You suspect you might have macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy. How do you choose a doctor? A little while back, I wrote about the differences between eye doctors. Now that you know the difference between an optometrist and an ophthalmologist, how do you choose which is right for you? When do you need to see a retinal specialist? Remember that … [Read more...]
New Review Section: Diabetic Retinopathy, Signs, Symptoms and Treatment Options
November 24, 2009 By Leave a Comment
I just completed the new section on diabetic retinopathy. As with the other sections, it is a comprehensive review of diabetic retinopathy. The link is located on the left panel under "SECTIONS" or click here. My next goal will be to complete the various sections (I haven't decided if I even need extra topics) and then continue posting as usual. I still need a … [Read more...]
The Cornea and How We See
November 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment
The cornea is the clear tissue at the front of the eye. A contact lens rests on the cornea. It is normally crystal clear, focuses light and permits light to be focused on to the retina. A healthy retina absorbs light, transmits this information to our brain........and voila.........it gives us vision. The Cornea and Focusing Power of the Eye The cornea is more … [Read more...]
The “O” in Eye Doctor
October 22, 2009 By 2 Comments
Every wonder how many kinds of eye doctors there are? It can be somewhat confusing as there are 2 professions, starting with the letter "O," who are referred to as "eye doctor." An eye doctor is usually an optometrist or an ophthalmologist. (There are also ocularists and opticians. Ocularists work and fit prostheses. Opticians prepare and dispense … [Read more...]
Are Dilating Drops Always Necessary?
October 16, 2009 By 31 Comments
Well, yes. It is always necessary to dilate the pupil for a thorough exam of the retina. A dilated pupillary exam is part of a thorough examination of the eye. Without dilation, it is near impossible to see any structures of the retina through the tiny, 2-3 mm, undilated pupil. All my patients need to be dilated because I am a retinal specialist. Most of my … [Read more...]
SurModics’ Drug Delivery to Release Lucentis for Macular Degeneration
October 8, 2009 By Leave a Comment
In a press release this week, Surmodics, Inc., announced its agreement with Roche and Genentech, manufactureres of Lucentis® (ranibizumab), to develop a sustained release drug delivery system for the treatment of wet macular degeneration. Surmodics has a drug delivery system based upon biodegradable microparticles that may potentially reduce the annual number … [Read more...]
Floaters, Are They Normal or due to Diabetic Retinopathy?
September 25, 2009 By 3 Comments
Floaters are generically defined as black spots in your vision. They move to and fro with eye movement. Most of the time they are small, tiny and black, but really can be large and translucent, too. From a doctor's standpoint, size does not matter. New floaters can mean a retinal tear and the development of a retinal detachment. Floaters can develop from a … [Read more...]
Can Patients with Diabetes Get Laser Vision Correction?
August 23, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Yes, maybe and no. This is a hard question to answer. The "Yes" answer. In my opinion, patients without diabetes, usually do well with laser vision correction, e.g. LASIK, if they meet certain criteria and their vision and correction is stable. By "correction" I mean that their prescription (measurement for glasses) is unchanged. The criteria that usually needs to … [Read more...]
Combination of Radiation and anti-VEGF Shows Promise
July 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment
In article released in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, researchers describe a combination of brachytherapy and intravitreal injections of Avastin to treat patients with choroidal neovascularization from ARMD (the so-called "wet" form of the disease). In this prospective, randomized trial, 34 patients were treated with brachytherapy and two injections of bevacizumab … [Read more...]
What is Standard of Care?
May 5, 2009 By 2 Comments
Believe it or not, doctors are highly regulated. Insurance companies tell us what and how much we can charge, government tells us everything from patient confidentiality to how to clean our dishwashers and we (with the help of lawyers) regulate ourselves by following the "standard of care." The standard of care is the preferred treatment that any other prudent … [Read more...]
