Our faculty members work closely with the residents and share with them
their clinical experience and knowledge.
Our Educational Program
PGY-2
The first year residents are responsible for managing the General Eye Clinic at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport. This is an extremely busy clinic that handles over 15,000 patient visits every year. The clinic provides eye care for the entire Northern half of Louisiana and provides the residents with a wealth of diverse pathology. Monday is general Clinic in the morning and oculoplastics in the afternoon. Numerous minor plastics procedures are performed on Monday afternoon by PGY-2 residents as part of this clinic. Tuesday is general clinic in the morning and pediatric clinic in the afternoon. Wednesday is retina clinic where a large portion of retinal laser procedures and retinal injections are performed. Thursday is glaucoma clinic all day and a large number of glaucoma laser procedures and minor surgical procedures are performed on Thursdays. Friday is consult/general ophthalmology and neuro-ophthalmology clinic day. Residents follow their own patients with great value placed on continuity of care.
Every month, a PGY2 resident will spend two Fridays in the operating room one-on-one with an oculoplastic attending performing plastics cases as primary surgeon.
Beginning in the fall of the PGY-2 year, residents begin performing pan-retinal photocoagulation as primary surgeon. During the spring of the PGY-2 year residents begin performing intravitreal injections as primary surgeon.
PGY-3
Each resident spends three months during the year in each of four specific rotations. The first is the glaucoma/oculoplastics/consult rotation. During this three month block, the resident spends time with our glaucoma and oculoplastics attendings in their private clinics. They operate 1-2 times per week as primary surgeon in a variety of ocuplastics procedures. They will also perform a large number of glaucoma laser procedures and minor surgical procedures. Additionally, during this block the resident is responsible for managing all weekday consults from the other services at the institution.
The second block is the retina block. During this block, the resident works with our retina attending in their private clinic. The resident will perform numerous intravitreal and subtenon injections as well as PRP's and focal macular lasers. The third block is the cornea block, which is spent honing anterior segment examinations and operating with our corneal surgeon in his private clinic.
The final block is spent at Overton Brooks VAMC in Shreveport. The resident works with an upper level resident to conduct the VA clinic as well as perform numerous plastic surgery cases and cataract surgeries as primary surgeon. All PGY-3 residents begin a step-wise approach to cataract surgery in July of their PGY-3 year. The aim is to provide a gradual and guided introduction to cataract surgery. All residents get approximately one cataract per week as primary surgeon and the opportunity to watch 10-20 surgeries performed by upper level residents and attendings. After completing their PGY-3 year our residents have performed about 40 cataract surgeries as primary surgeon!
PGY-4
This year is also made up of a series of 3 month rotations. During this year, there is a tremendous focus on refining the residents' surgical skills and great effort is made to ensure that each resident becomes proficient with even the most difficult cataract cases. The residents perform vitreo-retinal cases, glaucoma cases, oculuoplastics, and cornea cases. The residents rotate at Overton Brooks VAMC, Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport, and Monroe Medical Center at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport in Monroe, LA. Each resident holds the responsibility of chief resident during the rotation at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport.
During this year, the residents focus on improving their surgical skills, as well as, mentoring and teaching junior residents.
Clinical Facilities
Our clinics are equipped with Heidelberg spectralis ocular coherence tomography machines, fundus cameras with fluorescein angiography capability, argon lasers, YAG lasers, SLT lasers, diode lasers, and Humphery visual field machines. Both clinics also have a dedicated minor procedure room. In addition, the Specialty clinic has a Pascal laser while the General clinic has a Diopsys electroretinogram. Both clinics have several registered ophthalmic technicians as well as registered nurses who assist in working up patients and performing ancillary testing.
General Clinic
Location: 1420 Kings Highway (Directly across from LSU Health Shreveport)
The Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport Ophthalmology Department has two eye clinics. The General Clinic is located across Kings Highway from the main hospital building. Ophthalmology residents work with attending physicians in this clinic building according to a weekly schedule organized by specialty. For example, Monday is retina day and Thursday is glaucoma day. Each first year resident has his or her own lane in this clinic. Walk-ins and urgent patients are welcome at any time and the first year residents rotate screening walk-in patients.
Specialty Clinic
Location: Ambulatory Care Center, 1541 Kings Highway
There is also a Specialty Clinic located in the Ambulatory Care Center, which is an outpatient clinic building that houses various clinics such as Pediatrics, OB-GYN, General Surgery, and Orthopaedics. Ophthalmology residents mostly work in this clinic during their second year in close association with staff physicians. The second year rotations are organized such that the residents have one on one interaction with the Ophthalmology staff in the attendings’ own private clinics. Third year residents split their time evenly between the operating room, the General clinic, and the Specialty clinic.
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EYESI® Surgical Simulator
Computerized surgical simulations allow residents to become familiar with the principles behind the procedures they will perform and help develop the skills required to perform them. The EYESI® surgical simulator provides both cataract and vitreoretinal surgery simulations in a 3D virtual environment. The simulator allows trainees to encounter and deal with various types of pathologies and surgical complications. All of this is done with no risk to patients.
Office Contacts
General Questions
Kendra Ladell, BA
Administrative Assistant
Phone: (318) 675-5010
Email: kendra.ladell@lsuhs.edu
Residency Questions
Laura Mims, BS
Residency Coordinator
Phone: (318) 675-8087
Email: laura.mims@lsuhs.edu