Unique Images to Remember

Every now and again we like to post some extraordinary images to remind all of us how wonderful it is to see! To have healthy eyes that allow us to enjoy our surroundings. At Skyvision we take pride in being Cleveland's first and foremost patient-centered eyecare center, working our hardest each and every day to bring you the very best vision you could possibly have!

Clark Little is a professional photographer who jumped into the ocean in Hawaii one day and came out with some of the most beautiful and unique ocean photos anyone has ever seen. Imagine seeing a wave from the viewpoint of Dorie from "Finding Nemo" (thanks to Barb for remembering the movie!).

Dr. White received these photos as remembrance of his 50th birthday trip to learn how to surf with his youngest son, Randy. We are here to help you see so that you, too, can enjoy beauty like this. Whether it's LASIK, or cataract surgery with a Lifestyle Lens Implant, or just the very best pair of glasses or contacts you could possible have, if you live in or around Cleveland we are ready to help you See What's Next (R)"!!

Eyedrops For Cataract Surgery

Dr. White is our cataract surgeon at Skyvision Centers. He is one of the most experienced cataract surgeons in Cleveland, and indeed in the entire country! He, along with Drs. Schlegel and Kaye, form our cataract team of doctors. They choose which eyedrops are the best available for use before and after cataract surgery. In addition the doctors have chosen a group of medicines that are easier to take (most times you only need to use the drops twice per day), and eyedrops that are comfortable so you don't avoid using them!


There are typically three types of eyedrops used around the time of your cataract surgery. An antibiotic is prescribed which is to be used starting 5 days BEFORE cataract surgery. The antibiotic typically is continued for a week after the surgery. The doctors have chosen an antibiotic drop from the strongest class of antibiotics now in existence in order to prevent infections. There are three choices in this class of medicines, two of which can be used twice per day.

A non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drop (NSAID), kind of like Motrin in a drop form, is also prescribed to start 5 days prior to the surgery. This medicine is then continued for 4 weeks after the surgery. It is used to prevent a type of swelling in the back of the eye. The doctors have chosen a medicine that is easy to take (twice per day), doesn't hurt when you put it in, and doesn't have any dangerous side effects. There are NO TRUE GENERIC EQUIVALENTS for this medicine. The generic medicines on the market must be used 4 times per day. They can be very uncomfortable; most people complain bitterly that they sting. Most importantly, the generic option has a 30% complication rate. That's right, 3 out of 10 people have swelling and inflammation in their cornea caused by this drop and this causes pain and a big drop in vision.

Finally, a steroid eyedrop is prescribed to be used after the surgery, beginning on the 1st day after the surgery. This drop treats the normal post-op inflammation in the eye. Like the other eyedrops it is used twice per day, and you continue to use it for 4 weeks after the surgery. There are NO TRUE GENERIC EQUIVALENTS for this medicine. The generic medicines must all be used at least 4 times per day and they are not as strong or as effective.

We understand that medicines can be expensive, especially when an important medicine is not fully covered by your health insurance. But we are talking about YOUR EYES and eye surgery. Your Skyvision doctors have chosen what they feel are the best medicines possible to do every thing possible for you to have a great surgical result.

What could be more important?!

Better Brains After Cataract Surgery?!

As we get older and get cataracts we start to lose our ability to see blue light. Cataracts, especially the brownish nuclear sclerotic cataracts that are so common in aging, are nature's blue blockers! A small pilot study done in England has shown that removing cataracts and increasing the amount of blue light that reaches the retina boosts our brain function.

"Aging is asssociated with insomnia, depression , and cognitive decline," the study authors said. "Removal of a yellow cataract and replacement with a clear intraocular lens as a means of increasing blue-light trnasmission has potential benefits to non-visual brain responses."

These responses are linked to the melanopsin-dependent systems in the brain, specifically our circadian rhythm or wake/sleep schedule. In turn, a disruption in this cycle--older individuals tend to sleep less, sleep more poorly, and have more trouble staying on a regular sleep/wake schedule--is associated with not only depression but also a slowing of brain responses to all kinds of mental tasks.

