Stony Point Surgery Center Doctor Elected President of Central Virginia Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

RICHMOND, Va., April 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Richmond surgeon, Dr. Stewart O'Keefe, was recently elected as president of the Central Virginia Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Board of Directors. As a Retina Surgeon at Retina Institute of Virginia (RIV) and Stony Point Surgery Center, Dr. O'Keefe performs over 500 surgeries each year, many for complications of diabetes such as diabetic macular edema. The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) has over 100 chapters worldwide, all of which are dedicated to finding ways to prevent, treat and cure Type 1 Diabetes.

"It's such a great honor and privilege to serve as the President of the Board for the Central Virginia chapter of JDRF," said Stewart O'Keefe, MD, ophthalmologist at Retina Institute of Virginia. "I first became involved when I learned that two of my friends' children had been diagnosed with this chronic disease, which affects over three million Americans. And it's exciting to combine my daily work at RIV and Stony Point with the work of JDRF in the effort to bring research in the labs to patients in the real world."

In both Richmond and Fredericksburg, Virginia, Dr. O'Keefe works in all but one area hospitals' neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) to conduct screenings for retinopathy of prematurity, an abnormal blood vessel development in premature babies. In the more severe cases of retinopathy of prematurity, scar tissue that forms behind the eye can detach the retina from the eye, causing loss of vision, much like what happens in the acute stages of diabetic macular edema.

Dr. O'Keefe also treats adults and children for a variety of eye ailments and injuries, such as diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, retinal detachment; infections of the eye; and macular holes and puckers. Through his private practice at Retina Institute of Virginia and surgical practice at Stony Point Surgery Center, Dr. O'Keefe performs traditional and laser surgeries using the latest and least invasive technologies. The sutureless surgical techniques used by Dr. O'Keefe reduce the patient's recovery time and eliminate the risk of scarring on the eye.

Personally, Dr. O'Keefe also helps treat local Richmond patients through Access Now and CrossOver Ministry. Dr. O'Keefe currently sits on the Alumni Board of St. Christopher's School and lives in Richmond, Virginia with his wife and two children.

For more information about Dr. Stewart O'Keefe and his work with the Central Virginia Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Retina Institute of Virginia or Stony Point Surgery Center, please contact Dave Saunders, President & Chief Idea Officer at Madison+Main, at [email protected] or 804-521-4141.

About Stony Point Surgery Center

Stony Point Surgery Center is Central Virginia's pre-eminent outpatient surgical facility. Founded in the tradition of the former Richmond Eye and Ear Hospital, Stony Point Surgery Center leads the industry in innovative hearing and vision corrective treatments. Stony Point Surgery Center provides a broad spectrum of routine and special healthcare services in addition to its specialization in Vision and Hearing practices. For more information about Stony Point Surgery Center, please visit their website at www.StonyPointSC.com.

SOURCE Stony Point Surgery Center