CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — The physicians at Retina Associates of Southern Utah are committed to ongoing education and training to ensure they stay up-to-date with the latest medical advancements, techniques and treatments. They also recognize the importance of continuous quality improvement to maintain the highest standards of care.
“We use the latest techniques, treatments and research,” said Dr. Ken Lord, the clinic’s founder and a board-certified ophthalmologist and vitreoretinal specialist. “If it’s available and being done somewhere, we’re doing it here.”
Along these lines, Lord and his team at Retina Associates of Southern Utah are excited to introduce a cutting-edge treatment for one of the leading causes of blindness in patients with advanced age-related dry macular degeneration.
Some individuals with age-related dry macular degeneration will develop geographic atrophy, a disease that causes cells to waste away and die in certain regions of the retina. This results in a blind spot in the patient’s field of vision that will expand slowly over the next several years until central vision is lost.
Geographic atrophy is estimated to impact more than 1 million people in the United States and over 5 million people worldwide. It can affect one or both eyes, and patients with the condition in one eye are much more likely to develop it in the other.
Historically, ophthalmologists haven’t been able to offer any specific treatment options for patients with geographic atrophy. That was, until the introduction of SYFOVRE from Apellis Pharmaceuticals. It’s a way to help keep eyesight intact for as long as possible, and it’s available today at Retina Associates of Southern Utah.
“We’re the only locally based, full-time vitreoretinal specialists in St. George providing this treatment to patients,” Lord said.
Earlier this year, the FDA approved SYFOVRE as the first and only treatment for geographic atrophy. SYFOVRE is a series of regular injections of pegcetacoplan, a drug that works to slow the growth of retinal lesions and help preserve vision. Injections are administered directly into the vitreous of the eye every 30-60 days as prescribed by a physician.
It’s not possible to reverse the damage already caused by geographic atrophy. However, SYFOVRE has been clinically proven to delay the progression of the disease with increasing effects over time.
“In patients with good vision out of only one eye, we really want to do everything we can to slow the progression,” Lord said. “If you have dry macular degeneration, schedule an appointment with us to determine if you’re a candidate.”
Ophthalmology, and particularly retinal treatment, is a tech-driven field of eye care. Retina Associates of Southern Utah recently opened a brand-new, state-of-the-art facility on Riverside Drive in St. George to better serve patients with the latest treatment options. Part of the building will also be dedicated to conducting clinical research, further establishing the practice as a leader in its field.
Developing a research center has long been the goal for Lord, who participated in clinical trials while completing a two-year vitreoretinal surgical fellowship at the University of Missouri–Kansas City. He also takes a strong interest in medical informatics and is a co-developer of the leading ophthalmology smartphone apps Eye Handbook and Eye Patient, which have millions of downloads and tens of thousands of active users worldwide. Click here to download Eye Patient.
Retina Associates of Southern Utah is already in the process of preparing for their first trial, Lord said. The research center will focus on studies for diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusions, inherited retinal conditions and various types of macular degeneration.
“We’ll be the first center conducting clinical retina research in Southern Utah,” he added. “If we can help those patients and contribute to the scientific community as a whole, that’s what we want to do.”
Retina Associates of Southern Utah is the only full-time retina specialty provider in the area. Serving patients living in Southern Utah as well as Northern Arizona and Eastern Nevada with multiple office locations, the clinic’s approach is rooted in evidence-based medical practices focused on improving eye health and elevating quality of life.
Discover how the specialists at Retina Associates of Southern Utah are helping patients see more clearly at SouthernUtahRetina.com.
Written by ALEXA MORGAN for St. George News.
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Resources
- Retina Associates of Southern Utah | Address: 585 E. Riverside Drive, Suite 201, St. George | Hours: Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Telephone: 435-216-7032 | Website.
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