Patient Education

would like to be your partner in health care. Feel free to ask your questions and share your concerns with us. We will work with you to develop a wellness program for the care and treatment you need.

We welcome you to our practice and look forward to caring for you.

provides a full range of medical services including the following:

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of vision loss in individuals over the age of 50. The name of the condition derives from its cause: damage to the macula, the most sensitive spot on the retina, required for clarity in the center of the visual field. The macula transmits electrical signals through the optic nerve to the brain. Damage to the macula results in retinal tissue degeneration that gradually worsens, diminishing or destroying central vision. ...

Avastin®

Avastin, also known as bevacizumab, is a medication to treat age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, a debilitating eye disease. Avastin works by blocking the body from producing vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF, a protein that causes abnormal blood vessels to grow, damaging the macula. Avastin has been shown to improve vision when it is administered on a monthly basis. ...

B-Scan

B-scan is a high-frequency ocular ultrasound that produces a cross-sectional image of the eye and the space behind the eye. The B-scan is also known as:

• Echography - eye orbit
• Ultrasound - eye orbit
• Ocular ultrasonography
• Orbital ultrasonography

Purpose of the B-Scan

The B-scan enables eye care professionals to accurately diagnose and evaluate a wide range of eye conditions including: ...

Barrier Laser for Retinal Tear

Early detection of a retinal tear can often prevent the retina from detaching. Many retinal tears are treated with a barrier laser procedure. This treatment method creates scar tissue around the tear and seals the retina to the wall of the eye. As a result, fluid is prevented from flowing through the retinal tear, causing a retinal detachment. ...

Central Serous Retinopathy

Central serous retinopathy (CSR), also known as central serous choroidopathy (CSC), is an eye condition that develops due to an accumulation of fluid under the retina. The fluid leaks from the choroid, the blood vessel layer under the retina, into the area beneath the retina. While central serous retinopathy usually affects one eye at a time both eyes can be affected at the same time. More men, in their mid 30's to 50's, are affected with central serous retinopathy than women. ...

Cystoid Macular Edema

Cystoid macular edema, also known as CME, is a swelling of the macula with fluid. The macula is responsible for the detailed, central vision that provides the ability to see objects with great detail. Swelling occurs as fluid builds up in the layers of the macula, gradually blurring vision. ...

Cystoid Macular Edema FAQs

What is cystoid macular edema?

Cystoid macular edema is a common condition that involves swelling in the macula, the center part of the vision that allows objects to be seen with great detail. This swelling occurs as fluid builds up in the layers of the macula, gradually blurring vision. ...

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes that affects the eyes. The length of time a person has diabetes determines his or her likelihood of developing diabetic retinopathy. It is the most common diabetic eye complication, and a leading cause of blindness in American adults. Diabetic retinopathy causes the blood vessels that supply nourishment to the retina, the light-sensitive lining in the back of the eye where vision is focused, to weaken, swell and leak, causing a loss of vision. ...

Flashes and Floaters

Flashes and floaters of the eye are usually the result of age-related changes to the vitreous, which is the thick gel firmly attached to the retina from birth. During the aging process, however, the vitreous becomes thinner and more watery, and at some point pulls away from the retina. This is known as a posterior vitreous separation or detachment (PVD). During PVD, tissue debris that was once secure in the firm vitreous gel loosens and moves around, casting shadows on the retina. ...

Focal Macular Grid Treatment

People with diabetes are at risk of developing several kinds of diabetic eye diseases. One of these is macular edema, which is often asymptomatic until vision loss starts to occur. Leaking blood vessels within the retina will seep into the center of the macula, causing inflammation due to the accumulation of fluid. ...

Fluorescein Angiography

Fluorescein angiography is a diagnostic procedure used to evaluate the blood vessels in the following parts of the eye:

• Retina
• Choroid
• Optic disc
• Iris

Reasons for a Fluorescein Angiography

The fluorescein angiography provides doctors with information about the retina. It can also be used to provide information as to the status of current treatments. A fluorescein angiography helps to diagnose and track problems such as: ...

Heidelberg Retinal Tomograph

The Heidelberg Retinal Tomograph, or HRT, is a state-of-the art computerized laser device designed to aid in the diagnosis of glaucoma. This non-invasive procedure scans the eye, producing 3-dimensional digital images of the optic nerve and retina. The optic nerve is photographed along with deeper layers of the eye resulting in a 3-dimensional topographic map of the retinal surface. ...

Histoplasmosis

Histoplasmosis is a fungal infection that initially affects the lungs. Most people become infected with histoplasmosis by breathing in fungal spores from soil or material that has been contaminated with bird or bat droppings. People with weakened immune systems are more at risk for developing histoplasmosis, as are farmers, construction workers, landscapers and poultry workers. In the United States, it is widespread in the Mississippi, Missouri, St. Lawrence and Ohio River Valleys. ...

Hypertensive Retinopathy

The retina is the layer of tissue that converts light and images into nerve signals that are sent to the brain. The retina is located at the back part of the eye. Patients with high blood pressure are at a higher risk of developing hypertensive retinopathy, damage to the retina from high blood pressure. ...

Macular Hole

A macular hole is a hole in the macula, the sensitive part of the retina that is located at the back of the eye. The macula contains light-sensitive cells which provide clear, sharp central vision. Specifically, the hole or defect occurs in the fovea, the center of the macula and the most delicate part of the entire retina. ...

Macular Degeneration

Types of Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration can be classified as either dry (non-neovascular) or wet (neovascular). Dry macular degeneration is the more common diagnosis, and is considered to be an early stage of the disease. This form of the disorder usually develops as the macular tissues thin during aging. Deposits of pigment within the macula may also occur. ...

