Husband And Wife Physicians Present At National Ophthalmology Meeting

FORT MYERS, FLA., November 4, 2013

Husband and wife ophthalmologists Dr. Ashish G. Sharma and Dr. Nadia A. Kazim were invited speakers at the annual conference of the American Osteopathic Colleges of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation, Inc. in Detroit recently.

Dr. Sharma is a retina specialist with Retina Consultants of Southwest Florida with five offices in Southwest Florida. Dr. Kazim is an ophthalmic plastic surgeon specializing in eyelid and facial plastic surgery with offices in Bonita Springs.

More than 1,000 ophthalmologists from throughout the United States attended the conference to learn about the latest advances ophthalmology from Dr. Sharma, Dr. Kazim and other experts.

Dr. Sharma spoke about the latest research in Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) at the National Ophthalmic Research Institute (NORI), which is the clinical research center of Retina Consultants of Southwest Florida.

AMD is the leading cause of legal blindness among people ages 50 and older in the western world. “Wet” AMD occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow under the retina in the macula, the part of the eye that is responsible for central vision.

Dr. Sharma said retinal stem cell transplantation is now being studied in the United States for the first time in patients with AMD, but is not yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a therapy for AMD. The studies are evaluating the safety and tolerability in humans.

Dr. Kazim presented a comprehensive review of lower eyelid surgery known as blepharoplasty. Lower eyelid surgery can remove excess skin, fine wrinkles and bags under the eyes, giving a more rested and youthful appearance.

More than 204,000 eyelid surgeries were performed last year, making it the third most popular cosmetic surgical procedure in the U.S.

Dr. Sharma earned his medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit. He completed Fellowship training in vitreo-retinal diseases and surgery at the Kresge Eye Institute at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, where he and Dr. Kazim met.

Dr. Kazim earned her medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, D.C., followed by internship and residency at the Kresge Eye Institute of Wayne State University School of Medicine. She also completed Fellowship training in ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery at Consultants in Ophthalmic and Facial Plastic Surgery in Southfield, Mich.

Both physicians are board-certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and are Fellows of the American College of Surgeons and members of the American Academy Ophthalmology, the American Medical Association and numerous other professional organizations.

Dr. Sharma and Dr. Kazim live in Bonita Springs with their two children.

Retina Consultants of Southwest Florida is the most experienced team of retina specialists in Southwest Florida with combined experience of more than 100 years. Offices are conveniently located in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Bonita Springs, Naples and Port Charlotte.

Doctors with Retina Consultants of Southwest Florida are Fellows of the American College of Surgeons, members of the American Society of Retina Specialists, American Academy of Ophthalmology, The Schepens Eye Research Institute/Massachusetts Eye and Ear, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, and the American Medical Association.

Retina Consultants of Southwest Florida offers all FDA-approved therapies for retina eye disease and is a leader in clinical research through the National Ophthalmic Research Institute (NORI), including clinical trials funded by the National Eye Institute, The Schepens Eye Research Institute│Massachusetts Eye and Ear, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, and other public and private medical research foundations.

Nadia Kazim, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a board-certified ophthalmologist who has completed an intensive two-year fellowship in ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery. Additionally, Dr. Kazim is a Fellow of the esteemed American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS) as well as a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS). Dr. Kazim is a published author of textbooks and journal articles in her sub-specialty. She also has presented at numerous national medical, ophthalmic and plastic surgery conferences. Her office is located at the Bonita Community Health Center at 3501 Health Center Blvd., Suite 2170, in Bonita Springs.