News / Events
January – Glaucoma Awareness
Blade-free LASIK
Partial thickness corneal transplant
Treatments help slow symptoms of wet AMD
IOL's for cataract patients
New Doctors have joined the Rhode Island Eye Institute
January – Glaucoma Awareness
Newsletter: Living with Glaucoma: It’s all in the Family
Glaucoma remains a leading cause of preventable blindness. It affects more than 2.3 million Americans age 40 and older. Another 2 million do not know they have the disease. January is Glaucoma Awareness Month and knowing your risks for glaucoma can save your sight. Glaucoma can quietly damage the eye and optic nerve even before a person notices vision problems. Such damage cannot be reversed once it occurs.
Top risk factors for glaucoma are:
- Age (65 years and older)
- Elevated eye pressure
- Family history of glaucoma
- African, Asian or Latino ethnicity
- Related health problems, including diabetes, low blood pressure, migraine headaches
For people of any age with symptoms or risks for eye disease, such as glaucoma, Rhode Island Eye Institute recommends seeing an Eye M.D. to decide on eye exam intervals and other needed care. For adults with no signs or risk factors for eye disease, a baseline screening is recommended at age 40—the time when the early stages of age-related eye disorders and vision changes may begin. Based on this screening information, the Eye M.D. will prescribe how often to return for follow-up exams.
Family support from the first diagnosis can make all the difference, as is true for many chronic illnesses. Family members can help an elder set up a medication schedule that fits his or her daily routine and help him or her learn to self-administer eye drops. Empathic listening and companionship are also important, as studies show depressed or isolated patients are less likely to adhere to treatment. For more information on glaucoma, visit geteyesmart.org
Blade-free LASIK
Dr. Perlman offers “Blade-free” LASIK for our patients, using the IntraLase laser.The IntraLase Method uses tiny, rapid pulses of laser light to create a corneal flap—instead of using a metal blade—during the first step of LASIK. For more information about this, go to the Refractive Surgery/LASIK page.Back to Top
Partial thickness corneal transplant
Conventional corneal transplant removes all layers of the cornea. In many corneal diseases, however, the disease involves only the innermost layer of the cornea.The new procedure is called DSAEK (Descemet's Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty) In DSAEK only the very innermost layers of the cornea are transplanted. As a result, many fewer sutures are used and visual recovery time is reduced.
Dr. Perlman was one of the first corneal surgeons in New England to perform this procedure.
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Treatments help slow symptoms of wet AMD
Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the #1 cause of vision loss in people over age 60 in the United States. There are two types of AMD—wet and dry. The wet type is less common, but causes more severe vision loss more rapidly than dry AMD.What is wet AMD?
AMD damages the macula, the part of your retina that enables you to see things straight ahead of you. In wet AMD, abnormal and weak blood vessels start to develop and leak blood and fluid into the back of the eye. This distorts and scars the macula and eventually destroys central vision. Symptoms include blind spots, wavy or blurred vision, and difficulty reading signs or books. The disease can progress very rapidly, which is why early diagnosis is critical.
Macugen
Macugen is the first therapy approved by the FDA to treat all types of wet AMD. It works by blocking a key signal that causes the abnormal blood vessels to grow and leak. By helping to slow the growth of these abnormal vessels, Macugen can slow damage and help preserve your vision. The medicine is injected into the back of your eye where it is needed most. A new injection is needed every six weeks.
Visudyne therapy
Visudyne is a light-activated drug that is injected into your arm. The drug collects in the abnormal blood vessels in the retina. A photodynamic “cold” laser, known as PDT, is then shone into the back of the eye to activate the drug, which begins a chemical process that causes the abnormal blood vessels to close. In clinical trials, patients averaged between 3 and 4 treatments in the first year.
Like Macugen, Visudyne therapy cannot restore vision that has already been lost, but it can help slow or prevent additional vision loss. Unlike Macugen, Visudyne is not indicated for all types of wet AMD. There are side effects with both drugs, so be sure and talk to your doctor about which treatment may be right for you.
