Critical Retina Exam for Best Cataract Surgery Results

If you have been told that you have a cataract and are thinking about having cataract surgery and lens implants because it is disturbing your vision, daily activities or lifestyle, you should expect to have a thorough and critical retinal exam in order to carefully correlate the degree of vision loss with the density and position of the cataract. When cataract patients report a decrease in vision, it is important for us to correlate the visual symptoms and visual acuity to the degree of cataract present. If you have a considerable amount of vision loss but only mild cataracts, the actual cause of the vision loss must be identified. In many cases, a careful examination of the retina can reveal underlying pathology such as epiretinal membranes, retinal wrinkling or macular pucker with edema or retinal swelling. In fact, some studies report a prevalence of epiretinal membranes in 7% of patients older than 60 years and in 20% of patients aged 75 years or more-the prime demographic for cataract surgery. Therefore, before you have cataract surgery with Scott Buck, M.D., you should expect to have whatever level of examination and testing he requests in order to help you get the best results.

If you or someone you know has a question about cataracts, cataract surgery, lens implants or driving 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 offices are located at 522 Marquette Street, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1001 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354. 

Macular Degeneration Risk Increased with Aspirin

While aspirin is one of the most widely used over the counter medications, patients should be aware that the regular use of aspirin can increase the risk of age related macular degeneration (AMD). Aspirin use is widespread because it is an effective remedy for headaches, body aches, fever and millions of people at high risk of heart attack due to atherosclerosis use daily aspirin therapy as a preventative measure, thanks to aspirin’s anticoagulant properties.

The Beaver Dam Eye Study followed nearly 5,000 participants for more than 20 years performing eye examinations every five years. At each exam, participants were asked if they had regularly used aspirin at least twice a week for more than three months. Researchers found that regular aspirin use 10 years prior to eye examination was associated with late AMD, with estimated incidence of 1.76 percent, compared to 1.03 percent in non-aspirin users. Researchers concluded that these associations, though small, were statistically significant. Even more significant was that regular aspirin use 10 years prior to eye examination was significantly associated with the “Wet” form of AMD, which accounts for 10 percent of all AMD cases, but is responsible for the majority of catastrophic vision attributed to the disease.

Further, data from a 15-year Australian population-based cohort had participants complete a detailed questionnaire that assessed aspirin use, heart disease status and AMD risk factors. In addition, they received four eye examinations during the 15-year study period. After analyzing the data regular aspirin users developed wet AMD—at a rate of 24.5 percent! Even after adjusting for other risk factors like age, sex, smoking, history of heart disease and body mass index, regular aspirin users still had a higher risk of developing Wet AMD. Researchers concluded, “Regular aspirin use is associated with increased risk of incident neovascular [Wet] AMD, independent of history of cardiovascular disease and smoking.”

If you’re a regular aspirin user, you should get a thorough eye exam as soon as possible to determine your AMD status. 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 offices are located at 522 Marquette Street, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1001 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354. 

Glaucoma Help with iStent® Microscopic Implant

Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center eye surgeon Scott Buck, M.D. is pleased to be able to offer cataract patients with glaucoma an improved approach for treating their glaucoma. iStent® is an advanced technology microscopic implantable stent that can help reduce eye pressure for cataract patients with glaucoma. 

“Our challenges in helping glaucoma patients preserve vision stems from the fact that some 90% of glaucoma patients do not actually follow our instructions for using their glaucoma eye drops and we find that just about 50% actually stop taking their medication after 6 months. This is a real problem because if the eye pressure is not well controlled it increases the risk of permanent vision loss,” explained Dr. Buck. “By implanting the tiny-microscopic  iStent® (click to see implant video) we see the possibility that patients will need to use fewer eye drops for their glaucoma treatment and it is possible that that they might not need to use prescription eye drops at all,” further explained Dr. Buck.

The iStent® is FDA-approved for use in conjunction with cataract surgery to reduce eye pressure in adult patients with mild-to moderate open-angle glaucoma currently being treated with glaucoma medicine. In clinical trials, iStent® has been shown to safely reduce eye pressure, which is the primary cause of open-angle glaucoma.

If you or someone you know has a question about glaucoma, glaucoma eye exams or iStent® 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 offices are located at 522 Marquette Street, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1001 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354. 

LASIK Instead of Eyeglasses in the Kitchen

I wore contacts and glasses for years and hated them.  I am an executive chef at a restaurant and always having to deal with sweating and steam in the kitchen glasses weren’t really an option.  Contacts always dried my eyes out so terribly I was constantly putting drops in. I have been a patient of Dr. Buck’s for years and decided I would look into LASIK.  I didn’t know much about the procedure but once I had the evaluation and was a candidate I decided this was the best thing for me.  Dr. Buck and his staff explained everything to me in detail and answered all my questions.  I had the procedure done three months ago and can’t believe how wonderful it is! I would recommend it to anyone.

