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Bowie’s return boosts specialized eye care statewide by Cindy Abole Public Relations Making a difference and introducing new ways to improve eye care for South Carolinians is the goal of MUSC ophthalmologist Esther Bowie, M.D.   For Bowie, assistant professor of medicine at the Albert Florens Storm Eye Institute (SEI), her return to Charleston is considered a homecoming. It is also a chance for her to share her expertise collaborating with faculty and staff, guiding medical students and residents, and improving the lives of patients.      “Charleston is a special place,” said Bowie, with a broad smile. “It’s not too big or too small and the weather is just great.”      Four years earlier, Bowie completed a ophthalmology residency at SEI and served her final year as the department’s chief resident. In 2002, she went on to attend a two-year surgical fellowship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, which focused on research relating to viterous and other retina diseases.   “It is a great pleasure to have Esther Bowie back in Charleston,” said M. Edward Wilson, M.D., professor and chairman, Department of Ophthalmology and SEI director. “She showed outstanding leadership and maturity as Storm Eye chief resident and followed that with another stellar performance at one of the most prestigious retina fellowships in the USA.”   Originally from May Pen, a small south coast town outside of Kingston, Jamaica, Bowie received her medical degree from the University of the West Indies with additional studies at the University of West Indies/Mayo Clinic.   As a child, Bowie saw her father struggle with diabetes and severe diabetic retinopathy. He eventually lost his eyesight in his mid-50s. She remembers accompanying him on his doctor visits and began to show an interest in medicine and eye care. His death in 2002 reaffirmed her commitment to helping other patients struggling with the disease.      A retina specialist, Bowie is especially interested in the care and treatment of patients with diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, plus other diseases and related eye disorders.      Her particular focus is tackling the Lowcountry’s growth of preventable vision loss from patients with diabetic retinopathy, a complication of diabetes mellitus, which can damage the blood vessels of the retina and cause severe swelling and hemorrhaging.      In South Carolina, it is estimated that more than 25 percent of the state’s adult population has diabetes or is at high risk of developing it. The group with the highest risk for diabetes statewide is blacks. About 75 to 80 percent of South Carolina’s blacks who have diabetes also have hypertension and high blood cholesterol. Left uncontrolled, it can contribute to the onset of diabetic retinopathy and possible vision loss.   “What’s risky is that diabetic retinopathy may be present in patients with adult onset diabetes at the time of diagnosis,” Bowie said. “Patients should complete a dilated eye exam and be checked annually. Once the disease is detected and diagnosed, we can begin treatments sooner thus, providing a better, overall outcome for patients.”      Bowie also consults in other retinal eye disorders from retinal detachments to trauma to the eye, whether it is caused by a foreign body or hemorrhage. She and her colleague, Ken Sharpe, M.D., share their expertise with patients downtown and at SEI’s satellite offices in Mount Pleasant and the North Area.       Bowie is board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology. She is also a member of the American Medical Association and the American Society of Retinal Specialists. She wrote and lectured on a wide range of retinal research topics and eye diseases. She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors including SEI’s Program Director’s Award, the P.J. Leinfelder Research Award from the University of Iowa, and Helma Research Award.        She’s also involved in retinal research, more specifically the efficacy of Macugen, an FDA-approved drug also used to slow vision loss in macular degeneration patients.      She considers her interaction with medical school students and residents as a highlight in her job. Twice a month, she sponsors a bi-monthly conference with students to review special retina cases. Bowie reviews clinical and surgery basics with students and welcomes their questions while staying knowledgeable within her field.      All work aside, Bowie embraces her personal time. A new mother to five-month old daughter, Rachel, Bowie is akin to other professional, working mothers. Currently, she’s striving to find that right balance between work, motherhood and a commuter marriage with husband, Jerome Lyn-Sue, who is completing his final general surgery residency at Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C.      “Dr. Bowie is a great role model for those students and residents who want to become a caring physician, an engaging teacher, and a seeker of new knowledge through investigation. We are very fortunate to have Esther back within the MUSC/Storm Eye family,” Wilson said.     Friday, March 31, 2006 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. 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