Blog

28 Jan How has cataract surgery changed in the last 20 years?

Posted at 14:13h in Uncategorized by woodhamseyedev

Cataract surgery has changed tremendously over the past 20 years or. And it is almost unrecognizable now when compared to how the operation was performed when I started my training over 40 years ago! Cataract surgery was originally an operation to remove the cloudy opacity visible...

14 Jan What is the replacement lens that is used in cataract surgery made of?

Posted at 15:06h in Uncategorized by woodhamseyedev

Any of several transparent synthetic materials that have been tried out over several decades of continued improvement. The very first intraocular lens implants (IOLs) were made of a rigid plastic called PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), the same material used in fighter plane windshields. Realizing that a smaller...

14 Jan Why does the military do PRK eye surgery instead of LASIK?

Posted at 14:23h in Uncategorized by woodhamseyedev

That was true at one time but not much now. In most branches of the American military LASIK and PRK are both routinely performed on active personnel. There are few LASIK disqualifications of military applicants including for aviation. Furthermore, even most of these are reversed upon application...

12 Jan Am I legally blind? My right eye is -12.50 and my left is -9.25. And when I asked a LASIK counselor they said that my right eye will never be 20/20.

Posted at 11:45h in Uncategorized by woodhamseyedev

Well, there are actually several different issues at work here, so a "Yes or No" answer is not possible. First: What does it mean to be "legally blind?" In most states, if you have distance visual acuity less than 20/200 that is not correctable with glasses/contact lenses, you...

31 Dec Is double-vision in one eye after LASIK dangerous?

Posted at 15:11h in Uncategorized by woodhamseyedev

It may not be dangerous, but it is definitely not normal. Called "monocular diplopia," its appearance after LASIK without its fading away indicates there is a problem. It could be due to a wrinkle in the LASIK flap (called "striae") or could indicate there is...

17 Dec Could You Have an Allergy to Contacts? How to Know and What to Do

Posted at 15:14h in Uncategorized by woodhamseyedev

The phrase "allergic reaction" might conjure up images of hives or the sudden sensation of restricted airways, but did you know that an allergy can develop slowly? In fact, you could gradually become allergic to things you use every day, like your soap, favorite beverage,...

17 Dec Deciphering Your Eyeglass Prescription

Posted at 15:10h in Uncategorized by woodhamseyedev

Following an official eye exam with an optometrist, you are usually handed a copy of your eyeglass prescription, which contains information that a lab requires to make a pair of glasses to correct your unique vision problems. This prescription often appears rather cryptic, however, so...

03 Dec Can a scar on the eye be removed with laser surgery?

Posted at 15:18h in Uncategorized by woodhamseyedev

I assume you mean a scar on the cornea of the eye. To a large degree a fibrotic scar can be removed with an excimer or femtosecond laser. But it depends on how deep the scar is and also how close to the line of vision...

03 Dec Why do ophthalmologists go to med school while optometrists do not?

Posted at 15:13h in Uncategorized by woodhamseyedev

Mostly for historical reasons during the parallel development of the two fields. Optometry developed out of the optical business when opticians would make and grind lenses. Certain opticians developed further training programs so as to be able to "refract," (measure eyes for the glasses prescription). As...

19 Nov Do people who are blind who all of a sudden gain eyesight feel overwhelmed with colors, seeing how people really look like, etc.?people really look like, etc.?

Posted at 15:23h in Uncategorized by woodhamseyedev

There are actually extremely few recorded cases of a "blind" person getting back their sight. The most common situation (depending what one means by "blind")is when a person with advanced cataracts has them fixed with successful IOL (Intraocular Lens Implant) surgery. But for these people,...