Welcome in the Department for Retina- and Vitreous Surgery.

Since 1996, professor Dr. med. Frank Koch  is running the department of vitreoretinal diagnostics and surgery of the university eye clinic, Johann Wolfgang Goethe university, Frankfurt a.M. (C3-lifetime professorship position). Before Prof. Koch took over his position in Frankfurt, he was already more than 8 years in charge of the retina department at the university eye clinic in Bonn. Today, his department in Frankfurt is considered to be one of the leading centers in Europe.

Expert in ophthalmic surgery: Prof. Koch is considered to be one of the top specialists for vitreoretinal diseases and surgical intervention. Until today, he did perform more than 16.000 surgical interventions mainly on the retina, in the vitreous cavity and on the lens.

Worldwide highly respected Researcher and Inventor: Professor Frank Koch is well known for his engagement in actively taking part in clinical relevant research. More than 100 articles so far were printed in peer reviewed international journals. Over 10 prestigeous awards were given to Prof. Koch, e.g. the „Achievement Award of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the „American Vitreous Society Honor Award“.

His innovative talents have resulted in many substantial products improving the bimanual working options for microscopic vitreoretinal surgery, endoscopic minimal vitreoretinal surgery, techniques for drug application combined with other treatment modalities as well as the setup of a unique vitreoretinal simulator for a safer more efficient education in ophthalmic surgery.

The „networker“ Koch invests into synergistic strategies: As the former  „International representative of the largest American society for retina and vitreous diseases and surgery (VS/ASRS - 1998 - 2001) Prof. Koch co-founded in 2001  the European VitreoRetinal Society (EVRS) bridgings the retina and vitreous subspecialty of the USA and Europe.  As president (2001-2004) and board member (since 2004) of the EVRS, Koch´s activities have a significant impact on the scientific and clinical progress of the diagnostics, the therpeutical options and the training of ophthalmic surgery in this young ophthalmic discipline.

Modern teacher: From Professor Koch´s point of view,  innovative scientific and clinical working as well as progressive information and education have to be linked to each other tightly. One of his personally designed platforms for presenting and updating this concepts can be accessed by participating in the VitreoRetinal Symposium (VRS), a high-volume international meeting based on the cooperation of the university eye clinics in Marburg/L. and Frankfurt /M.

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12th Vitreoretinal Symposium 2009 :
27th - 29th August 2009 in Frankfurt / Main (Germany)

04.04.2009

We would like to announce the 12th Vitreoretinal Symposium 2009 in Frankfurt, which will held on 27th to 29th August, 2009 in Frankfurt /M. - Germany and to which we invite you cordially. Highlights will be: Dry Lab setups (all day) with Interactive training with vitrectomy machines, real time surgery and intreractive paper-sessions. Register now an get the "early bird" flat rate!

We very much look forward to getting together with you in August.

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Pharmaco Surgery offers New Ways of Treatment in Patients with Diabetes and Macula Degeneration

In Pharmaco Surgery drugs or a drug-combination (combination therapy, three-fold therapy, four-fold therapy) is injected into the eye , e.g. into the vitreous body of the eye. This opens new ways of the treatment of many eye diseases, as diabetic retinopathy or age related macula degeneration. The injections into the vitreous body can be combined with other procedures as Photo-Dynamic Therapy or Pars Plana Vitrektomy).
The intervention takes few minutes and requires only local anethesia under "out patient conditions". A major goal is to stop the progression of the disease and to improve visiul acuity, visual disturbances like blurred vision (so called "metamorphopsia") and aims to improve the prognosis of the condition.

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Rheopheresis: Early Treatment of "Drusen"-Maculopathie

Age related macula degeneration is understood to be caused by reduced perfusion of the smallest retina vessels. The Rheopheresis is a a procedure for "blood-cleaning", which was developed particularly for the treatment of blood circulation disturbances within the range of the smallest vessels. It can be used thus also to treat certain forms of the age related macula degeneration. First studies showed that 8-10 single procedures can lead across one period of 10-21 weeks to a continuous improvement of the natural progression of this conditon.

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Prostaglandin E1: Early treatment of the „dry“ age related macular degeneration

In Germany, prostaglandin E1 is approved  for the intravenous injection treatment of advanced stages of arterio-venous occlusion diseases.
Since amongst these patients suffering from that serious and potentially life threatening disease many did notice an improvement of visual acuity and quality of vision, prostaglandin E1 is on the way to be studied for the intended use to treat AMD. Studies will run in several eye centers in Germany and Europe, one of these centers will be presented by the eye clinic at the Frankfurt /M. university.Pilot studies already determined the positive effect onto the macula even lasting for many years after a  treatment cycle with prostaglandin E.

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Dexamethasone: Early treatment of macular edema of different entities.

Dexamethason is a positive but short acting corticosteroid when being injected into the vitreous for treatment of macular edema. An implant may come along with a sustained delivery of the drug thus working for an extended period of time. Primarily in a diabetic macula/retinopathy, in retinal arteriovenous occlusion diseases and in uveitis, the treatment with  sustained-delivery dexamethason currently looks very promising. Controlled studies are carried out internationally and the university eye clinic in Frankfurt/M. is going to be involved into this study project.

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