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Facts about the current Eye Center and the increasing need for vision care and research

About the current Kellogg Eye Center:

  • The center is home to the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, part of the U-M Health System (UMHS) and the U-M Medical School.
  • The Department of Ophthalmology was established in 1872, making it the fourth oldest ophthalmology department in the country.
  • In 1985, the W.K. Kellogg Eye Center research tower was built, allowing the Department to bring its clinicians and scientists, previously scattered throughout the U-M Health System, into one facility.
  • Eye center clinics in Ann Arbor are currently located in two buildings immediately next to the research tower. One of these was originally a nursing home, the other was a geriatric center.
  • U-M ophthalmologists also see patients at other UMHS locations in southeast Michigan, including the Livonia Center for Specialty Care, the Canton Health Center, the Briarwood Health Center in southern Ann Arbor, and in office locations in Brighton, Milford, West Bloomfield and Ypsilanti.

Growth in U-M eye care patient demand and vision research funding:

  • Outpatient visits to the main Kellogg location in Ann Arbor increased from 36,852 in 1985 to 78,228 in 2005.
  • Eight satellite ophthalmology clinics accounted for an additional 48,961 patient visits in 2005.
  • Patient visits have increased an average of 8 percent per year since 1985 and 11 percent in each of the last seven years.
  • 5,883 surgeries were performed by Kellogg surgeons this year, a threefold increase since 1985.
  • Kellogg research funding totals $8.5 million this year, up from $1.5 million in 1985.
  • Further growth in demand for U-M eye care is anticipated. Currently 57 percent of Kellogg patients are over the age of 60, the age group at highest risk for age-related eye diseases such as glaucoma and AMD. By 2025, the number of Michigan residents over the age of 65 will increase by 52 percent.

About eye disease

Blindness or low vision affects 3.3 million Americans age 40 and over, or one in 28, according to the National Eye Institute (NEI). This figure is projected to reach 5.5 million by the year 2020.

The NEI reports that the four eye diseases most common among people 40+ years of age are: age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and cataract.

  • Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), is a progressive eye disease that destroys central vision needed for reading and driving.  9.1 million Americans have intermediate to advanced AMD.  As yet there is no treatment for “dry” AMD, the most prevalent form of the disease. Since 1996, the Kellogg Eye Center has seen a 67% increase in the number of patients with age-related macular degeneration.

  • Glaucoma is a group of diseases causing optic nerve damage. Once nerve damage and vision loss occur, it is permanent. Glaucoma affects over 2 million Americans, a number that will increase 50% by 2020.  It is the leading cause of blindness among African-Americans.  Half of those with glaucoma do not know they have it.
  • Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes causing damage to blood vessels of the retina. People with untreated diabetes are said to be 25 times more at risk for blindness than the general population. Diabetic retinopathy affects 4.1 million Americans over the age of 40 and that number will increase by 75% by 2020.  

  • Cataract is a clouding of the natural lens, most often associated with age. Though it is highly treatable, it is the leading cause of blindness in the world. Cataract affects 20 million Americans over the age of 40; that number will increase by 50% by 2020.

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