With the financial support of the Chinese Lifeline Express Foundation I have finished my training course in Bochum, Germany. I had a three months training course from July 10, 2012 at the Center for Vision Research Ruhr University Bochum under the supervision of Prof. Burkhard Dick in Krappschafts-Krankenhaus hospital. In about 3 months training period I learnt a lot with Prof. Dick and his colleagues. The hospital is not a very big one, but Prof. Dick is famous in Germany and around the world, there are many doctors who come to him for a short time study or for exchange experience. Prof. Dick is a kind person, in the first day I came to their clinic, he and his colleagues warmly welcomed me in the morning meeting. I would like to thank the Lifeline Express Foundation for help me choose this hospital.
In the training period with them I examined many patients in their ambulance part, especially with the glaucoma specialist Dr. Kersten-Gomez. In my own hospital in Beijing I take more attention in glaucoma, and I hope to learn a lot in the glaucoma sub-speciality. I can’t speak German and my English is not good, but Dr. Kersten- Gomez always explained to me every case and discussed with me the main management for patients. Every week I have two days to examine patients with Dr. Kersten-Gomez and it is a good chance for me to improve my skill. In their clinic they use the antiglaucoma stent called “Aqua-sys” and they joined a international study of using the “Aqua-sys” stent. This antiglaucoma equipment is simple to manage but effective, it is new for me, so I have had the chance to widen my knowledge.
In this period, when I had time, I always went into the operation room. Although I was not entitled to do any hands-on procedure by the fellowship programme, I certainly learned a lot. Prof. Dick does many cataract operations every day, He does the phacoemusification and femto-laser assistant cataract operation. The femto-laser assistant surgery is a new kind of cataract surgery in Germany and around the world, this technique is not used in China yet. Before I only saw video-segments in some international conferences. Here in their operation room I had a lot of time to see how they operated with femto-laser and discuss with Prof. Dick about the details. Prof. Dick is a top specialist by using this femto-laser technology.
In the clinic every day in 7:30 am they have a morning meeting, and 2-3 times in a week they organize a small presentation, it is maybe a study report or a experience of treating a special desease. I always joined the morning meeting, and I had a chance to present a theme “Ophthalmology in China” for them.
Now I have returned to Beijing and work at my former position in the People’s Hospital of Peking University. I think the knowledge I learnt in Germany will help me in the future. And I will join the Chinese Lifeline Express as before.
Dr. HOU Xianru
