Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center is an internationally recognized leader in research and clinical excellence that has given rise to breakthroughs in cardiovascular care, neuroscience, oncology, transplantation, and more. Our team’s efforts have led to the creation of many research programs and initiatives to develop advanced treatments found nowhere else in the world.

Our strong alliance with Baylor College of Medicine allows us to bring our patients a powerful network of care unlike any other. Our collaboration is focused on increasing access to care through a growing network of leading specialists and revolutionizing healthcare to save lives and improve the health of the communities we serve. 

Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center is also the first hospital in Texas and the Southwest designated a Magnet® hospital for Nursing Excellence by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, receiving the award five consecutive times.

For more than 45 years, the Cullen Eye Institute has been a leader in advancements in ophthalmology and the fight against blindness and other eye disorders. 

The Institute was launched in 1971 with a $1 million gift from The Cullen Foundation to enhance research, patient care and medical education at Baylor College of Medicine. Houston oilman Hugh Roy Cullen and his wife Lillie Cranz Cullen had been Baylor’s patrons since 1947, when they committed $800,000 to construct the Roy and Lillie Cullen Building in the new Texas Medical Center. The Cullen family’s philanthropy at the College continues today.

The Institute offers academically rigorous training that prepares residents and fellows to be leaders in their field and has produced numerous nationally and internationally known ophthalmologists.

Ophthalmic advances by the Institute’s researchers, faculty, and graduates include:

• The identification of the location of the genes on the human X chromosome responsible for severe blinding disorders such as X-linked retinitis pigmentosa, choroideremia, and Lowe syndrome.

• The development of new techniques to remove cataracts and restore vision by implantation of a safer and more effective artificial lens.

• The introduction of timolol and dipivefrin, safer and more effective drops to control glaucoma.

• The application of laser technology to halt retinal diseases caused by diabetes, age-related macular disorders, and other conditions.

The Cullen Eye Institute at Baylor St. Luke’s established the first ocular surface center in the southwestern United States. Under the directorship of the renowned ocular surface disease and cornea specialist, Dr. Stephen Pflugfelder, the Dry Eye Center of Excellence is a leader in diagnostic and therapeutic technology.

The use of therapeutic scleral contact lenses in the treatment of ocular surface disease was pioneered here. In fact, BCM served as the first satellite for the PROSE (Prosthetic Replacement of the Ocular Surface Ecosystem) lens in the US. Our expert optometry team is well trained in fitting even the most complex eyes and can utilize custom molded technology, such as the EyePrintPro.

The Dry Eye Center also boasts the capability to prepare autologous platelet rich plasma. This is different than the more commonly prescribed autologous serum eye drops, as platelet rich plasma contains up to 4x as many growth and platelet factors as serum. This can make it especially effective in severe disease. BCM is also a leader in corneal stem cell transplantation, providing the latest in surgical techniques. There is a monthly multi-specialty Sjogren syndrome clinic which allows us to work in a multidisciplinary fashion with our oral medicine and rheumatology colleagues to provide patients with one institution to meet all of their needs.

Dr. Pflugfelder also leads an integrated NIH-funded basic science research unit studying dry eye disease and developing new therapies. Our ophthalmology department is leading the way in providing relief to dry eye patients worldwide.

Dr. Christina Weng of Baylor College of Medicine is poised to be president of the Women in Ophthalmology Society. Dr. Weng, a professor of ophthalmology and the director of the vitreoretinal diseases and surgery fellowship at BCM, will be the head of leadership for this organization for the 2024 year. Dr. Weng graduated cum laude from Northwestern University and then attended the University of Michigan medical school. She earned an MBA while here as well. She completed her ophthalmology residency at Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University followed by a surgical retina fellowship at the prestigious Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami. She is currently involved in multiple clinical trials and is the co-editor of the book, “Women in Ophthalmology: A comprehensive guide for Career and life.”

The Women in Ophthalmology Society is helping shape the next generation of leaders and mentors in the ophthalmology field. Dr. Weng and other female faculty at BCM are a driving force in inspiring women in the field of ophthalmology.

Baylor College of Medicine is one of the top ophthalmology residency programs in the country, recruiting and producing the brightest minds in the field. BCM has been ranked in the top 10 nationally in peer recognition for the past 3 years. Dr. Mitchell Weikert, the former residency program director, was awarded the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery National Educator of the Year Award in 2022 for his excellent work in stewarding the program and educating a generation of ophthalmologists. BCM continues to be at the forefront of ophthalmic education, with state of the art training facilities and educators who go beyond in their effort to teach.

The Cullen Eye Institute at BSLMC is ushering in a new era of refractive cataract surgery with a new intraocular lens implant that allows customization and adjustment of a patient’s vision post-surgery. BSLMC is the first academic center in the country to offer this new technology. 

Called the RxSight Light Adjustable Lens, the implant allows the patient and surgeon to work together to fine-tune the patient’s vision post-surgery to achieve maximum results.

Measurements and the operation are done similarly to traditional lenses. But unlike traditional lenses, which, once implanted, can only be fine-tuned with glasses, contacts, or further surgery (adding further expense and risks for the patient), the Light Adjustable Lens is made from a newer silicone material that allows its refractive properties to be changed AFTER the lens implant is placed. In essence, the patient can “try out” changes in his or her vision after the cataract has been removed to achieve complete satisfaction.

