Oculoplastics Fellowship

Oculoplastics Fellowship

The fellowship in Oculofacial Plastic and Orbital Surgery is a two year ACGME-accredited training program. The fellowship is designed to provide advanced education and training in the clinical evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of diseases processes, orbital and periorbital trauma, as well as aesthetic and reconstructive surgery specializing in the face, orbits, eyelids and lacrimal system.

The Program

Fellows spend time at the University of Louisville and the acclaimed Kentucky Lions Eye Center, as well as in the private practices of the attending physicians. Fellows will perform or assist faculty in approximately 1500 surgical procedures per year, and will have significant hospital and clinical responsibilities with appropriate faculty supervision. In addition, fellows will actively participate in teaching activities for ophthalmology residents and will direct hands-on anatomy courses for ophthalmology residents and medical students.

Faculty & Mentorships

Fellows work closely with faculty, receiving the full benefit of their attention, knowledge and expertise. Fellows also benefit from the close, collaborative relationship of the faculty as a whole, which encourages access to experts in all aspects of ophthalmology.

Christopher Compton, MD serves as the fellowship director. Dr. Compton completed medical school and ophthalmology residency at the University of Alabama, Birmingham and oculofacial plastic and orbital surgery fellowship at the University of Louisville. He is a member of the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, American Academy of Ophthalmology, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Greater Louisville Medical Society and Kentucky Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons.

Dr. Compton’s research interests currently include the studying the pathophysiologic and immunologic differences in the subtypes of ophthalmic Graves’ disease and is a Principal investigator in clinical trials for thyroid eye disease treatment. Additional recent interests include use of different non-porous orbital implants for orbital fracture repair, surgical techniques for floppy eyelid syndrome and paralytic lagophthalmos from facial nerve palsy.

Scholarly Activities, Research & Labs

Fellows participate in and present at weekly Ophthalmology Grand Rounds, as well as national meetings of the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery and the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Fellows are expected to actively write and publish their own research each year.

Cadaver labs and animal research labs are accessible for use by the fellow. There are also basic slides labs and a number of specialty labs available for projects as they choose.

Careers After Fellowship

Upon completion of the program, fellows go on to prestigious jobs in academic medicine, research and private practice. Past fellows have found success in positions at Indiana University, University of California-Irvine, Temple University, University of Chicago, University of Kansas, University of Oregon, University of Kentucky, University of Tennessee-Memphis and the University of Louisville, among others.

Faculty members include:

Application & Questions

For more information on the fellowship or the University of Louisville Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, please contact Fellowship Coordinator Erin Moody at 502-852-0710 or erin.moody@louisville.edu.