AMD Distortion Help with Optical Physics

Dr. Stephen Buck commented on how the application of optical physics might be helpful to patients with visual distortion caused by age related macular degeneration (AMD). “Even with the very successful treatment of macular degeneration with Lucentis® injections, we still encounter patients who experience a disturbing distortion and twisting of their vision resulting from macular degeneration,” explained Dr. Buck.

Nobel Laureate Walter Kohn described a potential application of what is a dynamic “translator” for the particular distortion a patient experiences either in handheld computers or an optical corrective lens. “We routinely use the Amsler Grid, a graph-paper-like pattern to diagnose AMD-Dr. Kohn suggested that the Amsler grid could also be used to develop an optical correction,” said Dr. Buck.

When people with healthy eyes look at the Amsler Grid, they see its straight horizontal and vertical lines, with a dot at center. Patients with AMD, however, often perceive a distortion about two or three centimeters in diameter in the center.

Dr. Kohn has initiated the development of software that lets an AMD patient, using a mouse, pull the virtual lines until he or she perceives the grid as “perfect,” yielding reversal of the specific distortion a person experiences. Dr. Kohn then uses these results to create a correction for that patient. In one experimental device, a handheld computer scans the printed page, using software to perform dynamic compensation, distorting the text to make it readable for patients. In addition, Dr. Kohn uses of a slab of optical material to fabricate the visual correction so that AMD patients could hold the optical slab of refractive material over text, pictures or reading material, just like the magnifying glass people use for seeing small type—only the surface of Kohn’s slab resembles ocean currents or waves that reverse the distortion. 

If you or someone you know has questions about macular degeneration of visual distortion please call Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center at 219-464-8223, or visit Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center or facebook.com/nwindianaeyeandlaser.  

Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center in Valparaiso, IN is staffed by a team of Ophthalmologists, Optometrists, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses, eyewear and optical services. We are conveniently located for patients seeking eye care from throughout northern Indiana including La Porte, Mishawaka, South Bend, Michigan City, Crown Point, Merrillville, Chesterton, South Haven, Westville, Hebron, Lowell, Valparaiso and Walkerton as well as Chicago, Illinois suburban areas of Frankfurt, Calumet City, Monee and Crete. 

LASIK for Glaucoma Patients

LASIK for patients with glaucoma is possible but must be evaluated for each person on an individualized basis. “We would consider performing LASIK for certain patients with glaucoma-but it really depends a great deal on the stability of the glaucoma and whether and how much damage to the optic nerve the disease has caused,” remarked Indiana LASIK Surgeon Scott Buck, M.D. of Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center in Valparaiso, IN.

Generally, unless the glaucoma is severe it is possible that LASIK could be an option for most patients. Other types of laser eye surgery for vision correction such as PRK might be preferred. In some cases it might actually be beneficial to have lens replacement surgery using advanced technology lens implants for vision correction.

If you or someone you know has glaucoma or is a glaucoma suspect and is considering LASIK, we would be happy to provide a free consultation to help determine if they are a LASIK candidate or perhaps a better candidate for another type of refractive surgery. Please feel free to schedule an appointment with Scott Buck, M.D at Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center at 219-464-8223, or visit Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center or facebook.com/nwindianaeyeandlaser. Let us tell you if you are even a good candidate for Laser Eye Surgery for Laser Vision Correction.

Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center in Valparaiso, IN is staffed by a team of Ophthalmologists, Optometrists, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses, eyewear and optical services. We are conveniently located for patients seeking eye care from throughout northern Indiana including La Porte, Mishawaka, South Bend, Michigan City, Crown Point, Merrillville, Chesterton, South Haven, Westville, Hebron, Lowell, Valparaiso and Walkerton as well as Chicago, Illinois suburban areas of Frankfurt, Calumet City, Monee and Crete.

Eye Exams Test for Stroke Risk

Regular eye exams and a new eye test may prove helpful for identify patients who are at high risk for stroke “Researchers from the University of Zurich shared information about a test called Ocular Pulse Amplitude (OPA) in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. “Their study showed that the Ocular Pulse Amplitude (OPA) test can reliably detect carotid artery stenosis (CAS) or carotid artery narrowing, a condition that clogs or blocks the arteries that feed the front part of the brain which is a known risk factor for stroke. I am hopeful that we will soon be able to perform this test as part of a routine eye exam,” commented Ophthalmologist Scott Buck, M.D. of Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center in Valparaiso, IN.

Each year, approximately 795,000 Americans suffer a new or recurrent stroke, and more than 137,000 of these people die as a result. People with severe CAS are much more likely to suffer stroke.”We would like to catch and treat CAS before that can happen, but because CAS has no symptoms and an efficient test is not currently available the disease often goes undetected,” explained Dr. Buck.

If you or someone you know has questions about eye exams, eye health and stroke prevention please feel free to call Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center at 219-464-8223, or visit Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center or facebook.com/nwindianaeyeandlaser. 

Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center in Valparaiso, IN is staffed by a team of Ophthalmologists, Optometrists, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses, eyewear and optical services. We are conveniently located for patients seeking eye care from throughout northern Indiana including La Porte, Mishawaka, South Bend, Michigan City, Crown Point, Merrillville, Chesterton, South Haven, Westville, Hebron, Lowell, Valparaiso and Walkerton as well as Chicago, Illinois suburban areas of Frankfurt, Calumet City, Monee and Crete.

Do Women Need Bifocals Sooner than Men?

Indiana Optometrist Dr. Stephen Buck shared research on why women need bifocals for correcting near vision focusing problems and presbyopia sooner than men. “Research in the journal Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science (IOVS) was quite consistent with what have observed clinically for many years,” said Dr. Buck. “The study found that women tend to need bifocals sooner to correct their near vision and the onset of presbyopia-the age related near vision focusing problem. While men and women both will need bifocals as they age, the need is more common and somewhat earlier among women than men.”

It is believed that while men and women appeared to actually have the same focusing ability when looking at nearby objects, because women are generally shorter than the men, with proportionally shorter arm lengths, they needed to hold objects closer to their faces when reading and thus required the near vision presbyopia correction of bifocals, reading glasses or even bifocal contact lenses sooner.

If you or someone you know would like to learn more about near vision focusing problems, presbyopia or bifocals please schedule and eye exam at Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center by calling 219-464-8223, or visiting Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center or facebook.com/nwindianaeyeandlaser. 

Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center in Valparaiso, IN is staffed by a team of Ophthalmologists, Optometrists, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses, eyewear and optical services. We are conveniently located for patients seeking eye care from throughout northern Indiana including La Porte, Mishawaka, South Bend, Michigan City, Crown Point, Merrillville, Chesterton, South Haven, Westville, Hebron, Lowell, Valparaiso and Walkerton as well as Chicago, Illinois suburban areas of Frankfurt, Calumet City, Monee and Crete.