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Ophthalmologist performing eye surgery in new HEI surgery center

When Lonnie Utley realized his right eye was losing vision due to a cataract, he knew it was time to come to Memphis. A commercial airline pilot in Dallas, Utley, 55, is required to maintain 20/20 vision in order to continue flying.
Growing up in Memphis, Utley was familiar with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, and as a third generation patient of Dr. Ralph Hamilton, he wished to continue his eye care at UT.

Utley previously underwent cataract surgery on his left eye through Dr. Hamilton three years prior, before Hamilton Eye Institute (HEI) officially formed in 2005. In June he was back for cataract surgery on his right eye, this time under the care of Dr. James Hart, and Utley said he was impressed with the evolution taking place in the department of ophthalmology.

“In the post op visit, it was interesting because Dr. Hart was as excited about the results as I was,” said Utley. “My observations of how other patients are handled and treated (show) there are very caring and committed people here.”

Since Hamilton Eye Institute opened their surgery center in December, ophthalmologists have been able to perform routine and highly complex surgeries under one roof, allowing physicians a centralized location specific to ophthalmology procedures. Before the center opened, physicians were driving throughout the city to perform multiple operations at multiple sites, while often dealing with general operating room staff that may or may not have been familiar with ophthalmic procedures. A deal between Baptist Memorial Health Care Corp. and Methodist Healthcare, Inc., made the center possible. The HEI surgery center is 9,281-square-feet and has three operating rooms, two laser rooms, and post-op monitoring rooms. No other facility exists in the city that is dedicated solely to eye care. The surgery center is open for use by the ophthalmology community in Memphis as well as UTHSC staff.

“What we found years ago, and it’s true today, when you get into delicate eye surgery, you create a very focused process,” said Dr. Chris Fleming, medical director of the HEI surgery center. “This focused process can extend to a number of specialty surgeries we offer that really are unique.”

For instance, Fleming pointed out, HEI has more than 20 surgeons who specialize in a variety of ophthalmic procedures, including complex retinal surgery, corneal transplantation, glaucoma, ophthalmic plastics, and pediatric ophthalmology, among others.

Having the surgery center on site, added Fleming, “Has allowed us to take care of eye emergencies very quickly if we see somebody in the clinic who has an emergent problem.”

It wasn’t only help from the major hospitals that made the center possible, but generous community donations, which helped supply extremely expensive, high-tech equipment such as a RETCAM™ for evaluating childhood injuries and tumors inside the retina, and a PASCAL® laser which has the ability to perform hundreds of laser treatments in a single sitting.

Fleming acknowledged that Memphis needs comprehensive eye care in sites throughout the city, but until that happens, HEI has a surgery center “equipped with the latest and the best equipment we could find,” he said. “We offer a facility that is very special.”

Although the surgery center is privately held between the hospitals and HEI physicians, it is linked up to UTHSC as a learning tool for residents. Next door is the skills transfer lab where students practice procedures, along with a surgical simulator where residents can hone their skills. The center is wired to teaching labs for student interaction with ophthalmologists, and Hamilton’s Freeman Auditorium which allows procedures to be shown to larger audiences.

In the mean time, the Hamilton team is planning to add more physicians and grow the output of the surgery center. Some staffers have moved to HEI from other hospitals after learning of the surgery center’s opening, because, Fleming said, “Their focus and joy is to do eye surgery.”

“It’s pretty focused on what they do here, not like an operation in a hospital,” Utley said. “I would absolutely recommend Hamilton Eye Institute to other people.”

In addition to launching the surgery center, HEI opened a low vision clinic this year to address the growing issue of poor eyesight.



July 2008

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