Lucentis®

Lucentis, also known as ranibizumab injection, is a medication used in the treatment of the wet form of age-related macular degeneration, also known as AMD or ARMD. Age-related macular degeneration affects the macula, the part of the eye that provides sharp, central vision. Lucentis slows the development of vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF, a protein that causes abnormal blood vessels to grow and leak, damaging the macula. By slowing the development of VEGF, Lucentis aids in the prevention and reversal of vision loss experienced by those patients with AMD. Lucentis was designed specifically for use in the eye and is typically administered once a month as an injection into the eye. ...

Panretinal Photocoagulation

Panretinal photocoagulation, also known as PRP or scatter laser treatment, is a minimally invasive laser procedure used to seal or destroy leaking blood vessels on the retina. This method of treatment is effective in shrinking and preventing the growth of new blood vessels around the retina. In addition, a panretinal photocoagulation may reduce the occurrence of vitreous bleeding or retinal distortion in those patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy, an advanced stage of diabetic eye disease. ...

Retinal Complications of Cataract Surgery

Cataract surgery is considered one of the safest and most commonly performed surgical procedures. There is a risk of complication for any type of surgery, including cataract surgery, even when performed by the most skilled and competent surgeon.

Complications of cataract surgery while considered rare, may include the following: ...

Retinal Detachment

Retinal detachment occurs when the retina of the eye is pulled away from the underlying tissue to which it is attached. A retinal detachment is a medical emergency which can lead to permanent blindness if left untreated. In most cases, the detachment is a slowly progressing issue which must be treated once symptoms are realized. In some cases, a detachment occurs due to a trauma which causes a tear in the retina, allowing fluid to enter the vitreous and pull on the retinal tissue. ...

Foresee PHP®

Foresee PHP®, or Foresee Preferential Hyperacuity Perimeter, is a visual field analyzer used to detect and monitor the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is a common eye condition that presents the most serious threat of visual impairment to the aging population. Foresee PHP represents an important step forward in the early detection and treatment of this dangerous disease. It is the only device that has been FDA-approved to measure macular function and assess the advancement of AMD during its earliest stages, when it may progress from its intermediate, dry stage to its more serious wet (choroidal neovascularization or CNV) stage. ...

Retinal Laser Photocoagulation

During laser photocoagulation, a laser beam is directed to the blood vessels that are leaking on the retina. The laser creates scar tissue around the area that slows the growth of any new or abnormal blood vessels. While it is unable to restore vision that has already been lost, laser photocoagulation can reduce the risk of vision loss, a major complication of retinal diseases. ...

Retinal Tear

The retina is a light-sensitive layer of tissue that lines the inner surface of the eye. It is attached to the vitreous, the gel-like substance that gives the eye most of its volume. As a result of the aging process, the vitreous thins and its shape changes, sometimes causing it to pull away from the retina. This separation, known as posterior vitreous detachment (PVD), is a normal part of aging, but it can result in a retinal tear. Without treatment, retinal tears can cause retinal detachment that may result in blindness, so it is important for adults older than 50 to be vigilant about getting regular eye examinations. ...

Retinal Vein Occlusion

The retina is a thin sheet of nerve tissue located in the back of the eye where light rays are focused and transmitted to the brain. Tiny blood vessels supply the retina with oxygen and other nutrients. Arteries deliver blood and the retinal veins carry it. Sometimes one of these arteries hardens or swells and presses on a nearby vein. The vein can then become blocked, or occluded, making it difficult for blood to leave the eye. This condition is called a retinal vein occlusion, or RVO. A retinal vein occlusion is also known as venous stasis retinopathy or hemorrhagic retinopathy. The blocked circulation caused by a retinal vein occlusion can lead to: ...

Retinitis Pigmentosa

Retinitis pigmentosa is a rare genetic disorder that causes the rod and cone cells of the retina to deteriorate. Retinitis pigmentosa is a member of a group of inherited retinal diseases that is characterized by a loss of visual field, night blindness and color perception. This condition is caused by a genetic mutation that runs in families and is not caused by environmental factors, trauma or infection. Retinitis pigmentosa is not preventable. ...

Retinopathy of Prematurity

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), also known as Terry syndrome or retrolental fibroplasia (RLF), is the abnormal growth of blood vessels and scar tissue on the retinas of a premature baby. The growth of these blood vessels can cause the retina to detach from the eye resulting in vision impairment or blindness. Retinal blood vessels are usually developed by the time of birth or shortly thereafter. A premature birth interrupts the development process resulting in the lack of oxygen and nutrients reaching the retina. As a result, blood vessels begin to grow abnormally to supplement the needs of the retina. ...

Scleral Buckle

A scleral buckle is a surgical procedure to repair a retinal detachment. A retinal detachment occurs when the two layers of the retina become separated from each other and from the wall of the eye, causing shadows and vision loss. This condition requires prompt and thorough medical treatment to prevent permanent vision loss. ...

Uveitis

Uveitis is the inflammation of the uvea, the middle layer of the eye, which contains the iris, ciliary body and the choroid. The uvea is located between the retina and sclera, the white of the eye. The uvea provides most of the blood to various parts of the eye with its numerous veins and arteries. ...

Vitrectomy

The center of the eye is composed of a clear, gel-like substance known as the vitreous. The vitreous is more than 30 percent of the eye's volume, providing the eye with its shape. Due to the size and consistency of the vitreous it is prone to diseases that cause the vitreous to:

• Cloud
• Fill with blood
• Harden
• Prevent light from reaching the retina

These diseases may lead to blurred vision, tears or other serious conditions. ...