Vision Redesigned! This Is Why We Care

The American visual artist James Turrell is why we work so hard at Skyvision to maximize every last bit or your vision! He has created works of art that are beyond description.

Turrell is best known for site-specific installations—all of which are programmed according to their locations in the world and proximity to the atmosphere, light and climate. Each of these works is undeniable proof not only of Turrell's artistic acumen but of the potential of color and light to inform and baffle the mind.

Why do we use only the latest, best LASIK technology in Cleveland? Why are we always on the lookout for things like the very best sunglasses with the very best optics possible? It's so you can enjoy extraordinary vision to see extraordinary sites, like the art of James Turrell!

3 Pillars of Sports Vision

Skyvision Centers is committed to improving the on-field performance of all of our Cleveland athletes. Sports vision involves 3 separate but integrated factors.

The first part of vision performance in sports is FOCUS: how sharp the images are that your eyes get. It's vitally important that an athlete have the sharpest vision possible. If you have even the smallest prescription your game will improve if you can focus just a little bit better. Finding your best glasses or contact lens prescription, and then fitting you with the best version to improve your vision is the first step in Sports Vision and we are experts at Skyvision.

After your eyes have focused an image on your retina that image is sent back to your brain where you actually "see" it. Our vision center is in the back of our brains, and the development of the nerve pathways here determines how SHARP your vision is. Maximizing your contrast sensitivity, your visual sharpness, is step two in seeing as well as you possible can on the playing field or on the court. Skyvision Centers uses the RevitalVision Sports program, a computer training program that actually trains your brain to see better!

And finally, you need to use that unbelievably FOCUSED and SHARP vision as well as you can by training your body to REACT to what you see. The third pillar of Sports Vision is training your body to react as quickly as possible to what you see. Coming soon to Skyvision is the revolutionary Nike Sparq Sports Sensory Training program to help you use your vision in the game!

Kaenon Sunglasses and the Hottest Hitter in Baseball!

The hottest player in Baseball today, and through the first month of the season, is the LA Dodgers right fielder, Andre Ethier.


Ethier worked on many things in the off-season, one being his ability to see the ball in day games, better. He began hitting in Kaenon Polarized which, he says, has provided him an uncanny ability to see the release point quicker, the ball sharper and with more contrast to pick up the seams, spin and velocity quicker. He’s been tuning his vision by alternating between the darker G12 lens for the outfield – where seeing the ball off the hitter’s bat, about 250 feet away, and tracking it through the stands, fans, and up into the bright sky allows him to get an extra jump on the ball. He then switches to the G28 lens, in his favorite Matte Black Beacons, when cloudy or less than bright conditions prevail.

Many are touting Ethier as one of the best outfielders in the game – a true Gold Glove candidate this year.

But hitting is where Ethier really shines. Is it coincidence that Ethier is on top of the league in hitting stats, broke records in April and just wrapped up a 30 game hitting streak – in the first season he has dedicated himself to hitting in his Kaenon’s during every day game at bat? He throws on his Matte Black Beacon’s in G28 lenses when hitting – every time – allowing him to receive more light to the eye, to process more detailed information, quicker. Some quick, current facts on Ethier:

-He broke the record for longest hitting streak in the month of April – held by last year’s Dodger manager Joe Torre.
-He now holds the Dodgers 2nd longest hitting streak in franchise history – dating back to the 1800’s.

It’s great to see some of Ethier wearing Kaenon Polarized this season, not to mention some of the managers and coaches who are some of the most respected people in the game. We’re excited to see how the Ethier fares during the rest of the season in Kaenon’s. From all of us at Skyvision Centers in Cleveland, congratulations on an incredible hitting streak!

Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Dry Eye

Skyvision Centers was the first eyecare center in Cleveland to have a primary concentration in the treatment of Dry Eye. It's quite possible that we were the first such center in all of the United States! We are always on the lookout of the latest, newest developments in treating Dry Eye as well as other Ocular Surface Diseases, but sometimes the "newest" treatment is actually a kind of back to the future experience. So it is with Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Dry eye.

We have come to the conclusion that EVERY patient who suffers from Dry Eye should be on a significant dose of Omega-3 Fatty Acid supplement unless they have a sensitivity to these or if their family doctor says they can't. Not only that but we have made some very important discoveries about the various supplements that are available over the counter.

There are two types of Omega-3 Fatty acids that are helpful when they are taken as supplements: DHA and EPA. They are found in highest doses in fish oil and to some degree in flax seed oil. It's important to read the label on your supplements; Dr. White just discovered that the 1000mg fish oil pills he's been taking only have 250 mg of DHA/EPA in them, so he's been getting 1/4 the amount he thought!

We've come to believe that it's so important for people with Dry Eye to take Omega-3 Fatty Acid supplements that we will be putting EVERY Skyvision Center patient with this diagnosis on some form of this. In order to make it easier to our patients (and our doctors!) we will have two very high quality supplements from the Doctors' Advantage company available for you to order: "EyeRelief" with both fish oil and flax seed oil (as well as other dry eye treatments) and "Omega Shield", an extremely high quality, potent fish oil.

Stay tuned for lots more information about Omega-3 supplements for Dry Eye, as well as a new program of vitamins for Macular Degeneration from Skyvision Centers!