15 individuals with an average age of 75 had cataract surgery and then underwent a series of mental tasks that were both simple and complex. Aftert the surgery their reaction times were dramatically  faster, regardless of their vision!

The more we study cataract surgery the more benefits we discover!

Tools for Patients’ Education

BY DARRELL E. WHITE, MD

Educate cataract patients before they even arrive at your office for the examination.

Cataract surgery is one of the most successful surgeries in all of medicine. It also enjoys a very low

complication rate. With the aging population in this country, most patients know someone who has undergone the procedure. In addition, the newest IOL technology offers patients the possibility of excellent

vision at all distances without glasses. Efficiently and effectively educating patients on cataracts and the options for IOLs, however, can still be a challenge. In my practice, we have found that an effective patient education plan starts as soon as the individual contacts our office. The plan provides patients with ample opportunity to familiarize themselves with their pathology and the treatment

options before they have any decisions to make.

PATIENTS’ EDUCATION STARTS EARLY

When a patient makes an appointment with our office, whether he or she was referred by an optometrist,

a patient who is a friend or family member, or is following up from a previous experience in our office, the front office staff member always asks for certain demographic information including age and e-mail address. For the 50% to 60% of patients from whom we are able to obtain an e-mail address, we send them an introductory message before they come in for their appointment. For patients in the cataract demographic, the e-mail message they receive includes information about our office and links to interactive educational software (ECHO, Eyemaginations, Inc.) about the pathophysiology of cataracts as well as an introduction to premium lens options for the patient to view.

When the patient arrives at the office, the file is “flagged” to identify him or her as a cataract patient. A technician escorts the individual into the examination area, takes the history, and begins a diagnostic evaluation.  If it is clear that the patient has a cataract, his or her visual function is measured in several different ways including tests to determine the level of astigmatism. While the patient is waiting for the dilating drops to take effect, the staff has him or her watch a simple video of me explaining the cataract process, what the experience is like, and informing him or her about lens options. I emphasize that all of the implants are good options and he or she will see well with each of them. Then, I outline the differences between what we call the basic high-tech implant, the advanced distance high-tech implant (a toric IOL), and the advanced distance and near implant (a presbyopia correcting IOL). During the dilation, the staff will also play educational videos on the Eyemaginations LUMA platform in the examination rooms to reinforce the information that the patient has already received.

PRE-EXAMINATION BY THE OPTOMETRIST                     

Once the patient is dilated, an optometrist performs the pre-examination to determine whether or not the patient can be corrected with spectacles and also evaluates the cataract’s size and severity. The optometrist expands on the information provided in the educational video, reintroduces the concept of choice, and alerts the patient to whether or not all three options are available. For example, we know that if the patient has macular degeneration, a presbyopia-correcting IOL is likely not an option. The optometrist also encourages patients to fill out a lifestyle survey and dives a little deeper into their visual life: how do they use their eyes, what activities do they participate in, and what is most important to them. The goal is to find out what will make patients the happiest.

SURGEON’S ROLE

This is the point at which I come in, confirm the diagnosis, determine whether the patient is a surgical candidate, and answer any questions. After I review the IOL options, I ask the patient to make a choice regarding which implant he or she would like to receive.

Nationwide, approximately 9% of cataract patients choose a premium IOL, according to Market Scope. Our conversion rate was consistently 22% until about 3 years ago when we made two distinct changes. First, I created the video that we have all cataract patients watch while their eyes are dilating. Second, we started e-mailing all possible cataract candidates the ECHO educational software about cataracts and the premium lens options. Since we have implemented those two strategies, the percentage of patients that choose premium IOLs has increased to 35% and has remained at this figure for the last 2 to 3 years. 

Our patients’ experience has always been centered on trying to access their learning strategies in as many different ways as we can. We interact with them verbally, we provide printed material, and because we know many people are visual learners, we offer interactive media as well.

