Issue 4 2024

Corporate Vision Best Retina Care Provider 2024 - Eastern Canada Situated in the diverse setting of downtown Montreal, Institut de la Rétine Médicale serves those in the city suffering with advanced retinal disease and other such retinal conditions, as well as playing host to patients from across the region who seek out the company’s specialised expertise and renowned reputation for tremendous practice. Driven to provide a standard of medical care that can only be described as world class, personalised and attentive care is afforded to all, and this is something that General Manager Dimitra Pantazopoulos tells us more about, shedding light on the business and the wider field of ophthalmology. The retina is the layer of tissue that exists in the back of the eye that is sensitive to light and is able to translate that signal to an electric one conducted to the brain. Each cell in the retina is intimately connected to the brain area responsible for vision through a complicated circuit. The retina is essentially a light sensitive piece of the brain that lives inside our eyes. Located at the centre of the retina is the macula which provides us with the sharp and central vision that is necessary for daily tasks such as reading and driving, as well as affording us the ability to simply see things in fine detail. Patients from across Eastern Canada seek the services of Institut de la Rétine Médicale for help in managing conditions regarding this special part of the eye. The retina is affected by conditions that affect this tissue uniquely such as age-related macular degeneration and inherited retinal disease, retinal holes, macular holes, retinal tears, retinal detachments and also by medical conditions that can have effects on the whole body like diabetes, cancer and uveitis. Establishing rare diagnoses and setting patients on an appropriate course of care for these conditions is one of our particular strengths. As Dimitra explains, “our core value is patient care.” She continues, “most retinal conditions require monitoring over time, so it’s important that each of our patients has a good understanding of their situation to take the necessary steps to maintain vision, whether that means attending proper follow-ups as prescribed or changing lifestyle or eating habits.” Integral in the successful execution of this process is the effective fostering of the specialist-patient relationship, as well as ensuring that every patient is wholly educated on their condition and possesses the necessary confidence in themselves to manage it and their specialist to provide them with the required know-how. Operating in a rather niche area, Institut de la Rétine Médicale makes certain that it fulfils this criterion, something aided further by its unique ability to offer up its enhanced expertise in the realms of both diagnosis and management. Expounding upon this, Dimitra tells us, “patients are thoroughly examined with minute detail and offered treatment based on the newest advances in the field globally relating to their eye condition and impairment.” Swiftness is equally key when it comes to managing such conditions, and this team prides themselves on a unique ability to strike the balance between operating in a timely manner and affording every patient the acute care they deserve. These services are proving increasingly necessary in a world with an aging population, as not only are more people in need of said services as they get older, but they are needed for a greater amount of time, often until the end of a person’s life. Thus, it is important for the team to guarantee that the patients under their care feel looked after, and to this end, they prioritise the use of the newest, most innovative forms of treatment. Recently, the company’s doctors have even begun to utilise novel medications that allow for treatment intervals to be extended for patients, which means less visits and less chance for potential complications. The field is constantly evolving with new tools for diagnosis and treatment and the clinic prides itself in only implementing technologies that have been adequately tested in the scientific domain for safety and effectivity. Implementing these tools is always challenging given the need to deliver these technologies in an informed and sensitive manner to a broad-based population. The first gene therapies in the field of medicine have been approved for retinal disease and this is only the beginning with further genetic therapies for inherited disease and even for macular degeneration soon to be available. In closing, Dimitra singles out Institut de la Rétine Médicale’s Medical Director Dr. Amer Omar, somebody she believes to be instrumental in the success of the site. As she explains, “you could not find a more dedicated individual with the highest ethical standards. His core values help inspire the staff to do their best every day.” The Institute truly appreciates each staff member’s valued contribution towards medical care. Contact: Dimitra Pantazopoulos Company: Institut de la Rétine Médicale Web Address: https://www.medret.ca/

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