Daily Disposable Contact Lenses

Dr. Kaye is one of Cleveland's contact lens experts and we have him at Skyvision Centers! We asked him about contact lens trends, both for comfort and safety as well as KICKIN' vision. Here's what he had to say:

"The big news is all about daily wear, one-day disposable contact lenses. I'm finding that the comfort level our patients are experiencing is fantastic. I really like the safety and convenience you get from simply pitching the lenses at the end of the day. There are none of the problems that we all see from sleeping in the lens, and the contacts never get a chance to build up deposits or other things that can make you allergic. On top of that they cost less than a dollar a day!

We've had good luck with a number of brands. Recently I've been fitting lots of patients with the Pro-Clear Dailies. Great vision results! At this time of year we have lots of athletes coming in to prepare for the summer and everyone who is a candidate for these lenses is just seeing GREAT!"

Do you wear soft contact lenses? Visit Skyvision Centers and let our expert, Dr. Kaye, fit you with the latest Daily Disposable soft contact lenses!

Cleveland "Spring" and the Rhythm of Life

Wow! We know it's a cliche, but how about our Cleveland weather?! Have you ever seen so much rain? Have you ever gone that long in Cleveland with that little sunshine? We laughed when we saw a Tweet from a patient who thanked Seatle for visiting, but could they please take their lousy weather back to the Pacific Northwest! (Look for us on Twitter @drdarrellwhite and @Skyvisioncenter).

It seemed like everyone around Skyvision Centers was a little down and blue in March and April so we got to wondering how the eye is involved in our daily rhythm (Circadian Rhythm), and how our eyes are part of the light cycle that can cause Seasonal Affective Disorder--the blues from the blizzards and the gray skies.

The retina contains the photoreceptors we all learned about in high school, the Rods and the Cones. These are the cells that react to light and send information to the back of our brain where we actually "see". Think of the eye as the "image collector", kind of like a digital camera or the Hubble Space Telescope. The light information collected by the Rods and the Cones goes directly to the vision center of the brain.

There is a third light sensitive cell or photoreceptor in the retina, the Photosensitive Retinal Ganglion Cells (pRGC). These were just discovered in the 1990's! Kind of unreal to think we are still making such fundamental discoveries about anatomy of the eye. These pRGC's also react to light, but they do NOT send information to the vision center of the brain. Instead, these cells are responsible for the reaction of our pupils to light (the pupil gets SMALLER in bright light). They also send information to the part of the brain called the Hypothalmus which is responsible for our daily light/dark rhythm. The pRGC's respond most vigorously to light in the blue/violet color range, and if they don't "see" enough WE can get the blues!

So there's the science behind light and mood. Check back and we'll tell you how some people use this information to fight the blahs and the blues.

Vision ReDesigned: Vision Rehab

We are approaching the dawn of a new era in healthcare in the United States as the first of the Baby Boom generation turns 65. There are some 65 Million Americans entering older adulthood, and we can expect that they will have many of the same issues and problems we've seen in prior generations. Thankfully our technology advances will help us guide them through this stage with as little difficulty as possible.

Skyvision Centers is the premier "patient-centered" medical center in Cleveland, Ohio. It is arguably the first of its kind anywhere in the U.S. We are constantly seeking to provide whatever is necessary to enhance the vision and protect the eye health of our patients. We expect that the Baby Boom generation will be very interested in maximizing their visual lives for as long as possible, despite any diseases that may get in the way.

As part of our "Vision ReDesigned(R)" prgrams we will be adding a Vision Rehabilitation service later this year. One of our core offerings will be RevitalVision to improve your ability to use every last bit of vision your eyes can provide. In addition, we will have a full offering of visual assistance tools, and we will have caring, experience professionals to guide you through the learning process.

You can look to Skyvision to See What's Next!

The Kaenons Have Arrived!

Hooray! On the first sunny Cleveland day in about 4 months (just kidding!) we are announcing the arrivial of Kaenon Sunglasses at Skyvision Centers! Kaenon is a new, high tech company started by two former Oakley execs and they have some FANTASTIC stuff.

The doctors at Skyvision are all about VISION. First and foremost Drs. White, Schlegel, and Kaye want to know how well any lens will let you see. The optics and optical quality of any lens is the primary thing we look at when we decide to carry any type of eyewear. Then we look at function: how will these sunglasses work when our patients use them for everyday wear or for special purposes?

Kaenon passes ALL of our tests!

So come on in to Skyvision Centers flagship office in Westlake, just across from Crocker Park, and check out our selection of Kaenon sunglasses. See why Dr. White is adding them to his "quiver" and why his son, Randy White the Crossfit Kids trainer, is negotiating a sponsorship deal.

Kaenon Sunwear is part of our "Vision ReDesigned" program!

A Note of Thanks

The doctors and staff at Skyvision Centers would like to offer our sincere thanks and congratulations to the brave American servicemen who ended the scourge that was Osam bin Laden. Oorah to the men of Seal Team 6! Oorah to the pilots and crew in the Nightstalkers who flew them in and out! Oorah to the members of the CIA and the intelligence community at large for tracking down this villain!

We commend President Obama and former President Bush for their tireless efforts to avenge our loss and to keep all Americans safe.

God Bless America!