Adult ophthalmology at the MUHC: a new home, a new name
McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) adult outpatient ophthalmology, formerly at the Royal Victoria Hospital and at the Montreal General Hospital, has now moved to brand-new facilities at 5252 de Maisonneuve West. This facility, named the McGill Academic Eye Centre (MAEC), is located close to the Glen site, one building west of the Vendôme Metro station.
Dr Leonard A. Levin
The MAEC is the academic home of McGill ophthalmology and the new home for all MUHC adult ophthalmology-related clinics. “It’s a state-of-the-art clinic designed to not only treat but to learn from the most complex cases in eye care in Quebec,” says Dr. Leonard A. Levin, chief of Ophthalmology at the MUHC and professor of Ophthalmology at McGill University. The MAEC will be used for examining patients with complex ophthalmological problems (by referral only), performing advanced diagnostic and minor surgical procedures, teaching and conducting clinical research.
More than just eye exams
The new name for the MAEC is a reflection of the varied types of subspecialties practiced within its walls. Eye disorders such as glaucoma, ocular cancer, retina diseases, uveitis, and even conditions related to the brain and eye socket (to name a few) are treated at the Centre. “The MAEC focuses primarily on treating tertiary and quaternary care patients, allowing us to devote time and resources to our patients with difficult-to-manage diseases. The vast majority of our physicians are experts in specialized eye diseases. This means that complex and high-risk patients can receive the best of the best in care, knowledge and expertise when they come to the MAEC for treatment,” states Levin.
What’s more, the MAEC shares its new location with the MUHC’s Research Institute’s Centre for Outcomes and Research Evaluation, which will bring new opportunities to advance clinical ophthalmology and find new diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The MAEC teams also plans to collaborate on clinical trials with the MUHC Research Institute’s Centre for Innovative Medicine, located at the Glen site.
Training the next generation of specialists
Evident in its name, the McGill Academic Eye Centre is an important hub for education. With 25 residents at any given time, the MAEC provides these physicians with a highly concentrated exposure to all facets of ophthalmic medicine. Residents will learn from some of the most specialized and complex patients in Quebec. The clinic itself has even been outfitted with a clinical research area, especially designed with residents, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows in mind.
Where else to go for care?
In the case of an emergency related to eye health, patients should visit the MGH Emergency Department. Patients asked to visit MAEC will be given specific instructions
to do so.
How to get there?
Located at 5252 de Maisonneuve West (4th floor), the MAEC is easily accessible by bus, metro, commuter train or Transport adapté. There is a designated 15-minute drop-off zone in front of the building on de Maisonneuve. Patients looking for parking should do so either at the Queen Elizabeth Health Complex on Marlowe Avenue or at the Glen site, which is easily accessible via the underground tunnel that connects it to the Vendôme Metro station.