 Every year millions of men and women have their cloudy vision rejuvenated by cataract surgery. This 15 minute outpatient procedure, painlessly removes the person's aging lens, which has dimmed their vision, and replaces it with an intraocular lens, enabling patients to once again see clearly.
Cataract patients arrive each morning at our certified outpatient surgery facility, Vision One Laser & Surgery Center. They are treated with the utmost care and compassion. Our outstanding staff of nurses and Board Certified Anesthesiologists are entirely focused on making their brief surgical experience as safe and comfortable as possible.
During cataract surgery, a small ultrasonic probe is inserted into the eye which breaks up, or emulsifies, the cloudy lens into tiny pieces and gently sucks, or aspirates, those pieces out of the eye. Phaco surgery requires a small incision of only 2.75 mm. To make your procedure as comfortable as possible, anesthesia is a combination of local and/or topical along with IV sedation.
With the recent advance of foldable IOLs, artificial lenses can be implanted through the same small incision that is created in the phaco procedure. These IOLs are made of a flexible material, allowing them to be folded for implantation. Once inside the eye, the lens unfolds and returns to its original shape.
Then, usually within 30 minutes of your operation, most patients are refreshed and ready to go home.
Click here for more information on cataracts at 3-D Eye Web Library.
Click here for additional information on Cataract Surgery
Glaucoma is an eye disease in which the pressure inside the eye - intraocular pressure - is too high, damaging the optic nerve and causing vision loss. In a healthy eye, fluid produced by the ciliary body circulates forward and drains through tiny passages called the trabecular meshwork. In people with glaucoma, these passages become blocked and intraocular pressure rises.
Early diagnosis and diligent care are the keys to avoiding damage to vision from glaucoma. Only rarely do symptoms occur that make the presence of glaucoma apparent; diagnosis is usually by a careful eye exam.
Some cases of glaucoma are treated with medication. For others, laser treatment or traditional surgery can be used to lower eye pressure. Common procedures include:
- Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) - For patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG). The trabecular passages are opened to increase fluid. SLT is highly effective and may be repeated.
- Laser Peripheral Iridotomy (LPI) - For patients with narrow-angle glaucoma. A small hole is made in the iris to increase the angle between the iris and cornea and encourage fluid drainage.
- Filtering Microsurgery (Trabeculectomy) - For patients who have not been helped with laser surgery or medications. A new drainage passage is created by cutting a small hole in the sclera (the white part of the eye) and creating a collection pouch between the sclera and conjunctiva (the outer covering of the eye).
- Tube Shunt Surgery - May be recommended for patients with neovascular glaucoma, failed trabeculectomy, or susceptibility to developing scar tissue. A thin, flexible tube (a shunt) with a silicone pouch is inserted in the eye to facilitate drainage.
- Nd: YAG Laser Cyclophotocoagulation (YAG CP) - For patients with severe glaucoma damage who have not been helped with other surgeries. The ciliary body that produces intraocular fluid is destroyed.
Click here for more information on glaucoma at 3-D Eye Web Library.
Click here for additional information on Glaucoma
 Dry eye is the term for when your eyes are insufficiently moisturized, either because they do not produce enough tears or because the tears have an improper balance of water, mucus, or oil. It often occurs during the natural aging process, but it can also occur as a result of eyelid or blinking problems, certain medications (antihistamines, oral contraceptives, antidepressants), climate (low humidity, wind, dust), injury, and various health problems (arthritis, Sjogren's syndrome).
In addition to being uncomfortable, dry eye can damage eye tissue, scar the cornea and impair vision. Dry eye is not preventable, but it can be controlled before harm is done to your eyes. Regular eye exams can detect dry eye early, even before symptoms become noticeable. Symptoms include:
- Irritated, scratchy, dry, uncomfortable or red eyes
- A burning sensation or feeling of something foreign in your eyes
- Blurred vision
Treatment for dry eye can take many forms.
- Increasing the humidity at home or work can help.
- Frequent use of artificial tears or lubricating ointments often relieve symptoms.
- Tiny stoppers, called "punctum plugs" may be placed in the tear outflow channels; these keep the tears that one does make in the eye longer.
- Nutritional support can improve tear production and tear composition.
- A newer modality is the use of prescription eyedrops Restasis which, by reducing inflammation, improves tear production and composition.
The doctor will work with each individual to develop a plan that works best for that person.
Click here for more information on dry eye at 3-D Eye Web Library.
Click here for additional information on Dry Eye Treatment
The retina is a thin sheet of nerve tissue in the back of the eye where light rays are focused and transmitted to the brain. The vitreous is a gel-like substance that fills the eye and is connected to the retina, optic nerve and many blood vessels. Problems in the back of the eyeball - including retinal tears, retinal detachment, severe intraocular infection (endophthalmitis) and trauma - can lead to vision loss and even blindness. Surgery can correct problems before vision is lost or prevent further deterioration from occurring.
Also some of the most common problems involve bleeding either from blocked arteries and veins, or fragile new blood vessels such as seen in diabetics. Other problems which may be treatable include macular diseases such as puckers, wrinkles or some types of macular degeneration.
Exciting new advances in the surgical and medical treatment of retinal and vitreous diseases has improved the outlook for helping many of these previously untreatable conditions.
Click here for more information on vitreous surgery at 3-D Eye Web Library.
Click here for additional information on Retina-Vitreous Surgery
 Click here for more information about low vision care.
Click here for additional information on Low Vision Care
Click here for more information about contact lenses.
Click here for more information on contacts at 3-D Eye Web Library.
Contact us for additional information on Contact Lenses
|
