The LASIK Blog

2010: Lose Those Bifocals! ReSTOR Your Vision!!

Presbyopia is caused when the eye's lens, normally soft and flexible, hardens with age and results in blurred reading vision. The hardening of the lens makes it difficult for the eye to focus on close objects. Presbyopia is part of the normal aging process, typically affecting adults at about 40 years of age. Reading glasses and bifocals are used to treat presbyopia. These assist the eyes in focusing on nearby objects. Since presbyopia affects the lens, LASIK eye surgery, which only treats the cornea, is unable to correct the condition.  Therefore, LASIK patients past their mid 40's still need to wear reading glasses.

For those who do not to wish wear readers, the answer Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE), whereby we remove the eye's natural aging lens and replace it with a multifocal, artificial lens (IOL).  In my opinion, the ReSTOR 3.0 offers the best possible vision at all ranges.  This lens can also be implanted at the time of cataract surgery to markedly reduce the need for glasses after surgery.

Many of our patients at EyeCare 20/20 have questions concerning the use of the ReSTOR.  Because of this, we have produced a very informative video that walks you through the entire process of one of our patient's, Ian Lang, experience with the ReSTOR implant.  We hope that this video answers many of your questions!  If you do decide to have a premium IOL implanted, make sure you have it done by a surgeon with vast refractive and cataract experience.

All Eyes on Samson Dubina in This Week's Nationals Following His LASIK

 

 Samson presents me with a signed paddle following his LASIK last week.

Table Tennis star Samson Dubina had his LASIK surgery last week at EyeCare 20/20 without a hitch.  In fact he is already back in competition, and doing quite well.  According to Samson:

To Doctor Silverman and all the staff at Eyecare 20/20,

Thank you so much for your kindness in correcting my vision.  I just won my first tournament last week and look forward to excellent results next week in Las Vegas at the US Nationals.  My eyes are no longer dry or tired at the end of a long competition.  If you are interested in watching my matches, they should be online at www.usatt.org or at www.tabletennis.teamusa.org/live

We look forward to watching Samson's progress as a member of LASIK for the Gold in his quest for Olympic glory!

In the following video, Samson discusses his LASIK experience:

Olympic Hopeful, Samson Dubina Joins LASIK for the Gold

Table Tennis sensation, Samson Dubina, made the trip to EyeCare 20/20 from Canton, Ohio last week in hopes of improving his chances to make the 2012 US Olympic team.  Samson is an awesome Table Tennis Player, he came in 5th place in last year's Nationals and won the Mixed Doubles Competition. 

In this video, Samson discusses his expectations of how LASIK will improve his performance.

Personally, I am a poor ping pong player at best.  Watching Samson in action has given me a new appreciation of the sport.  Hopefully, LASIK will take Samson to the next level, and olympic glory!

Vision Harvest 2009: Free Cataract Surgery Program Reveals a Health Care System in Crisis

As I stated in my previous blog post, November 25 was the inaugural Vision Harvest free cataract surgery day at River Drive Surgery Center.  Twenty patients without insurance, or the means to pay, were provided free cataract surgery.  I promised to post interviews of many of these patients the day after their surgery.  Well, here they are.  The video is in 3 parts, due to YouTube's 10 minute time constraint.

While you are watching these videos I am sure that you will notice several recurring themes dealing with a breakdown in our health care system.

• Many people who are gainfully employed cannot afford coverage.
• Tying health care to employment leads to no health care when unemployed, creating a vicious cycle.
• There are many large cracks in our current system which are not being addressed by the current health care debate.

After viewing these videos, I am sure that you will come to the same conclusion:  our health care system is broken and in need of an overhaul.  What do you think needs to be done?

Visian ICL Vision: Still Awesome After All These Years!

Frank Gallina is one of EyeCare 20/20's go to guys.  Whenever a patient is considering having an ICL implant to improve their vision, Frank is the person who we recommend they speak with.  Frank was a -12 myope who came in for a LASIK screening, he was not a candidate.  The ICL option was offered to him, he did it, and the results are awesome.  We even posted a letter Frank wrote us last year about his vision.

Frank is now 3 years post op.  His vision is still 20/20 without glasses.  Frank was nice enough to talk about his ICL experience with me on this video.