Lucentis
Like Macugen, Lucentis is another drug to treat wet macular degeneration by impeding new growth of abnormal blood vessels. Lucentis shows promise in reversing the effects of macular degeneration, not just preventing further vision loss. Lucentis is currently available only in clinical trials; however, it is being prescribed using a closely related drug, Avastin.
Dr. Lory Snady-McCoy, M.D., and Gaurav Gupta, M.D., specialize in diseases of the retina and retinal surgery at The Rhode Island Eye Institute. Please call 401-272-2020 in our Providence office, or 508-679-0150 in our Fall River office, or 401-437-0500 in our East Providence office for more information or to schedule an appointment.
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IOL's for cataract patients
Understanding How Vision Changes
Many things are changing as time passes. Vision is one of them. The aging process affects clarity and quality of vision, which may affect your ability to drive at night. Two primary causes of vision loss with age are cataracts and presbyopia.
Cataracts
Cataracts affect most people over the age of 65 and some younger people as well. This condition occurs as the natural lens inside the eye becomes cloudy. This clouding scatters the light passing through the eye, resulting in hazy and blurred vision.
Presbyopia – the loss of near reading vision is a condition that affects everyone over the age of 45. Presbyopia occurs when the natural lens of the eye becomes firmer and less flexible. This reduces the eye’s ability to switch from seeing objects at a distance (for driving) to seeing objects that are near (for reading.)
Advances in Cataract Surgery
With approximately three million procedures performed each year in the U.S., cataract surgery is the most common surgical procedure.
Cataract surgery has a proven track record for restoring lost vision. The standard treatment for cataracts is to remove the clouded natural crystalline lens (cataract) and replace it with an intraocular lens implant to restore vision. When performed using a conventional lens implant, this treatment still leaves many people dependent on glasses in their daily lives. Now new lens technologies allow us to do more. Presbyopia can be treated at the same time as cataracts with new lens technology.
Today you have lens implant options that can provide the vision to do everyday tasks without being dependent on glasses. With new technology lens implants, many people can read, work on a computer and drive without depending on glasses after cataract treatment. There are a number of new lens implants that can allow you to do these tasks. These new lenses are called Presbyopic Lens Implants.
Are You A Candidate For a Presbyopic Lens Implant?The doctors here at The Rhode Island Eye Institute will help you understand whether a Presbyopic Lens Implant is an option that is right for your lifestyle and eye health. You may be a candidate if you:
- Require treatment for cataracts
- Want to be independent of glasses in most situations, including reading, using a computer, cooking or driving.
For those people who do not mind wearing glasses or those who have certain eye health issues, a conventional lens implant, (“monofocal” lens) may be the best option. Implants such as these have been used to treat millions of people, and provide good vision after cataract surgery. Your doctor will explain these options if they are right for you.
The Major Brands Of Presbyopic Lens Implants Are:
- The ReStor Lens: This is a multifocal lens. The term “multifocal” means that the lens literally improves focal points so people can see well at a variety of distances. It provides very good near and distance vision.
- The Crystalens: This lens uses the eye’s natural muscle to change focus for different distances. It may provide the best distance of the Presbyopic Lens Implants and is good at intermediate distances.
Insurance Coverage for Cataract with Lens Implantation
Cataract Surgery with conventional lens implantation
Most insurance companies cover the cost of cataract surgery with conventional lens implantation.
Presbyopic lens implantation
The cost of upgrading to a Presbyopic lens implant is not covered by Medicare or private insurance companies, but recent changes in the Medicare laws allow you to pay out-of-pocket for the additional costs associated with these lenses.
Our staff will explain your financial responsibilities in detail and answer all your questions. Low monthly payment plans are available to fit your budget.
Cataract surgery is performed by Robert L. Bahr, M.D., Thomas Lang, M.D., Elliot Perlman, M.D, Christopher J. Newton, M.D. and Sarah Anis, M.D.. Call 401-272-2020 in our Providence office or call 508-679-0150 in our Fall River office for more information or to schedule an appointment.
