New Year's Resolution? Christmas Gift? How about no Glasses?

Thinking about what to get a loved one for Christmas? How about those New Year's Resolutions that are coming up? We've been examining our results and outcomes since we made the switch to All Laser LASIK and we have just one thing to say:

WOW!!!

Laser Vision Correction has undergone many changes since Dr. Darrell White did the first VISX laser procedure in Cleveland in the early 1990's. The excimer lasers themselves, the lasers that actually put the prescription on your eye, are now able to correct very complex prescriptions, and they track your eyes during the procedure in every conceivable direction! The accuracy of the treatment is nothing short of amazing.

In the last several years a move has been underway to increast the amount of the procedure that can be performed using lasers, including the creation of the LASIK flap in your cornea (the "window" to the eye). Modern mechanical keratomes are excellent, and we should note that Dr. White's own LASIK was done using a mechanical keratome. We have made the move to using a Femptosecond laser, specifically the IntraLase, to make our flaps after Dr. White conferred with trusted colleagues like Dr. Stephan Coleman in New Mexico, one of the true LASIK pioneers.

And now? WOW!

Thinking about a Christmas gift or a New Year's Resolution? How about great vision without glasses or contact lenses? Come visit us here in Cleveland at Skyvision Centers. See What's Next (R) with Dr. White!

Thursday Is emPower Day!

Thursday is emPower day at Skyvision Centers! If you live in or around Cleveland there's only one place you can get the newest type of bifocals, the Piso-electric emPower from Pixel Optics, and that's Skyvision!

Dr. White Speaks At COS

Our Skyvision Centers eye surgeon, Dr. Darrell White, spoke at the quarterly meeting of the Cleveland Ophthalmological Society yesterday afternoon. The COS is the oldest regional ophthalmic group in the United States. Dr. White addressed the issue of treating Dry Eye and other ocular surface diseases as part of the Advanced Refractive Cataract Surgery process.

"We have been intensely interested in how the ocular surface, in particular the tears, affects the quality of vision following advanced eye surgeries," said Dr. White. "Many of our laser vision correction patients and our Advanced Near & Far Implant patients are treated to maximize the health of their tears to improve the quality of their post-op experience and vision."

Dr. White went on to say that each pre-op patient who shows any evidence of tear film abnormality undergoes a full work-up, including Tear Osmolarity. As part of their peri-operative treatment they may take either Restasis or Azasite in order to increase their comfort and speed their visual recovery*.

"It takes a little more time, for us and our patients, and sometimes costs a little more for the patients, but in the end their vision is SO much better that it's definitely worth it!" added Dr. White.

Our Beautiful World

Every now and again we come across something that is just so beautiful to behold with our eyes that we just have to share it. We found these photos on the website "Cool Hunting". Simply stunning photos from a warmer place than our Cleveland in December!

Humans are visual creatures. We have the most advanced visual system  of all living things.

In addition we have the unique ability to appreciate beauty, and even more so to communicate how something so beautiful makes us feel.

We hope these pictures make you a little warmer and a little happier on a Monday in Cleveland!

Fittest Eye Doc

Do you remember the "Fittest Eye Doc Challenge" from last year? Dr. White does! Not only is he still doing CrossFit, but his sons Randy and Dan (that's Dan with him flipping tires) have opened a CrossFit gym in Amherst, just west of Cleveland and Skyvision Centers.

"People don't think of eye surgery as physically taxing, but it is!" said Dr. White. "I've become a better surgeon by lifting heavy weights and doing the high intensity workouts in CrossFit. It's just a ton more fun now being able to do it with my boys at Comet CrossFit whenever I get the chance to get out there."

CrossFit is constantly varied full-body, functional exercises performed at relatively high intensity. Created by Greg Glassman, it has become the principal fitness program for many special forces groups, SWAT teams, and Firehouses. It first appeared on the internet in 2003 at CrossFit.com and CrossFit Santa Cruz, and there are now more than 3000 CrossFit gyms all over the world. There's even a Kid's program, CrossFit Kids, founded and headquartered by Jeff and Mikki Martin at CrossFit Brand X.