Unemployment and Healthcare Insurance: Imperfect Together!

Since announcing The Vision Harvest 2009 free cataract surgery program, I have seen several patients in need of cataract surgery with no means to pay for it.  I am very much looking forward to providing free cataract surgery the day before Thanksgiving on these patients in need.

I saw a patient in the office today interested in the Vision Harvest 2009 program. John DeCamp heard about the program through his girlfriend's daughter.  He lives 2 hours from my office and drove up today.  His is a story of the vicious cycle we hear about all too frequently.  Here is his story:

John is a truck driver.  He had cataract surgery on one eye 4 years ago that went well.  John lost his job last year, and the health insurance that went with it.  He developed a cataract in his other eye.  This cataract got so bad that he recently failed his DOT exam.  Without the DOT license, John is unable to drive trucks, unable to get a job, and unable to afford insurance!

John will be getting his free cataract surgery on the day before Thanksgiving, November 25, 2009. , and hopefully his life will be on the road to recovery.

If you know anyone in need of cataract surgery, please direct them to the Vision Harvest 2009 hotline at 973-200-8250 or my ofice at 973-560-1500.  We are here to help!

The ICL Option: When LASIK Won't Correct Your Vision

Lisa Velasquez was very disappointed when she came in for her free LASIK screening last month after I told her she was not a good candidate for the procedure.  With a -11.0 diopter prescription, I determined that there was not enough corneal tissue to safely perform LASIK on her.  I went on to explain that I could treat this amount of nearsightedness by implanting an ICL into her eye.

The Visian ICL (Implantable Collamer Lens) is a Phakic intraocular lens. It is an alternative to laser eye surgery, and is similar to the intraocular lenses (IOLs) used in cataract surgery but does not permanently alter the structure of the eye. No corneal tissue is removed as in LASIK and other laser eye surgery procedures. The ICL resembles a traditional contact lens and is surgically placed behind  the iris, in front of one's natural lens. Unlike the intraocular lenses used in cataract surgery, ICLs do not replace the eye's natural lens, but work with it, to correct moderate to large amounts of myopia (nearsightedness). Though phakic IOLs are intended to be permanent implants, they can be removed if complications arise or if the patient's vision changes.The insertion of the Visian ICL™ Implantable Collamer® Lens is  made through a small incision in the surface of the cornea. The Visian ICL™ is folded, requiring a smaller incision than other implantable lenses. Once inserted, the lens unfolds to its full size. No sutures are required in the procedure.  The procedure takes about 10 minutes, and is performed on an out patient basis.  One eye is treated at a time, a week or two apart.  Visual acuity is remarkably good, even 1 day after the procedure.

Lisa had her surgery last week on her right eye, and "has never seen better!"  She is anxiously awaiting surgery on her left eye.

Arielle Martin's LASIK Rocks!!

Arielle Martin was in the office last week, 1 day after having her LASIK at EyeCare 20/20.  Her vision is already 20/20 and she is looking forward to her next competition next month after her broken hand heals.

Here is a video of Arielle discussing her new eye sight and prospects for her upcoming competitions.

BMX Cyclist Arielle Martin Joins LASIK for the Gold!

Arielle Martin is the current UCI World Cup SX Champion and headed for the 2012 Olympic Games with her sights set on GOLD. Known for her exceptional jumping skills, aggressive moves, and pure passion for riding, Arielle is a name to be reckoned with in BMX.
Arielle has recently been featured in this month's Bicycling Magazine in an article titled:   Leap of Faith.  She was also featured in an excellent New York Times article last year:  Quest Seperates Soldier and Olympic Hopeful. 

Arielle stopped by EyeCare 20/20 this week on her way home from competing in South Africa to join Team EyeCare 20/20 and LASIK for the Gold.  In this video, Arielle discusses what it takes to be a World BMX Champion, and how LASIK will hopefully improve her future performances.

After LASIK: "The Trees are Green, The Sky is Blue"

Mary Ellen Halbert was kind enough to discuss her LASIK experience at EyeCare 20/20.  She talks about how crisp her vision was the day after the procedure.  Mary Ellen's experience is very typical of our LASIK patients!