Vascular Disease Makes Glaucoma Treatment Difficult

The presence of or the family history of certain vascular disease can make the treatment of Normal Tension Glaucoma more difficult. Normal Tension Glaucoma is a less frequently found-but important type of glaucoma-that is characterized by patients having “normal” intraocular pressure but still experiencing eye damage such as loss of their visual field or “side vision” and optic nerve damage.

Researchers at the World Glaucoma Congress reported that certain patients who suffer from Normal Tension Glaucoma who also have vascular disease or even a predisposition to vascular disease such as a family history of stroke, the presence of cardiovascular disease or migraine may not be as easy to treat in avoiding the progression of Normal Tension Glaucoma. In fact, these factors related to vascular disease may indicate less effectiveness of eye pressure (IOP) treatment putting patients at greater risk. The the Collaborative Normal Tension Glaucoma Study is the landmark study for guiding treatment-in which 65% of patients in the untreated group of that study never showed any progression during 7 years of follow-up. But, for those at greater risk due to some other vascular disease we have to be diligent in our examinations and testing to help preserve eye health and vision.

If you or someone you know has vascular disease or is concerned about their risk of glaucoma, 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 offices are located at 522 Marquette Street, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1001 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354. 

LASIK Vision Quality Better than Ortho-K Contacts

The quality of vision after LASIK is better than that provided by Ortho-K contact lenses. LASIK is a type of laser eye surgery that provides a method of vision correction to help people with common vision problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism see clearly at distance without being dependent on glasses or contact lenses. Ortho-K or Orthokeratology is a method of contact lens fitting used to temporarily reshape the cornea to allow people to see at distance and be independent of eyeglasses and contacts for periods of time throughout the day.

Recently researchers reporting in the journal Cornea compared the differences in visual performance between Ortho-K contact lenses and LASIK for the treatment of low-to-moderate myopia nearsightedness. The results in this study suggest that LASIK provides better vision quality outcomes than Ortho-K for the treatment of low-to-moderate myopia.

If you or someone you know has a question LASIK or would like to schedule a Free LASIK Consultation, 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, is located at 502 Marquette Street, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1001 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354.

UV Protection Important for Eye Health & Vision

UV protection for your eyes and the delicate tissue around them is quite important for maintaining eye health and vision. While we all know not to spend too much time in the sun without sunscreen for our skin, sometimes we overlook the precautions needed to protect our eyes from the harmful effects of UV from the sun. Especially during summer months when we spend a great deal of time outdoors-walking, hiking, swimming-going to the beach-and just enjoying our community, we need to be reminded to use proper UV eye protection.

UV Protection & Eye Health

Ultraviolet light (UV) can cause significant damage to eye health and vision. Exposure to UV has been linked to many eye problems and in some instances is thought to quicken the onset of eye diseases such as cataract, age related macular degeneration (AMD), certain cancers on the delicate skin around the eye, Pterygia-a growth of white tissue on the surface of the eye-and even Photokeratitis, a type of sunburn of the cornea.

There are common sense precautions one can take to avoid UV damage:

• Always wear sunglasses that block 100% of UVA and UVB rays. Sunglasses without UV protection may shade the eyes but actually cause the pupils to dilate, allowing in even more harmful rays.
• Wear a brimmed hat along with sunglasses that block 100% of UVA and UVB rays.
• Choose wrap-around sunglasses to protect the eyes and the skin around the eyes.
• Be aware that although some contact lenses may offer UV protection, they cannot protect the entire eye and the skin around it.
• Choose sunglasses made of unbreakable polycarbonate, especially for children and for those who lead active lifestyles.
• Be sure to ask your doctor about the photosensitizing side effects of any medications that you might take.
• Always wear eye protection when using a tanning bed. According the American Academy of Ophthalmology, tanning beds can produce UV levels up to 100 times more than the sun, which can cause serious damage to the external and internal structures of the eye and eyelids.

Today we have wide range of UV protecting eyeglass lenses available to choose from. Eye protection from UV needs to be complete but doesn’t have to be overly expensive. High quality sunglasses should block out 99-100 percent of both UV-A and UV-B radiation. It is also important to have UV protection in everyday eyewear, which is readily available with a number of UV blocking eyeglass lens materials, specialized coatings and photochromic lenses.

Patients visiting Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center can speak with our staff who will be able to provide the proper counseling and fitting of UV protecting lenses and eyewear. These eye care professionals can offer a wide variety of UV blocking lenses, coatings and color changing lenses to keep you safe.

If you or someone you know has a question or concerns about ultraviolet (UV) eye damage and injury and how to select protective eyewear 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 offices are located at 522 Marquette Street, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1001 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354.