TIMING OF EDUCATION

In addition to the specific materials, timing is a very important element of patients’ education. The first time

patients hear that they have a cataract, they are not really able to pay attention to anything else. Although they may have friends or family members who have undergone successful procedures, they are still trying to mentally digest the diagnosis. By our office sending an email and starting their educational process at home before they ever come into the office, we have moved that emotional reaction upstream from the decision point.  When I meet with cataract patients in the examination room, they have accepted their diagnosis, they have been educated on the disease’s pathology and the surgical procedure, and I am able to answer any remaining questions.  I can then help them decide which IOL is right for them. I spend less time explaining what a cataract is and more time discussing what constitutes their visual life, what things are important to them, and how they use their eyes. I believe that my patients now are more comfortable with the decisions they make.

It is very frustrating for physicians and patients when a  patient chooses a standard IOL and then has “non-buyer’s remorse”—they wish they did not have to wear reading glasses, for instance. Today, that does not happen as often as it did previously because patients have been presented with the information on the IOL options several times before they are required to make a final decision.

CONCLUSION

After discounting the first 2 years of explosive growth in the practice, we have consistently grown 8% to 11% each year with no external marketing and a very small, dedicated base of referring optometrists. Although it is difficult to measure exactly, our best guess is that our growth has come from referrals from satisfied patients: we simply encourage our patients to send their friends, family, and colleagues to our practice. I believe a large part of our success is that we very openly make every effort we can to educate our patients about their disease process. Our patient-education plan is a central part of what our version of a patient-centered medical experience should be. 

Darrell E. White, MD, is the founder of Skyvision Centers of Westlake, Ohio. He is a consultant to Eyemaginations, Inc. Dr. White may be reached at dwhite2@skyvisioncenters.com.

Advanced Ocular Care Magazine March 2013

Eye Health and Vision Questions Answered by SkyVision Centers

Wow! Look at all of the posts here on our Skyvision blog! We started out hoping to be helpful to our Skyvision patients as well as our Cleveland neighbors, mostly by talking about the stuff our doctors and staff spend their days discussing in our Westlake office. How are we doing? Are we talking about stuff you are interested in?

How about this? Tell us what kinds of things YOU are interested in. Maybe it's a question about yourself, or maybe someone in your family has an eye disease and you'd like more information. Thinking about LASIK? Perhaps there's an area of research that peaked your interest. Fashion questions for our optical staff?

Really, pretty much anything that's eye or vision related is fair game. You can leave a comment for us here on the blog, or leave a comment on our Skyvision Centers Facebook page (just search for 'Skyvision Centers'). We are on Twitter @drdarrellwhite and @skyvisioncenter, too, if you are a Twitterbug!

Let us know what YOU are interested in, Cleveland!

Eyemaginations Video Education

Have you been to our Westlake  Skyvision Center's office? The first thing you see when you walk into the lobby is a great big 52 inch television screen. And on that screen is running one of the coolest things in all of eye care: Eyemaginations!  A continuous loop of animated videos to teach you all about the eye and how we take care of your eyes.         

Eyemaginations is a big part of how we interact with you at Skyvision. We always ask for your e-mail address when you call to make an appointment. One of the reasons we do so is because we want to send you an e-mail with some Eyemaginations videos about your eyes. Do you have a cataract? How about dry eyes? We can send a video right to your own home computer to start teaching you about whatever problem you might have.

Each of our examination rooms is equipped with a terminal for our electronic medical record. We have 19 inch monitors right next to your exam chair. We can show you an Eyemaginations  video right in the exam room. These animated videos have been scripted with the help of experienced eye doctors, including Dr. White who has consulted for Eyemaginations more than six years.

How about the end of your visit? After the doctors and technicians have explained your problem and given you detailed instructions, often in writing, we might ask you again if you have given us your e-mail address. If so we have the opportunity to send another batch of Eyemaginations videos to your home. 

Easy to use and easy to see, Eyemaginations Is just one more thing the doctors and staff at Skyvision Centers is bringing to you in order to provide the very best experience possible in eye care!

SkyVision Continues to Grow and We Thank You!

WOW!  What a year!. We've worked very hard for you all, and you've rewarded us by telling your friends and family about your Skyvision Centers experience, and now many of your friends and family are coming to see us for their eyecare needs.  We are obsessed with our goal of giving you not only the very best eyecare but also the very best patient experience you could possibly have. 

We hired a couple of new staff members for our reception and technician staff.

