Silicone oil is used for recurrent retinal detachments or complicated retinal detachments including PVR (proliferative vitreoretinopathy). It can be a valuable tool to prevent blindness. Most retinal detachments are caused by a retinal tear, or hole, in the retina. In either case, this allows for communication between the vitreous cavity and the potential space underneath the retina. … [Read more...]
Retinal Tears and Vitreous Hemorrhage
December 14, 2011 By 8 Comments
A vitreous hemorrhage may be caused by a retinal tear. Sometimes there is so much blood in the eye that direct examination is impossible and we can only guess at the most likely cause. It is the most difficult situation for me to handle as a doctor. Patients lose significant vision as the blood in the middle of the eye physically blocks all light from hitting the retina. While this is … [Read more...]
Implantable Telescope is Available!
September 13, 2011 By 6 Comments
CentraSight, the implantable telescope for macular degeneration, is now available! CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) has approved the telescope for those patients with macular degeneration meeting the eligibility criteria for the surgical procedure. Medicare/Medicaid will cover the cost of the implant and the surgery in certain patients as October 1, 2011! For now, the … [Read more...]
Vitrectomy Eye Surgery for Macular Pucker
July 12, 2011 By 25 Comments
This is my first patient education video. I uploaded this last evening to YouTube. It is one of the best I've seen for a super niche like eye surgery. Vitrectomy Surgery As I state in the video, vitrectomy surgery is performed by retina specialists. I completed extra training to specialize and to perform retinal surgery. A vitrectomy is the core operation for many of the surgical … [Read more...]
Double Vision After Retinal Detachment Surgery
January 21, 2011 By 105 Comments
Decreased vision and double vision (aka diplopia) after retinal detachment surgery may occur, yet is not common. The perception of "double" is more common than actually seeing two of everything. There are several causes for really seeing two images following retinal detachment surgery. Scleral Buckle May Cause Diplopia A common method to fix a retinal detachment involves the use of a … [Read more...]
Macular Degeneration Declining in the U.S.
January 18, 2011 By 1 Comment
The prevalence of macular degeneration may be decreasing in the United States! A study just released indicates that the rate of this blinding eye disease has decreased by about 15-20% compared to 20 years ago. Survey Says.... The results of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) included data collected from over 5500 individuals, age 40 and older. Each person received … [Read more...]
Update on Implantable CentraSight Telescope
November 17, 2010 By 18 Comments
VisionCare's implantable telescope for patients with advanced macular degeneration was FDA approved in August. Since then, little information has been available, but I received an update from the company last week. Telescope is Not Being Shipped Though FDA approval has been received, VisionCare, the parent company, has not started shipping this implantable device. The company is quite small … [Read more...]
Parents’ Weekend and Your Eye Exams
October 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Your eye exams and parents' visits to college are similar. Both are necessary types of checkups, even when you don't suspect a problem. I have two kids in college and had simultaneous parents' weekends. We drove to southern Maryland (SMCM) on Saturday and I went to Pennsylvania (DelVal) solo on Sunday (our pee wee hockey players had games on Sunday). Parents' weekends are part of every … [Read more...]
Decreased Vision Following Retinal Detachment
October 7, 2010 By 106 Comments
There are many reasons why your sight may be poor following retinal detachment surgery. Obviously, it is possible that the disease actually led to loss of vision as retinal detachments can lead to blindness. There are, however, other less serious reasons for loss of vision following retinal detachment surgery. Scleral Buckle for Retinal Detachment Repair A scleral buckle is common method … [Read more...]
