Information on Refractive Eye Surgery
June 27th, 2010
Recently, I have added using Alcon’s Ex-PRESS Mini-Glaucoma Shunt to the list of surgical options available for our difficult glaucoma patients. The Mini-Shunt is a 400-um wide by 3-mm long stainless steel medical device (about the size of a grain of rice) that offers a minimally invasive approach to dealing with glaucoma cases that cannot be adequately controlled on maximal medical therapy and/or SLT laser treatment.
The shunt works by creating a pathway for intraocular fluid to flow from inside to outside of the eye bypassing the blocked or poorly functioning drain (trabecular meshwork). It provides excellent control of the amount of fluid draining out of the eye by standardizing the drainage opening. In controlled studies, the Ex-PRESS Mini-Shunt had a 94% success rate with a low complication rate compared to traditional glaucoma surgery (trabeculectomy).
The Mini-Shunt is attractive to both patients and surgeons because:
1. It is minimally invasive – No tissue is removed as in traditional glaucoma surgery.
2. Because of this minimally invasive approach, any post-operative inflamatory response is blunted.
3. Post-operatively, eyes are quieter, less red, more comfortable and have better vision sooner.
4. The results appear to be more predictable and complications related to over-filtration in the early post-operative period are lessened.
My experience with the Ex-Press Mini-Shunt has been nothing but positive. And, that same experience holds true from the patient’s point of view. I believe this device is a giant step forward in the surgical treatment of glaucoma.
Tags: Ex-PRESS Glaucoma Mini-Shunt
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January 4th, 2010
Thu Dec 31, 6:31 pm ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Here’s some advice stemming from the unusual case of a man who had spider hairs stuck in his cornea: Be sure to cover your eyes when hanging around with your pet tarantula.
Ophthalmologists at St. James’s University Hospital in Leeds, England, used high magnification lenses to find out what made the man’s eye red, watery and light-sensitive, according to a study reported in the British medical journal The Lancet on Thursday.
They discovered hair-like projections stuck in the man’s cornea.
It was a light bulb moment for the patient, who remembered that three weeks earlier he had been cleaning a stubborn stain on the glass tank of his pet, a Chilean Rose tarantula.
“He sensed movement in the terrarium. He turned his head and found that the tarantula, which was in close proximity, had released ‘a mist of hairs’ which hit his eyes and face,” the doctors wrote.
They said the man’s condition was rare.
The authors noted that the Chilean Rose tarantula releases the barbed hair on the back of its body to defend against predators.
“We suggest that tarantula keepers be advised to routinely wear eye protection when handling these animals,” the doctors said.
(Editing by Mohammad Zargham)
Tags: Spiders
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September 18th, 2009
From goodideassalon.com
September 1, 2009
Forget sitting too close to the television, its just a matter of time before a screen can literally rest on the eyeball. Scientists at the University of Washington are working on a new breed of contact lenses with embedded LEDs which allow information to be displayed to the wearer. This human machine interface will use custom-built transparent circuitry in a polymer lens that is roughly 1.2 millimeters in diameter.
The technology still faces a few hurdles (the need for custom parts, physical constraints, and user safety) but has already proven itself with single pixel visual cues for both gamers and the hearing impaired.
Tags: Contact Lenses
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May 5th, 2009
Technology in ophthalmology continues to advance at breakneck speed. At the Cherry Creek Eye Center, we are committed to offering the most technologically advanced therapeutic and diagnostic options for our patients.
We have just purchased the Cirrus HD-OCT (Ocular Coherence Tomograph). This is a clear upgrade from the Stratus OCT 3 that we have had for the past several years in that the images it provides are in high definition. For example, instead of having the capacity to perform 3,072 A-scans with the Stratus OCT 3, we are able to obtain 27,000 A-scans with the new technology. The image quality is markedly enhanced with the Cirrus HD-OCT and the scan patterns provide more viewing options.
The bottom line is that the Cirrus HD-OCT will be a valuable instrument in our armamentarium to help us diagnose macular disorders (macular degeneration) and optic nerve (glaucoma) diseases.
Tags: Technology
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May 4th, 2009
In an attempt to be even more available to our patients, I have hired Dr. Perry Umlauf to work in our office on a regular basis. Dr. Umlauf is both a board certified and fully licensed optometrist who has been in practice since 1989. Due to a job opportunity, he and his wife recently relocated to the Denver area from Central Pennsylvania.