We rolled out a new appointment notification system which has been very happily received by both patients and staff.   If you have not had the opportunity to sign up for the new DemandForce notification system just click here   SkyVision Demand Force  for appointment requests, sign up requests, our latest reviews, etc. 

We moved around our exam rooms again this year to accomodate for additional new pieces of equipment to service for our expanding number of patients .  

Our committment to you and the health of your eyes continues to be as strong as ever. We are always looking for the next, great development for you and your vision!

We look forward to seeing you, your family and friends this coming year.

Skyvision Centers....Vision Redesigned (R)

Where does Dr. White do his Cataract Surgeries?

Although we have a very large, very beautiful main office in Westlake ( see pictures on our website) we don't have enough room to do our surgeries right there.  So where does Dr. White do cataract surgery, especially surgery using all of the new Lifestyle implants? Well, glad you asked! 

For more than 16 years Dr. White has been doing lots of his surgeries at a simply fantastic outpatient center called The Surgery Center in Berea, OH. You can find their website here.  The Surgery Center has been run since it opened by a woman who is simply the best surgical administrator in America,  Barb Draves!   Barb was part of the original team who opened the center some 27 years ago, and it has grown into one of the busiest outpatient surgery centers in the whole country. 

So why there?   Why choose THIS particular outpatient center to use for our most exciting, premium cataract surgeries? In a word it all comes down to excellent patient care. The entire staff at The Surgery Center is fully dedicated to providing not only the very best care possible but also to give our Skyvision patients the best experience possible. Just like in our office at Skyvision Centers! 

One of the most common comments we hear from our patients after their cataract surgeries at The Surgery Center is "the staff is so wonderful there!".  
We couldn't be happier with the care our patients get at The Surgery Center, and we know you will be happy there if you need to have surgery!

Fun In the Operating Room

What a good time we all had in the operating room this morning! My OR's tend to be pretty light in atmosphere and generally low-stress environments. It seems that this extends to our patients as well. At the beginning of one of the cataract surgeries our patient, a 75ish year old woman, wanted to share a joke with everyone in the room. I suggested that she wait for the end of the case--I'd already started--and she did!

Here's her joke:

Three older ladies were having tea, and two of them were commenting on how happy their friend was with her new beau.

"What is it about him? Is he rich?"
"Is he a good dancer?"
"What is it?!"

With a little smile their friend leaned in and said in a low private voice, "No...it's none of those things. I'm happy because he can drive at night!"

Busted all of us up! You have to love a patient who can poke fun at herself and her generation!

Dr. White

What Everyone Should Know About Cataract Surgery

Here are some thoughts on preparing for Cataract Surgery from Connie, our sugery counselor:

"Having worked with hundreds of patients now who I have counseled through their pre- operational instructions;  it is the darn eye drops that cause the most stress and inconvenience for people.  Imagine that!    

The most performed surgery in the U.S. and one that is so streamlined now that literally 24 hours later the patient is back to their regular routine . . . and if we receive complaints they typically are about the eye drops they have to take for up to 30 days after the surgery, not the procedure, not the doctor or surgery center, not how they are seeing but . . . the eye drops!

We educate our patients before meeting the doctors, during their examination and after the examination with the surgical counselor.  We send educational videos via email or send them home with written information.  Education is the key to a successful procedure so the patient feels comfortable, not only with the doctor but the procedure.

Feeling good when they leave the office, patients leave with 3 prescriptions for eye drops they will be taking throughout the pre and post operative period.  Then, they go to the pharmacy and the whole experience leaves our practice and the pharmacist gives them the news on how much the drops will cost them.  Out of the hands of the doctor!  But, after the prescriptions are filled and they go home, the regimen is started.  

Then the patient comes into the surgery center and the procedure lasts a few minutes and a couple of hours later the patient goes home and clearly sees better!  The post operative visits begin and drops are continued for up to 30 days after the procedure.

I am writing this for those who are nervous about cataract surgery. It truly is the eye drops that I get most of the questions about.  So, don't despair, if you are getting ready for cataract surgery, we will take good care of you, you just have to be prepared for the eye drops!"

Cataract Rates Rising In U.S.