" I firmly believe that every doctor of every kind should do as much as they can to be as fit and healthy as possible!"

Side Effects From Your Medicines II: Topamax and Acute Glaucoma

Here is another medicine that is used for regular medical reasons that can have side effects on your eye: Topamax (topiramate). Topamax is a medicine that is used for epilepsy and some types of migraine headaches. It is sometimes used "off-label" as a treatment for depression and bipolar disease, and occasionally as a weight loss drug.

Topamax can cause shallowing of the front of the eye which can lead to a glaucoma attack. Pain, redness, blurry vision, and COLORED HALOES around lights are the symptoms They can occur in patients of any age, and they arise in the first 14 days after the first dose of the medicine. The most important thing to do is to see an eye doctor as soon as possible and to stop the medication.

If you are taking Topamax and have any of the above symptoms be sure to call your family doctor, and to call Skyvision Centers for an emergency visit.

Do You Follow Good Contact Lens Care?

Most contact lens users know about potential complications and believe they follow all the recommended wear and care guidelines, but few actually do, according to new research. The study included 281 patients who visited eye care practitioners in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas and 152 who went to a university eye clinic. Many patients could name a complication related to contact lens use -- 58 percent in the general community and 91 percent at the university clinic.

The most commonly named complications were related to lens comfort/handling and infections, said the researchers, Dr. Danielle Robertson and Dr. H. Dwight Cavanagh of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. The majority of patients also knew important risk factors for contact lens-related complications such as: topping off instead of replacing contact lens solution; exposing lenses to tap water, including wearing them while showering; and poor hygiene practice, according to the study published in the November issue of the journal Optometry and Vision Science.

Overall, 85 percent of the patients believed they followed recommended contact lens wear and care practices. However, the researchers found that the average patient only performed 50 percent of the recommended wear and care practices, and compliance was rated as good for only 2 percent of the patients.

Only one patient (0.4 percent) was fully compliant with all the recommended contact lens wear and care guidelines.

"It is unlikely that further education will change patient behavior,"  the study authors noted in a journal news release, "because most patients already know that failing to follow recommended guidelines can increase their risk of complications."

"New strategies and approaches to effectively modify inherent patient non-compliance are urgently needed," the researchers concluded in the release.

What do YOU think? How can we help contact lens patients to take care of their eyes? Let us know! Leave a comment here, or "Like" us on Facebook and leave your thoughts there. 

Eye Side Effects From Non-Eye Medicine I: Flomax (Prostatic Hypertrophy)

As medicine becomes more and more complex we are seeing new interactions between medicines you take for your general health and your eyes. At Skyvision we thought it would be helpful to do a series on the most common of these and what they mean for you and for us.

Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH) is a problem that is very common in older men. The prostate gland becomes larged enough to interfere in urination and complete emptying of the bladder. This can become a problem in middle-aged men, as well, and so you may actually have a discussions with your doctor at a younger age. Some urologists are prescribing medicines for BPH to ease the symptoms of kidney stones as well, even in women.

The most commonly prescribed medicine for BPH is Flomax (Tamsulosin). Other medicines in this class include alfuzosin, doxazosin, and terazosin, all of which are occasionally prescribed for high blood pressure as well. The side effect that most concerns us occurs during cataract surgery: Intraoperative Floppy Iris Syndrome (IFIS). During surgery the iris and the pupil become unstable. There can be billowing of the iris, the iris can bulge out through the cataract incisions, and the pupil can become very small. All of these make the surgery more challenging, and all of them can increase the chances of complications, especially if the cataract surgeon is not aware that you are taking them.

There are two very important take home messages for Flomax and the other medicines noted. First, ALWAYS tell your doctor what medicines you are taking so that we can be prepared. There are very cool, very special instruments that make the surgery much safer when we know! Second, the effect of these medicines is permanent after you have been on them for as little as a couple of weeks, so DON'T STOP YOUR MEDICINE unless your family doctor tells you to do so!

Stay tuned for more information about your medicines and your eyes!