Health

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News Briefs

Sinai Hospital

SUMMER 1993 ISSUE: OPHTHALMOLOGY OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY

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Obstetrics and Gynecology

Women's Health Series

Sinai Hospital offers a free health series just for women
featuring important topics such as premenstrual syn-
drome, stress management, pregnancy after age 30,
menopause and genetic testing. A panel of Sinai health
professionals provides the latest information on these is-
sues and answers your questions. Programs are held
from 7 to 9 p.m., the first and third Wednesday of the
month. The first Wednesday program is held at Sinai
Hospital, Zuckerman Auditorium, 6767 West Outer
Drive, Detroit, between Greenfield and Hubbell. The
third Wednesday program is held at the Bloomfield Town-
ship Library (BTL), L.H. Green Room, 1099 Lone Pine
Road, at the southeast corner of Telegraph. Upcoming
programs are:

DATE TOPIC

July 21 Breast Cancer. Prevention
and Treatment

Dedication to Ophthalmic
Research Helps Department
hairman Lead by Example

hairman of the Department of Ophthalmology Hugh Beckman, M.D.,
is a busy man. And he's a man who wears plenty of hats. Department
Chairman. A member of Sinai Board of Directors. Researcher. Since
Dr. Beckman became Chairman in 1977, he has set the pace for
ophthalmic research at Sinai.
Dr. Beckman believes that research "stimulates intellectual curiosity."
And it is this curiosity which often leads to a cure.

LOCATION

BTL

Aug 4 Menopause and Hormonal Replacement Sinai
Aug 18 Women and Stress: Why am I So Tired? BTL
Sept 1 Pregnancy After 30 Sinai
Sept 15 Is Premenstrual Syndrome Really
BTL
All in My Head?
Oct 6 At Risk: Women and Heart Disease
Sinai

Oct 20 Genetic Testing: What Can it Tell Me?

tients, 40 of whom come to
Sinai for treatment and
follow-up.

Future Looks
Promising

BTL

To reserve a seat for any of these free programs, please
call 1-800-248-3627.

Sinai Au Pair Care

Sinai Hospital introduces an innovative
program for new mothers called Sinai
Au Pair Care. For a fee, new moth-
ers can enjoy the comfort of having a
health professional on hand to assist
with the new baby and to make the
transition home with the newborn a
little easier. From an afternoon of dia-
per changes to six weeks of live-in care,
Sinai Au Pair Care offers flexible schedul-
ing for new mothers. Au Pair Care gift certificates are
also available. For more information call Sinai's Peri-
natal Home Care Coordinator at 493-5680.

Ophthalmology

493-LOOK

Do you have a vision problem but are uncertain which
division can meet your needs? Call Sinai Eye Care at
493-LOOK and you will be directed to the proper area of
the Department of Ophthalmology to meet your visions
needs.

Sinai PHO

Sinai Hospital announces the formation of the Sinai
Physician Hospital Organization (PHO). Through the
Sinai PHO, some 250 physicians throughout southeast-
ern Michigan offer high-quality, cost-effective health ser-
vices to the community. Watch for more information on
the PHO from your employer's benefits department or
your health plan.

Sinai's Department of Ophthalmology Chairman Hugh Beckman, M.D.,
is a pioneer in using the laser to treat glaucoma.

Innovative Ways of
Treating Glaucoma

over a period of years. Pri-
mary open-angle glauco-
ma has been called a
ver the last several "silent" disease because it
years, Dr. Beckman usually occurs after the
has conducted research to age of 40 and often causes
determine if the argon no symptoms. Left undi-
laser is as effective as eye agnosed and untreated,
drop medications used to POA glaucoma slowly
treat primary open-angle raises pressure on the eye
glaucoma (POA).
which can result in blind-
POA glaucoma is the ness.
most common form of
Dr. Beckman's research
glaucoma in the United is sponsored by the Na-
States. It results from a tional Eye Institute. He is
gradual blockage of the also the national study
outflow of fluid in the front chairman. The long-term
compartment of the eye study involves 271 pa-

O

rtirtai

As Sinai now enters the
second year of the glauco-
ma laser trial follow-up,
study (GLTFS), early re-
sults are showing that the
laser is at least as effective
and safe as eye drops.
Pressure in eyes treated
with the laser is 10 per-
cent lower than in eyes
treated with medication
only.
One advantage of laser
treatments over medica-
tion, explains Dr. Beck-
man, is that patients don't
need to remember to take
their medication. In fact,
in some people, the argon
laser can reduce or elimi-
nate the need for daily eye
drops which can cause
side effects.

Advanced Glaucoma
Research

Sinai is also a leader in
the evaluation of advanced
glaucoma. Since 1988,
Marshall Cyrlin, M.D.,
has conducted the Ad-
vanced Glaucoma Inter-
vention Study (AGIS).
Sinai is one of just 11 cen-
ters taking part in this Na-
tional Eye Institute study
which includes 800 par-
ticipants, 35 of whom
come to Sinai. The study
is helping to determine
whether the Argon laser

or traditional trabeculec-
tomy is more effective for
treating advanced glauco-
ma.
"The Argon laser is a
perfect tool for treating ad-
vanced glaucoma because
the laser is well absorbed
by the eye pigment in the
natural drainage canals,"
explains Dr. Cyrlin. "The
laser helps to 'stretch' open
the pores in the eye to re-
move pressure on the eye."
As the study enters its
five-year patient follow-up,
Dr. Cyrlin is confident that
the study is meeting its in-
tended goal. 'We are find-
ing that the best
treatment for one patient
may not be the best for the
other. The study will help
us to determine which
treatment will be best for
each patient on an indi-
vidual basis and will ben-
efit all advanced glaucoma
patients in the future."

Research has
Positive Side Effects
for Sinai

Not only is research im-
proving the quality of life
for patients but it is also
attracting other top-notch
physicians to Sinai. "Our
strong commitment to re-
search is appealing to oph-
thalmologists who want to
be part of a hospital where
state-of-the-art medicine
is practiced," says Dr.
Beckman.

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