Eye Surgery - Palm Beach County, FL

Most people who wear glasses and contact lenses wish they didn't need them. Fortunately, there is an alternative that may reduce your dependence on corrective lenses and possibly eliminate your need for them completely.

Laser vision correction has transformed lives. The ability to see more clearly without the inconvenience of contact lenses and glasses has inspired people to explore new horizons in vision correction.

What is Lasik?

LASIK, medically known as Laser Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis, is a type of laser vision correction that is used to reshape the cornea, correcting vision.

How soon after surgery will my vision improve?

Most people notice a dramatic improvement even as they leave the office. However, every person has different results

How do I know if I'm a good candidate for Lasik?

An examination, evaluation and consultation by a refractive surgeon can determine if you are a good candidate for this procedure. Potential candidates include:

• People who are near-sighted, far-sighted or astigmatic.
• People who are 21 years of age or older, have healthy eyes that are free of retinal problems, corneal scars, and any eye diseases are suitable.
• People with lifestyles or occupations in which they are dissatisfied with contact lenses or glasses.

What is Age-Related Macular Degeneration?

Age-related macular degeneration (or AMD) is the leading cause of severe vision loss in the United States and other developed countries. The type of vision lost -- known formally as central vision -- affects driving, reading, watching television or any task that requires focusing on small objects. Complications of AMD can lead to vision loss through degeneration and damage to the cells in the macula, that part of the retina responsible for central vision.

Who is at risk for Macular Degeneration?

Most people affected by AMD are 50 or older, and risk increases with age.

Additional risk factors for AMD may include:  family history smoking

What are symptoms of Macular Degeneration?

Symptoms of AMD may include:

• distorted vision (straight objects that appear curved)
• visual hallucinations
• loss of vision

If you notice any symptoms, please contact your doctor at once to schedule an eye exam.

In many cases, though, people experience no visual symptoms when developing AMD. To accurately diagnose AMD, your eye doctor will need to dilate your pupils so he or she can look at your retinas to determine if AMD is present.

What is Diabetic Retinopathy?

Over time, diabetes can damage small blood vessels throughout the body. This blood vessel damage can cause foot ulcers, nerve numbness and kidney failure. In the eye, it can cause retinal damage. This is known as diabetic retinal disease, or diabetic retinopathy.

People lose vision from diabetic retinopathy due to two major causes: swelling and bleeding. Swelling of the retina can occur when blood vessels leak fluid. When fluid leakage causes swelling in the central retina, or macula, vision becomes blurred.

If diabetic retinopathy is severe, the retina becomes starved for oxygen. Blood vessels may then grow out of the retina or optic nerve into the vitreous jelly that fills the inside of the eye. These fragile vessels can cause bleeding into the eye and block light from reaching the retina. Without adequate light, vision is impaired. Bleeding can result in severe scarring, leading to retinal detachment.

How do I know if I have Diabetic Retinopathy?

Unfortunately, diabetic retinopathy may have no symptoms in its earliest, treatable stages. By the time people notice a problem with their vision, retinal disease may be advanced and difficult to treat. This is why periodic screening examinations by your ophthalmologist are very important.

Diabetic patients should have such examinations even if their vision is completely normal. An examination to detect diabetic retinopathy will include drops to dilate the pupil. Your doctor can then look through the pupil with a bright light and a special magnifying lens to see the retina and any early signs of diabetic retinopathy.

As people can develop diabetic retinopathy at any time, periodic eye examinations are important.

What is Eye Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery?

Eye plastic and reconstructive surgery is a specialized area of ophthalmology that focuses on the eyelids and the structures surrounding the eye, including problems of the lachrymal (tear) system and the orbit, the region surrounding the eyeball.

Procedures include cosmetic enhancement and reconstructive care following trauma or the removal of a tumor.

An ophthalmic plastic surgeon is an ophthalmologist (medical doctor and eye surgeon) who has completed additional training in plastic surgery as it relates to the eyes. As surgery around the eyes can affect your ability to see, ophthalmic plastic surgeons are the best qualified to perform this delicate surgery and provide attention to the care of the eye.

What kind of surgery does an Eye Plastic Surgeon perform?

• Cosmetic Eyelid Surgery
• Brow lift
• Cheek lift
• BOTOX injections (for facial wrinkles)
• Functional Eyelid Surgery
• Droopy eyelid repair (ptosis surgery)
• Repair of eyelid malposition
• Correction of excessive tearing
• Reconstructive Eyelid Surgery
• Repair of eyelid injuries
• Reconstruction of eyelid after removal of skin cancer
• Management of loss of an eye
• Orbital Disorders
• Thyroid related eye disorders
• Removal of orbital tumors
• Repair of orbital fractures

Glaucoma

Glaucoma refers to a group of eye diseases that cause progressive damage to the optic nerve.

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States. While the damage caused by glaucoma is permanent, early diagnosis and treatment usually can prevent vision-threatening loss.

Who is at risk?

Glaucoma can develop in anyone at any age. The following people are at high risk for developing glaucoma:

• older adults
• African-Americans
• people with a family history of glaucoma

What is it?

The most common form of glaucoma, primary open-angle glaucoma, usually has no symptoms until there is extensive loss of vision. Acute angle-closure glaucoma usually causes severe symptoms because of the sudden rise of pressure in the eye. These symptoms include pain in the eye, blurry vision, halos around light, bloodshot eye, nausea, vomiting and headache.