How it works:

After surgery, the patient will wear special UV-blocking glasses for about three weeks to get used to the lens. The patient then returns to the clinic, and a refraction is done. If the patient is happy with their vision, their refractive power can be “locked in” with a UV light delivery system. If the patient needs to adjust their vision, the UV light system can be used to adjust the lens up to three times to achieve the desired target. This level of customization allows extremely precise results.

The RxSight Light Adjustable Lens works best for patients who are post-LASIK, post-PRK, and post-radial keratotomy. The new technology is also an excellent tool in achieving precise monovision results in patients who want spectacle independence but are not candidates for multifocal lenses or want to avoid potential complications from a procedure.

This technology has really allowed us to customize a patient’s vision to a level of precision that is unmatched. As this technology grows, BCM is excited to be at the forefront of its use.” Masih Ahmed, MD. 

A 31-year-old female was referred to Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in April 2021 to be fitted with a Prosthetic Replacement of the Ocular Surface Ecosystem (PROSE) device on the left eye for a non-healing corneal epithelial defect secondary to neurotrophic keratopathy from a trigeminal schwannoma. She underwent surgery in December of 2020 which resulted in loss of corneal sensation and healing as well as loss of facial sensation on her left side. Due to the improper nerve functioning of cranial nerves five and six, she developed a corneal epithelial defect that was recalcitrant on maximum therapy for almost four months. She had tried numerous treatments including oxervate, autologous serum tears, Regener-Eyes, amniotic membranes, bandage contact lenses, punctal plugs, eyelid taping, topical antibiotics, and Avastin injections. At the initial exam, her visual acuity was 20/200 with a large central epithelial defect and reduced corneal sensitivity.

She was treated at our PROSE clinic every day for a total of 10 days, and she had achieved complete corneal healing by the third day. The PROSE was properly fitted and placed on her left eye with preservative free saline and one drop of BAK-preservative free topical antibiotic inside the bowl of the lens. She was advised to wear the lens continuously for 12 hours and to remove, clean, and replenish the lens and wear another 12 hours. We repeated 12/12 wear for three days and by the third day of continuous PROSE wear, her cornea was healed. By the end of her treatment, her vision improved to 20/25 and she remained stable at her 1-month, 3-month, 6-month and 1 year follow up appointments. Her vision improved to 20/20 at her 6 month follow up and she continues to do well wearing her PROSE device for a total of 16 hours a day without any problems or recurrences.

The PROSE device is a medical treatment that uses an FDA-approved device for complex ocular surface diseases. It is a rigid gas permeable plastic dome that is uniquely fitted for each individual eye. It is filled with preservative-free saline and applied with an applicator device to the eye. It rests on the sclera and vaults over the cornea as the saline is in direct contact with the cornea. It offers an optimal environment for corneal reepithelization by providing an oxygen rich chamber as well as constant lubrication to the cornea. This device has been indicated for numerous conditions and can restore visual function and improve the quality of life in our patients. Baylor Medicine was one of the first satellite PROSE sites other than the main headquarters in Needham, Massachusetts. There are now 18 sites across the US in addition to a clinic located in Canada and another in India. PROSE provides a one of a kind treatment option for patients who may not have any other option for treatment.

This novel therapy known as LUXTURNA treats patients with RPE65-associated Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA), an eye disorder caused by mutations in both copies of the REP65 gene, which alter a key vision-enabling protein. The newly FDA-approved therapy option developed by Spark Therapeutics, reverses the effects of this condition by replacing the mutated gene that causes the disease with a healthy copy of the gene.

Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center is one of ten institutions in the United States to offer this therapy and is home to the only retina surgeons in Texas who are specialized and trained in this advancement.

“Spark put a normal copy of the human RPE65 gene into a virus that is designed to infect the right cells in order to make the right protein,” said Dr. Timothy Stout, retina surgeon at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center and chair of ophthalmology at Baylor College of Medicine. “We then inject the virus underneath the retina in patients that have this condition and that’s how we can arrest the progression of the disease. The technology is remarkable because we can use a harmless-engineered virus to correct a blinding defect.”

The FDA approved LUXTURNA in December 2017 after a phase three clinical trial in which patients who received the drug could navigate an obstacle course at night significantly better than those who received a placebo injection. RPE65-associated LCA patients who have been treated with this novel gene therapy have seen improvements in light sensitivity, visual field or how wide of an area people can see, and sight in dark conditions.

The most recent treatment in Houston was performed by Baylor St. Luke’s retina surgeon Dr. Roomasa Channa on three siblings from Georgetown, Texas, who were all born with the same condition caused by mutations in the REP65 gene. “These kids have grown up not seeing things we take for granted, such as stars in the night sky or their parents’ faces,” said Channa, who also is a surgeon at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center and an assistant professor of ophthalmology at Baylor College of Medicine. “It’s great to hear their stories and the additional things they can slowly start to see after the procedure. Importantly, the therapy corrects the genetic defect and prevents further damage and loss of vision.”

LUXTURNA is the first directly administered gene therapy approved in the United States that targets a disease caused by mutations in a specific gene. This latest advancement signals the potential of gene therapy to successfully treat additional retinal genetic diseases for which there are no other treatments.

“There are millions of people who have problems with the other 300 genes that function as moving parts of the retina,” said Stout, who also was a co-investigator in the 2017 clinical trials that led to the FDA approval of LUXTURNA. “We should treat genetic diseases for which we have no other treatments with gene replacement therapy. It might not cure this disease, but it seems to work well in reverting or stopping the progression.”