PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Bari Azman, Vice President Marketing & Business Development
Bari@complexeyecare.com 410-844-0010
VISION EXPERTS ANNOUNCE OPENING OF KERATOCONUS INSTITUTE of MARYLAND
Addresses progressive eye disease that can strike adolescents
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – June 13th, 2018: Ivan Garcia, M.D., and Irwin Azman, O.D. have announced the opening of the Keratoconus Institute of Maryland, the first private practice in the United States solely dedicated to treating individuals with Keratoconus. The Institute’s primary goal is to eliminate blindness among children and adolescents that suffer from Keratoconus through awareness education and advanced procedures like the minimally invasive Corneal Cross-Linking (CXL) procedure that can help to avoid corneal transplant surgery.
Keratoconus is a progressive eye disease that causes the normally round cornea to bulge into a cone-like shape, causing distorted vision. Onset of the disease normally occurs between the ages of 12 and 35 and strikes one in every 375 people in the United States. Without treatment the disease can progressively deteriorate vision.
The Institute was established to offer the proper and effective treatment of the disease, a process that can be time consuming, limiting the number of physicians who are willing to specialize in it.
Early detection and intervention can slow or even stop the progression of the disease and, in many cases, avoid invasive corneal transplant surgery. Dr. Garcia and Dr. Azman guide the work of the Institute to achieve three main objectives:
- Outreach: To increase awareness among patients and families
- Education: To increase and improve awareness among healthcare professionals
- Partners: To create screening and treatment referral sites
The Institute offers the specialized expertise of ophthalmologists, optometrists, technicians, and support staff using state-of-the-art technology to diagnose and treat keratoconus. Services include pediatric screenings for early detection and intervention, specialty contact lenses including soft lenses, hybrids, corneal contacts and scleral lenses, medical treatment including Corneal Cross-Linking (CXL) and Conductive Keratoplasty (CK), Intacs, and combination treatments that include CXL with specialty lens, and CK with Intacs.
The Institute joins the expertise of the founder’s practices; Azman Eye Care Specialists, Global Complex Eye Care, and Omni Eye Specialists of Baltimore, to serve the needs of keratoconus patients. Together, Dr. Garcia and Dr. Azman have 70 plus years of combined experience. “We created the institute to bring together the most highly skilled, dedicated experts in the field of keratoconus,” they said. “We have assembled a team that can tailor a treatment modality to specific patients to achieve the best outcomes. Our goal is to offer long term eye health and consistent vision that will enable individuals to function normally and enjoy a high quality of life.”
Dr. Garcia serves as Chief Director of Medical & Surgical Services. Dr. Azman is Chief Director of Refractive & Contact Lens Services. Benjamin E. Azman, O.D. is Co-Director of Refractive & Contact Lens Services and Noel Rosado, M.D. is Co-Director of Medical & Surgical Services.