Here's some more information for you during Cataract Awareness Month. It appears that the rate of cataract diagnosis has risen ~19% in the U.S. since the year 2000. Remember our post from the other day about cataracts? Everyone who lives long enough will develop a cataract! At least 50% of those people who develop cataracts will go on to have surgery, and it's probably also true that if you live long enough you will need your cataract out!

There are some risk factors for cataract growth, especially for early onset of cataracts. Family history is important as is your medical history. Diabetes is a very strong risk factor for the development of cataracts. Exposure to ultraviolet light can also increase not only your risk for developing a cataract, but also the speed with which that cataract may get worse.

Thankfully, cataract surgery is one of the most frequently performed, successful, and safest surgery in the United States. Not only is it possible to improve your vision once the cataract has caused it to decrease, but there are also implant options that you can choose that will reduce your need to wear glasses after your cataract surgery like the Crystalens from Bausch & Lomb.

Here's the link for the recent story with info from the AAO. Give us a call at SkyVision Centers if you have any questions about cataracts!

August Is Cataract Awareness Month!

Did you know that August is Cataract Awareness Month?! Just what is a cataract anyway? A cataract is a clouding of the natural, crystalline lens inside the eye. The lens sits just in back of our pupil in front of the retina. It helps to focus light on the retina, and helps us to change our focus when we look at things up close.

Everyone who lives long enough will get a cataract! Some people get them much younger than other people, and the amount of trouble the cataract causes you and your vision is what determines when you need to have surgery. The only way to treat a cataract is to remove it surgically. As of this time in history there isn't any way to really prevent a cataract from ever growing in your eye. It seems as if the only way to slow cataract growth is to protect your eyes from UV light when you are young, and to not smoke.

Our cataract surgeon is Dr. Darrell White. Dr. White is one of the most experienced cataract surgeons in all or Northeast Ohio. Our Advanced Lifestyle Lens Implant program is the leader in the use of lens implants to reduce your need to wear glasses after having your cataracts out. In face, Dr. White was the first surgeon in Ohio to implant the Crystalens, the first of the new wave of implants designed to correct not only distance vision, but also reading vision, without wearing glasses!

Once your cataract is removed it will never come back! Cataracts are a very treatable cause of decreased vision as we get older. If you or a family member have been told that you have a cataract, it's a very treatable problem with very good results! Here in Northeast Ohio we are blessed to have many very fine cataract surgeons, including our own Dr. White!

Cataract Surgery and Falls

You will often hear a SkyVision Centers doctor talk about the benefits of having both eyes treated surgically to remove cataracts when they have each reached a point where removing them would be considered medically necessary. Many years ago a young researcher from Dr. White's training program, Jonathan Javitt, did landmark research that showed a clear safety benefit and improved health measures in older women who had their second eye surgery done compared with those who only had one cataract removed. It turns out that people really DO see better when both of their eyes have the best possible vision.

A new, equally important study has just been published in the Journal of the American Medical Society that shows a decrease in the frequency that older individuals have hip fractures if they have had cataract surgery. This makes a lot of sense if you think about it: our most important sensory cues about balance come from our eyes. If we do not see well we then become more sensitive to other problems with balance like poor circulation to the balance centers of the brain, or aging changes in the inner ear.

This large retrospective review evaluated the incidence of hip fractures within a year of cataract surgery in a random sample of Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older diagnosed with a cataract from 2002 to 2009. Overall, those who had cataracts removed had 16 percent fewer hip fractures than those who declined surgery. Older patients (aged 80 to 84) and those with significant comorbidities (other diseases) experienced the most significant benefit, with 28 percent fewer hip fractures compared to equally sick patients who did not have surgery. And those who had severe cataracts removed had 23 percent fewer hip fractures than those with severe cataracts who declined surgery.

Generic Medicine and Cataract Surgery

"These eye drops are SO expensive."

"My insurance says I have to take this generic drop."

