Glaucoma: the Silent Thief of Sight September 12, 2011

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that gradually steal sight without warning. In the early stages of the disease, there may be no symptoms, but early detection is vital to stopping the progress of the disease. According to the National Institutes of Health National Eye Institute, glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in the United States. * Join VIKAS CHOPRA, M.D. to learn how doctors detect this disease and the latest in treatments.
There is no cure for glaucoma—yet. However, medication or surgery can slow or prevent further vision loss. The appropriate treatment depends upon the type of glaucoma among other factors. It was once thought that high pressure within the eye, also known as intraocular pressure or IOP, is the main cause of this optic nerve damage. Although IOP is clearly a risk factor, we now know that other factors must also be involved because even people with “normal” levels of pressure can experience vision loss from glaucoma.
VIKAS CHOPRA, M.D. received his medical degree from Pennsylvania State University and served his residency in ophthalmology at the Kresge Eye Institute at Wayne State University’s Detroit Medical Center. His research fellowship in Molecular Biology was at the Beckman Research Institute, at the City of Hope, and his Glaucoma Fellowship was at the Kresge Eye Institute. Affiliated with the prestigious Doheny Eye Institute, Dr. Chopra is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology at USC.
Join us for a fascinating look at a condition that is affecting many.

This program is free and reservations are recommended by calling the library reference desk: (626) 300-0777 ext. 579.

*NIH National Eye Institute
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/glaucoma.html