Patients with macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy commonly have "bleeding" inside the eye. These same patients may be taking "blood thinners" for other medical problems. If bleeding occurs in the eye, should we stop the blood thinners? What if you need surgery? Patients with diabetic retinopathy can have blood spots within the retina. These small spots … [Read more...]
Never Enough of a Dry Eye
February 10, 2010 By 2 Comments
Intermittent blurry vision from dry eye is common, and although ultimately a corneal problem, is a condition often faced by a retina specialist. Many times, patients with retinal disease, such as diabetic retinopathy or macular degeneration, are referred to me with unexplained, fluctuating, decreased vision. It is always up to me to figure out if the change in … [Read more...]
“Top Ten” Retinal Eye Emergencies: Part II
February 7, 2010 By 2 Comments
5. Surgical Complications from cataract surgery can be a relative emergency. On occasion, a portion of the cataract may dislodge during cataract surgery and slip into the vitreous. Patients usually do not see well and may have trouble with high intraocular pressure. Cause - variations in anatomy, surgical complications Concerns - the biggest medical concern is … [Read more...]
“Top Ten” Eye Emergencies: Part 1
February 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Any vision loss can be scary. Sudden vision loss is even more frightening. There are really only a couple of "true" retinal eye emergencies. I've listed the "top ten," remember that there are many ways to define an emergency. All involve loss of vision, or at least a change in vision, and that alone probably qualifies as an "emergency." By the way, if you have … [Read more...]
Avastin and Lucentis: Neck and Neck
February 3, 2010 By 2 Comments
Both Avastin and Lucentis are anti-VEGF treatments for wet macular degeneration. Both are manufactured by Genentech (Roche). A small study just published found no clinical difference between the two drugs, that is, one worked as well as the other. There has been quite a debate over the difference between the two drugs and their ability to treat wet macular … [Read more...]
Testing Your Eyes at Home
February 2, 2010 By 5 Comments
The major problem with wet macular degeneration is that the "wet" abnormal blood vessels tend to affect the macula. This usually causes decreased vision and distortion. Home monitoring, or self-monitoring, is based on the premise that new distortion may signify presence of neovascularization. Patients with wet macular degeneration have two major concerns; recurrence … [Read more...]
“Mrs. Ozurdex” Came Back, She Still Can’t See…Yet
February 1, 2010 By 4 Comments
Last week, I introduced "Mrs. Ozurdex," an elderly female who has a central retinal vein occlusion in her right eye. Several weeks ago, I implanted a sustained release steroid delivery system, called Ozurdex® (Allergan). Ozurdex is indicated, and FDA approved, for the treatment of CRVO. If you recall, another patient, "Mr. Ozurdex" had a branch retinal vein … [Read more...]