Every day our doctors, technicians, and surgical counselors hear some version of these two sentences. We hear it from almost everyone! It's funny how viewpoints have changed over the years. The fee that your insurance company pays a doctor and his staff to do everything that is necessary for cataract surgery in about 60% LESS than it was in the year 1990, and that's WITHOUT  taking into account any inflation. That means in 1990 the co-pay for cataract surgery was greater than what it costs in 2012 to buy the very best eyedrops that protect you from infection and inflammation.

Sometimes newer medicines really are better. They might work better, or have fewer side effects, or need to be taken less frequently. All of these things are important because you will have a better outcome from your cataract surgery if you take your medicine as our doctors have prescribed. Better vision. A lower risk of infection. Dramatically lower chances of swelling and inflammation. We have chosen the best medicines, the ones with the fewest side effects that are the easiest to take.

Here are two examples. SkyVision cataract patients receive a prescription for Besivance, a 4th generation antibiotic in its class. Many insurance companies try to make a switch to generic Cipro, a 3rd generation medicine that is available for perhaps 1/4 the cost. Sounds OK, right? It's only one previous generation? Well, good studies have shown that using a 3rd generation medicine instead of a 4th can increase the risk of infection by a factor of 10. 10 times the risk! Ciprofloxin must also be used 4 times each day and Besivance only twice which makes it easier to actually use the Besivance.

The other very important example is the Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug or NSAID. If you don't take one you have a 10 times greater risk of vision threatening swelling in your retina. Both older, generic forms of NSAID's and newer branded ones reduce this risk. However, all of the older generic versions cause swelling and inflammation on the cornea, the front of the eye, in 3-4 out of 10 people. This results in pain, decreased vision, and the need to take more medicine for a longer period of time. On top of that, all of the generics HURT when you put them in, and you have to use them 4 times each day, and this makes people avoid using them at all.

You have two eyes. You will have cataract surgery on each eye once in your lifetime. Which is actually more expensive, the cost of the eyedrops your surgeon has chosen for you after careful studying of all the options, or the cost of using generic eyedrops that must be used more frequently, have more side effects, and may in some cases be less effective?

Choosing a Cataract Implant

You've just been told that you have a cataract and that changing your glasses will not make you see any better. The only way you can get better vision is by having cataract surgery. At this point there are two very important questions that you must answer. Number one: when do I wish to see better? As soon as the answer is NOW it's time schedule cataract surgery!

Now you have to answer question number two. Do I want to have to wear glasses? If I DO have to wear glasses after my cataract surgery, WHEN do I want to need to wear glasses? If you really think about it, this is actually pretty cool! You've probably worn glasses for something for many, many years. Either you need to wear glasses to read, or you need to wear glasses to see things far away, like for driving, or you need to wear glasses ALL THE TIME. Now you are about to have cataract surgery and guess what? You can choose NOT to have to wear glasses! How cool is that?!

At Skyvision Centers you have three general choices. A modern, High–Tech BASIC implant will give you fantastic vision, typically much better than you saw prior to your cataract surgery. With this Basic implant you'll need to wear glasses for most, if not all of your vision needs. Our Advanced Distance Vision LIFESTYLE lens implant typically gives you fantastic vision for faraway like driving or watching television. The Advanced Far–Away and Up–Close LIFESTYLE lens implant can make it possible for you to see EVERYTHING without wearing glasses!

So, having a cataract and needing cataract surgery can actually be something very exciting. Especially if you live in Cleveland and you are a Skyvision Centers Patient!

Cataract Surgery - We Love To Hear From Our Patients!

"Dear Dr. White,

Am I Happy with my new Crystalens? They’ve changed my life. I feel like I have new eyes. I didn’t think that was possible.

My Mother lost vision in one eye due to glaucoma along with a cataract. I was hesitant to have ANY eye surgery done. My cataracts were beginning to obstruct my nighttime driving so I knew that it was time for some type of eye correction.

Never did I realize that I would get my vision back. Every morning I get out of bed with good vision. No fumbling for glasses. No daily routine of inserting one contact lens for near vision and one for far vision.

I can drive at night, see movies in the theater, read a newspaper, read books, and work on my computer, all without difficulty. It’s like a miracle happened or else new eyes transplanted.

Thank you to the research department that developed the Crystalens.

Sincerely,

Kathy Gregory R.N.,R.D.H., B.S.,M.S.&E.D.

