Information on Refractive Eye Surgery
May 13th, 2008
Shaul Turner, anchor of FOX News’s Good Morning Colorado, interviewed Dr. Stuart Lewis this morning to “set the record straight” on the latest FDA study on LASIK and to provide an update on the latest technology in refractive surgery. The interview was to some degree a reiteration of the recent press release given by Dr. Lewis (see April 28, 2008 blog entry).
The essence of the FDA study reaffirmed the safety and efficacy of LASIK but did report about up to a 5% complication rate during the period of that study which ended in 2005. Dr. Lewis acknowledged that problems with glare and dry eyes were an issue for a small number of patients in the past. However, with the present state-of-the-art technologies, LASIK can now be performed more predictably and safely than ever before. In fact, the procedure is so stable that it has been approved by the Navy for pilots and by NASA for astronauts.
Technological advances such as the Pentacam that have become available during the past two years have made it easier to predict a patient’s candidacy for refractive surgery and make it easier to exclude patients who would be a complication risk. Finally, use of the Intralase in combination with Wavescan Technology makes the procedure more precise and has significantly reduced the number of complications that inspired the FDA study.
To see Good Day Colorado’s story on this click here.
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April 29th, 2008
Earlier this month (April 21), Dr. Lewis appeared on FOX 31′s Good Day Colorado to discuss the effects of ultraviolet light on the eye. Due to the success of that broadcast, he has been re-invited to appear on the show on May 13. This time, the conversation is scheduled to be about LASIK and the new advances associated with the evolution of the most common surgical procedure performed today. Specifically, Dr. Lewis will be discussing wave-front technology and the use of the femtosecond laser in this form of refractive surgery.
If you have the opportunity to watch the broadcast, Dr. Lewis is scheduled to be on during the first half hour of the show that begins at 9:00 am, May 13.
To view Dr. Lewis’ appearance on April 21st, click here.
Tags: Good Day Colorado on FOX 31 News
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April 28th, 2008
According to recent news reports and wire stories, The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) held a public meeting on Friday, April 25th to discuss patient satisfaction with laser eye surgery, commonly referred to as LASIK (Laser Assisted in-Situ Keratomileusis). Various national print and broadcast media outlets have published this story.
Despite a recent study by the American Academy of Ophthalmology in which 95% of LASIK patients expressed satisfaction with the procedure, the FDA has been prompted to hold these meetings due to complaints received regarding side effects such as dry eye, blurred or double vision, and poor night time vision.
“The FDA has determined that the LASIK procedure is safe and effective for the hundreds of thousands of patients treated every year. Most of these people often have fantastic vision the day after their procedure. However, as with any surgical procedure, there is the potential for an adverse outcome,” says Stuart Lewis, MD, the laser eye surgeon at Cherry Creek Eye Physicians & Surgeons, PC.
The number of complaints about LASIK outcomes reported to the FDA from 1998 through 2006 was 140. During this period, between 6 and 7 million patients underwent laser vision correction in the United States. Dr. Lewis elaborated that, “Our patients are concerned about the safety of the procedure, and they are reassured that only 0.002% of the LASIK cases during this time resulted in a complaint to the FDA. This is proof of how successful LASIK is as a surgical procedure. In fact, with the newer technologies available, the complication rate today is significantly lower that that of the past.”
Dr. Lewis stated that there are a few patients that experience minor dry eye problems after the procedure, but this is often for a short period of time. “We have known about this particular problem for many years, and we fully inform our patients prior to their surgery via a video and discussions with our staff and physicians that we can alleviate dry eye symptoms with drops and other methods. In addition, we have noted fewer dry eye problems since we have been using the Intralase technology to create the corneal flap.”
Dr. Lewis stated that the vast majority of his LASIK patients absolutely love their glasses-free vision. “Once patients learn about how safe and easy LASIK is at Boling Vision Center, they realize that life without glasses or contacts is worth the possibility of a minor complication such as dry eye.”
Dr. Lewis reports that he has performed several thousand LASIK procedures since 1996. In fact, Dr. Lewis was one of the first ophthalmologists in the Denver area to perform the procedure. “Patients find that experience reassuring,” he said.
Cherry Creek Eye Physicians & Surgeons, PC, is a full service eye care provider that has been in the Denver Community for almost 60 years. With offices in the Cherry Creek Eye Center on East Kentucky Ave. in Denver, Cherry Creek Eye Physicians & Surgeons, PC is one of the leading providers of LASIK in the Denver Metropolitan area. More information can be found at www.cherrycreekeye.com.
Tags: LASIK Complications
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April 21st, 2008
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April 21st, 2008
This morning Dr. Lewis was interviewed on Good Day Colorado by Shaul Turner. “We are trying to educate Coloradans about the harmful and cumulative effects of ultraviolet (UV) light.” The interview was done in response to a new product – Fitovers – non-prescription sunglasses that fit over a standard pair of glasses.
