ROME – Ophthalmologist Patrick Costello, M.D., a practicing physician at Rome Memorial Hospital since 2004, recently became board certified as a fellow of the American Board of Ophthalmology.
“Board certification allows patients and government officials to verify a physician’s credentials in a specific medical specialty,” said Dr. Costello. “This lets my patients know that I am being held to the highest academic and clinical standards,” he added.
As an ophthalmologist, Dr. Costello specializes in surgical procedures including cataract surgery without stitches or needles, cosmetic and functional eyelid surgery, LASIK refractive surgery, glaucoma filtering surgery, pediatric muscle surgery and the use of lasers to treat glaucoma, diabetes and secondary cataracts. He also provides comprehensive eye care including diabetic eye care and prescribing glasses.
“There have been numerous advances in ophthalmology, including the most recent innovations in implanting lenses during cataract surgery,” said Dr. Costello. “New lenses have near and distance vision and have eliminated the need for reading glasses in many patients. We just started putting these in patients here in the Mohawk Valley,” he added.
Dr. Costello earned his medical degree from Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, completed his medical internship and residency at Albany Medical College and was also an instructor of ophthalmology at Albany Medical College. He is board certified with the National Board of Medical Examiners in addition to the American Board of Ophthalmology. In 2003, he was awarded the John A. Cetner Good Physician Award and in 2000 he was awarded the Academic Achievement Award for the Medical Society of the County of Albany and its Auxiliary. This past June, Dr. Costello joined the clinical faculty at Upstate Medical College in Syracuse.
In 2000 and 2003, he was awarded the Robert Reinecke Resident Research Prize for Research in Ophthalmology. In 2003, he conducted his winning research on “Vitreous Penetration of Topical Fourth Generation Fuoroquinolones” and in 2000, he researched “Acquired esotropia: subjective and objective outcomes.”
Most recently, Dr. Costello was published in RETINA, a peer-reviewed medical journal. The publication titled “Vitreous penetration of topical moxifloxacin and gatifloxacin in humas” was printed in February 2006. “These two new drugs are able to treat most of the bacteria found in eye disease and quickly became quite popular when they were approved by the FDA in 2003,” said Dr. Costello. “My study showed how well they penetrated the human eye,” he added. Dr. Costello has also published work in the “Journal of the American Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus.”
Dr. Costello has given presentations on ophthalmology to the Albany Ophthalmology Update, Albany, NY, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, New Orleans, LA and the Glens Falls/Saratoga, NY Optometric Conference. He has also spoken for several pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Group; Alcon Labs, Pharmaceutical Division; and Ista Pharmaceuticals on topics related to ophthalmology.
He is a fellow of the American Board of Ophthalmology; a fellow with the American Academy of Ophthalmology; a member of the New York State Ophthalmological Society; a member of the American Medical Association; a fellow with the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons; and a member of the New York State Medical Society.
Dr. Costello’s philosophy of patient care is to remember what it’s like to be patient. “If you approach each patient trying to provide the kind of care you would want, you will serve them well. All the doctors I know are intelligent, but patients respond to compassion and they usually want their physician to take the time to educate them about their diseases and to explain why treatments are indicated.”
Dr. Costello said he became an ophthalmologist because “it was a very easy choice for me. As a child, I had a lot of eye doctors and needed eye surgery several times. Additionally, my father is an optometrist and has been examining eyes for thirty eight years. I guess that is why I have found the eye fascinating ever since childhood. I love all the high tech equipment and microscopes we get to use and performing eye surgery can be very rewarding. Ultimately, I think that being able to surgically restore sight is just a great feeling. As if that weren’t enough, I get to work along side my brother and often my father in my hometown. I love my job.”
Dr. Costello and his wife, and three children reside in Sherrill.
Patients who would like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Costello may call 336-6633. Dr. Costello’s Rome offices is located at the Griffiss Business and Technology Park at 255 Hill Road.