony maculopathy, management and drainage of choroidal effusion and hemorrhage, management of failing blebs, implantation of Xen and Preserflo stents and glaucoma drainage devices (Ahmed tube shunts and Baerveldt tube shunts), Microinvasive glaucoma surgeries (MIGS), including but not limited to iStent, Hydrus, KDB goniotomy, GATT, ABiC, and OMNI. The fellow gains experience in performing combined glaucoma and cataract surgery as well as routine and complex cataract surgery. The fellow will be able to perform or primarily assist in the management of congenital glaucoma including goniotomy, trabeculotomy-trabeculectomy and glaucoma drainage devices, cyclodialysis cleft repair, and cyclo-destructive procedures.

Surgical Experience of Previous Fellows

• 200+ Surgeries as primary surgeon (plus 200+ assists)
• Glaucoma tube shunts (valved and non-valved): 50-60
• Trabeculectomy: 10-25
• Xen gel stent: 30-40
• Microinvasive glaucoma surgeries (istent, hydrus, KDB,GATT, ABiC, OMNI): 45-60
• Cataracts: 80-100

During the fellowship, emphasis is placed on performing a wide variety of procedures at the slit lamp. The fellow will assist as well as primarily perform needling of failing blebs from trabeculectomy and glaucoma drainage devices, suturing of a leaky bleb, compressive sutures for the management of large blebs, barrier sutures to restrict the bleb spread, trans-conjunctival scleral flap sutures in the management of hypotony, anterior chamber reformation and peripheral synechialysis.

The fellow is expected to take part in the ongoing glaucoma-related research in the department. The research involves both basic science and clinical (both animal surgery and human studies). It is expected that the fellow presents the research at the Tulane annual research day (O’Brien Professorship), and submit the research at national conferences such as ARVO, AGS and AAO meetings.

Current Research

• Surgical outcome comparison between Xen and Trabeculectomy
• Surgical outcome comparison between various MIG procedures
• Slow release drug systems in preventing post-operative infections

The fellow is expected to participate in resident education with leading certain glaucoma lectures, journal clubs, and teaching while on call.