Registered Nurse, Registered Dental Hygienist, Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and Education"

Thank you Kathy for sharing your experience with us!

The doctors and staff from Skyvision

No Longer Struggling to See! A Satisfied Cataract Patient's story . . . .

Thank you for your kind words Dr. Palma!



I went to Skyvision this past fall for what I believed to be a routine eye exam to update my prescription for glasses and contact lenses. I definitely couldn't see as well as I used to. The staff was professional and friendly as always (my kids go there too).

Initially I saw Dr. Kaye who was concerned about my vision and ordered further tests. After lengthy testing, Dr. White made the comment that I was really "struggling to see". It turned out I had a cataract.... not something I wanted to hear being less than 50 yrs old. During my evaluation for cataract surgery I met with Dr. Schlegel who explained every aspect of surgery. He answered all of my questions, reassured me everything would be ok, and that they had done the intraocular lens implant surgery frequently.

I chose the multifocal intraocular lens so I would not need glasses to see up close. The day of the surgery I went to the outpatient surgery center. The staff there was just as professional and friendly as at Skyvision. The surgery took just a few minutes and I left 1/2 hr after surgery. Two weeks later, the other eye was done.

Today I am NOT "struggling to see". Dr. White gave me the incredible gift of sight! I cannot thank the doctors and staff at Skyvision enough for my special care. Recently my husband told me that he was so impressed with the care I received that he was going to switch to Skyvision!


Gabriella Palma, M.D.

Skyvision Docs Have Another Skyvision EDU Meeting

Skyvision Centers Docs had another Continuing Education meeting for area optometrists.  This is the second meeting in the Continuing Education series called Skyvision EDU.  The local optometrists met at The Surgery Center on Bagley Road in Middleburg Heights.  The Surgery Center, owned and operated by Barb Draves, is one the excellent surgery centers used by Dr. White for his cataract patients. 

Leading off the was our very own Dr. Scott Schlegel with a presentation about the very popular Toric Intraocular Lens implant.  He discussed the protocols used in the post operative period of toric IOL cataract surgery. 

Finishing up the meeting was Dr. Darrell White presenting information on the establishment of a Dry Eye Center of Excellence.  The doctors were thoroughly entertained by Dr. White's weaving of stories and technical information.  

Skyvision EDU #3 is scheduled to be held late this summer with topics TBD as the area docs were asked to submit their topics of interest.   The Skyvision doctors have enjoyed connecting with the other area docs and look forward to the continued interaction via the Skyvision EDU meetings.  

Top Doc AGAIN!

Congratulations to our Dr. Darrell White for being named one of Cleveland Magazine's Top Docs once again!

"I'm incredibly flattered to receive this honor again!" said Dr. White. "It's really a team honor for all of us at Skyvision Centers. Every patient experience depends on each one of us working together as a team and pulling for our patients."

Dr. White has been on the list of Top Docs since 2003.

The Wonders of Cataract Surgery!

Skyvision Centers in Westlake is Cleveland's leading eyecare center for advanced cataract surgery! Does someone in your family have cataracts? Have YOU been told that you have cataracts? Cataract surgery is the single most frequently performed operation in the United States. It is among the safest and most successful surgeries there is. A recent article in a medical journal found that 98.2% of patients surveyed in a study were satisfied with their results and their medical management with their cataract surgery!

Cataract surgery is very gentle surgery. Our surgeon, Dr. Darrell White, does your surgery with you awake with just a little bit of sedation; this is safer for you medically and actually better for Dr. White, too. The surgery itself is typically pain free and you go home very shortly after the operation is over. A few eyedrops each day and a very few minor restrictions on your activity for a little bit are all that is usually involved afterwards.

You even have some choices with your cataract surgery. You can choose when you will have to wear glasses after the surgery with your choice of lens implants or IOL's. If you choose one of our advanced Lifestyle IOL's for both sharp distance vision and reading vision you might NOT WEAR GLASSES AT ALL!

So if you or someone you know in the Cleveland area has been told that they have cataracts give us a call at Skyvision Centers in Weslake for COMPLETE CATARACT CARE!