Dr. Umlauf’s experience is in the area of medical optometry having worked closely with an ophthalmology practice in Lebanon, PA for the last 20 years. He is also skilled in the fitting of multiple kinds of contact lenses. Dr. Umlauf was voted Central Pennsylvania’s Optometrist of the year by the Optometric Society there in 1997 and 2008. He was also voted Optometric Association’s optometrist of the year in Pennsylvania in 2009.
We think Dr. Umlauf will be a great addition to our experienced staff.
Tags: Optometry
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February 27th, 2009
Tears, idle tears, I know not what they mean,
Tears from the depth of some divine despair
Rise in the heart, and gather to the eyes,
In looking on the happy Autumn-fields,
And thinking of the days that are no more.
Fresh as the first beam glittering on a sail,
That brings our friends up from the underworld,
Sad as the last which reddens over one
That sinks with all we love below the verge;
So sad, so fresh, the days that are no more.
Ah, sad and strange as in dark summer dawns
The earliest pipe of half-awakened birds
To dying ears, when unto dying eyes
The casement slowly grows a glimmering square;
So sad, so strange, the days that are no more.
Dear as remembered kisses after death,
And sweet as those by hopeless fancy feigned
On lips that are for others; deep as love,
Deep as first love, and wild with all regret;
O Death in Life, the days that are no more.
Tags: Poetry
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February 15th, 2009
On February 10, 2009, Dr. Lewis gave a presentation to the medical staff at Rose Medical Center. The subject of the talk was “Ocular Manifestations of Systemic Diseases.” The presentation was well attended, especially by the primary care physicians who were the targeted audience. A question and answer session followed the discussion.
Dr. Lewis has since been asked to give the same presentation to the Rose Medical Center Eye Surgery staff at the Cherry Creek Eye Center and to Rocky Mountain Ophthalmic Personnel members.
Tags: Academics
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October 22nd, 2008
According to multiple sources including “National Wildlife” and “Science Daily” and Wikipedia, crocodile tears are for real. For centuries, the phrase “crying crocodile tears” has been used to denote insincere grief. According to “National Wildlife” the myth was started in the 15th century when a traveler reported observing a crocodile crying for its prey while consuming it.
Literature through the ages has made references to crying crocodiles including both “The Voyage and Travel of Sir John Mandeville” (published and widely read in 1400) and in Shakespear’s “Otello.”
University of Florida Zoologist, Kent Vliet, observed and videotaped seven crocodilians while they ate. Five of the seven teared up as they devoured their food. While most mammals produce tears in response to severe pain, crying has been attributed to humans in respnse to both pain and emotional upset. Elephants, gorillas and camels have also been reported to cry according to some studies.
Physiologically, a crocodile’s tears are believed to result when they blow air (and tears) through their sinuses while eating. Crocodiles have lacrimal or tear glands that secrete tears but are devoid of tear drainage ducts. The result is that when they eat, the proteinaceous tears bubble up in their eyes. Crocodiles do not cry with remorse.
In humans, “Crocodile Tear Syndrome” is an uncommon consequence of Bell’s Palsy. In this condition, the facial or seventh cranial nerve becomes misdirected during regeneration and causes the patient to tear while eating.
Tags: Crocodile Tears
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October 19th, 2008
Dr. Lewis was again interviewed on Oct. 15 by Shaul Turner on Good Day Colorado. The subject was on the dangers associated with contact lens wear. Specifically, a profile of a typical patient that got into vision-threatening trouble by being lazy in the care of his lenses. The take-home messages that Dr. Lewis gave were:
1. Wash your hands prior to handling your contact lenses.
2. Make sure you rub your contact lenses during cleaning
(despite the “no-rub” advertisement on the bottle.
3. Never “top-off” the lens well with new solution. Empty the
old solution out first.
4. Clean your case out with hot, soapy water regularly and replace
your case monthly.
The vast majority of eye infections related to contact lens wear are caused by poor lens hygiene.
Tags: Corneal Ulcers
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June 23rd, 2008
On June 21, 2008, Dr. Lewis was one of two community physicians honored for their years of service to the residency program by the University of Colorado’s Department of Ophthalmology. The recognition of Dr. Lewis’ twenty-five years of teaching clinical ophthalmology to resident physicians was announced by Naresh Mandava, MD, Chairman of the Department, at the annual Resident’s Day Dinner. Dr. Lewis’ commitment to the residency program was symbolized by a gift of a buffalo statuette carved from granite.
Tags: Dr. Lewis Honored
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Cherry Creek Eye Physicians and Surgeons, P.C.
4999 E. Kentucky Ave
Denver, CO 80246
(303) 691-2228
Uncompromised Excellence in Eye Care
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