Father thanks ophthalmologist for daughter’s improved quality of life
Natalie’s father, Stephen Hochbrunn, was so appreciative of the care and attention to detail Dr. Hamrah showed in evaluating his daughter’s painful issues that he made a generous donation in support of Dr. Hamrah’s ophthalmology research program, which uses innovative live microscopy and blood testing methods to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of eye diseases. Says Dr. HamrahNatalie Hochbrunn was a young student at Boston University when she underwent elective eye surgery to improve her vision. Shortly after the procedure, though, she began to experience discomfort that worsened, and eventually became agonizing ocular pain. She could not keep up with a full academic workload and had no alternative but to take a medical leave from her studies. Suddenly, the activities that brought joy to her life – learning, reading, creative arts and even driving, became stressful to the point of being unmanageable.
After seeking help from multiple eye specialists, Natalie turned to Helen Wu, MD, an ophthalmologist at the New England Eye Center at Tufts Medical Center, who subsequently referred Natalie to a Tufts MC colleague, Pedram Hamrah, MD, FACS, an ophthalmologist. Dr. Hamrah is at the forefront of corneal research and the treatment of diseases and conditions involving the cornea.
Natalie immediately sensed that Dr. Hamrah, who currently serves as Interim Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology, would provide answers about her condition. Before coming to Tufts MC, all other specialists she had previously seen strongly suspected she simply had dry eye syndrome, but she knew her problem was much more severe. Dr. Hamrah listened closely to Natalie and asked her many questions. Then, using in vivo confocal microscopy imaging, a non-invasive type of imaging that provides a detailed view of the ocular surface, he saw changes in the nerves of her cornea that suggested corneal neuropathy which had damaged her corneal nerves. Dr. Hamrah was able to partially improve her condition with a combination of various therapies, including autologous serum tears that result in regeneration of corneal nerves. Dr. Hamrah further referred her to a neurologist, with whom he co-managed her condition. Says Natalie, “I trust Dr. Hamrah with any recommendation he makes. I believe that no other doctor would have figured this out.”
While Natalie still experiences pain due to the damage to her ocular nerve, her quality of life is much improved. In the past year, she graduated from Boston University with a degree in psychology and started a job that she is passionate about, working with adults with autism. She has a lot to look forward to—a move to her own apartment this spring, advancements in her career, and sharing more fun moments with her two dogs, Otis and Violet. “Dr. Hamrah made my life worthwhile again and I am so grateful.”
Natalie’s parents, Mary Jo and Stephen Hochbrunn, are so appreciative of the care and attention to detail Dr. Hamrah has shown in evaluating their daughter’s painful issues that they made a generous donation in support of Dr. Hamrah’s ophthalmology research program, which uses innovative live microscopy and blood testing methods to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of eye diseases. Says Dr. Hamrah, “I am so happy to be able to help improve the life quality of patients like Natalie, so they can get back to the things that are most important to them. Contributions from patients and their families, such as the one thoughtfully made by Natalie’s parents, will help us to develop better treatments and cures for patients like Natalie in the future.”