Constance O. Okeke, MD

Dr. Okeke joined Virginia Eye Consultants in July, 2009. Prior to that, she practiced ophthalmology as a glaucoma specialist at the University of Pennsylvania Scheie Eye Institute in Philadelphia for four years where she quickly ascended in rank from Clinical Instructor to serve as Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology. While at UPenn, she obtained a Master's in Clinical Epidemiology and headed the glaucoma division's clinical research efforts. In addition to clinical and surgical management of complex glaucoma, Dr. Okeke was involved with numerous multi-center clinical trials and in teaching glaucoma fellows, residents and UPenn medical students. She was also the Director of the community outreach efforts for screening for glaucoma and other common eye diseases in the community of west Philadelphia.


Dr. Okeke went to both undergraduate and medical school at the prestigious Yale University in New Haven, CT, where she won several awards for her academic achievements and research efforts. She then moved on to Baltimore, MD where she performed her residency in ophthalmology at the world-famous Wilmer Eye Institute of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, ranked at that time the number 1 ophthalmology program by the US News and World Report. There she was trained by legendary pioneers in glaucoma diagnosis, management, surgery and research, Drs. Harry Quigley, David Friedman, and Henry Jampel.

Dr. Okeke pursued subspecialty fellowship training in glaucoma at the premier University of Miami Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, which was also ranked the number 1 ophthalmology program by the US News and World Report. There, as a highly coveted Heed Fellow, she was trained by distinguished leaders in all facets of glaucoma, Drs. Douglas Anderson, Richard Parrish, Paul Palmberg, and Donald Budenz. Her areas of subspecialty training included complex glaucoma diagnosis and management, laser treatments for glaucoma, glaucoma surgery for adults and children, including: trabeculectomy, tube shunt, goniotomy, trabeculotomy, surgical revision and cataract surgery.

Dr. Okeke has extensive experience in clinical research. She has designed and implemented numerous clinical trials, as well as published extensively in the professional literature on the subject of glaucoma. She also serves as a reviewer for many professional journals. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and a member of the American Glaucoma Society and the Association for Research Vision and Ophthalmology.

As a Board Certified Ophthalmologist, Dr. Okeke has for years been educating her patients and community on how to fight against glaucoma blindness by: 1) promoting early detection through screening, 2) furthering understanding of the disease through good doctor-patient communication and 3) stressing the importance of continued patient follow-up to monitor for progression. Dr. Okeke strives to increase awareness of glaucoma because it is such a prevalent disease in a population of people who do not even know that they have it.

Dr. Okeke is joined by her husband Richard, and their two children. The Okeke family is very excited about enjoying life in the Hampton Roads area.

Specialties:

• Open angle glaucoma
• Narrow angle glaucoma
• Glaucoma Diagnosis and Management
• Complex Glaucoma
• Laser Surgery for glaucoma
• Glaucoma surgery
• Tube shunt surgery
• Express shunt surgery
• Trabectome surgery
• Cataract surgery
• Restore intraocular lenses
• Toric intraocular lens for astigmatism
• Clinical research
• Consultations
• Second Opinions