Fitovers have several positive features: They block UV light in the 400nm range and thus help protect the retina/macula, diminish glare because they are polarized, are made of polycarbonate and are, therefore, shatter proof, protect the skin around the eyes due to their size, are fashionable and are inexpensive (~$50.00). The lenses are a great substitute for buying a separate pair of prescription sunglasses and have been particularly well received by fishermen and other sports enthusiasts.
You will be surprised at Fitovers‘ comfort and convenience. Visit the Cherry Creek Optical located on the first floor of the Cherry Creek Eye Center to look at your Fitover options.
Tags: Ultraviolet Light
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April 9th, 2008
Recently, while purchasing an item via the Internet, I took the opportunity to read several reviews of other shoppers who had bought and commented on the product in question. Not only did I feel their praise and criticisms to by useful, they were very important in helping me make my shopping decision. I appreciated both the honesty of the reviewers and straight forward business approach of the vendor. I decided that that form of transparency was exactly what my practice needed for patients who wanted another form of information.
At the end of February, I opened a new section on my website – a “Patient Blog.” It is a forum where patients are able to candidly express opinions about how they decided to choose us as health care providers, how they were treated and, in general, their experiences in my office. The blog is meant to provide an inside look into the way my office performs from the patient’s perspective.
I invite you to read and write reviews about my office.
Tags: Patient Blog
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April 7th, 2008
If you watch sports on television, one of the most common commercials shows a group of men in their fifties or sixties biking, kayaking and generally having a good time. The point of the commercial is that the use of Flomax reduces male urinary symptoms related to an enlarging prostate. At the
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March 4th, 2008
On a regular basis, I am asked: What does 20/20 actually mean? While the technical answer is complicated, the one most people understand is quite straight forward. Your visual acuity is measured on a Snellen eye chart. The chart contains eleven lines of block letters set up in rows that decrease in their size and increase in number as one looks from the top to bottom of the chart. The thickness of the lines equal the thickness of the white spaces between them and the height and width of each letter is five times the thickness of the line. Only ten letters are used in the chart. 20/20 is considered the smallest line that a person with normal visual acuity can read at a distance of twenty feet. If you had 20/40 vision (or roughly 1/2 normal vision), it means that you would need to be only 20 feet away to read what a normally sighted person can read from 40 feet away.
With regard to “Snellen Vision,” many patients report that they are “legally blind” without their glasses. This is a contradiction in terms as legal blindness is defined as being able to see no better than 20/200 (the second largest letter on the eye chart) in the best corrected state. That is much different from being able to see no better than 20/200 in the uncorrected state.
Clearly, there too many causes to cause a deviation from normal vision to discuss here. If you are experiencing a problem with your visual acuity, the best thing you can do is find out the cause. And, if you have other questions about your vision, give my office a call and someone should be able to help you.
Tags: 20/20 Vision
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February 4th, 2008
According to the December 2007 “Anesthesiology News,” British physicians will no longer wear white coats or ties. New rules issued by the U.K. Department of Health have mandated a “bare below the elbows” dress code. That code includes jewelry, watches, white coats and neck ties during all clinical activities. The rules are based on a small body of literature that examined the risk for transmission of pathogenic microorganisms. Of particular concern is the transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the “superbug” resistant to nearly every available antibiotic.
In the United States, the push has been to maintain professional dress. This difference in approach to dress is because, according to one study, patients “overwhelmingly favor physicians in professional attire with a white coat” and because the link to infections and physician’s clothing is not that well studied. There is scant evidence that a physician’s attire affects rates of hospital-acquired infections, particularly infections with multifactorial causes like MRSA.
Tags: Infection
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January 25th, 2008
I have been performing IntraLASIK or ILASIK for about a year and a half. A review of the results was just completed and they were impressive. To this point in time, of the first several hundred eyes operated on using this technology, there were no re-treatments needed. All patients had results that either hit or were very close to the target refraction. In addition, there were no flap or other complications.
To put this in perspective, using the “traditional” technology, microkeratome associated LASIK flap complications occurred at a rate of about one percent. While this complication rate does not seem to be high, it can be inconvenient at best and cause the loss of best corrected vision at worst when it occurs. Traditionally performed LASIK (when Customvue technology was not employed) had a re-treatment rate of nearly three percent. And, when the combination of the Intralase femtosecond laser and wavefront technology was used, it was better in almost every case – especially with night vision improvement.
I-LASIK has been a real advancement in both the safety and visual results categories. While the improvements seem to be only incrementally better, we are continuing to strive for refractive visual perfection.
Tags: ILASIK (IntraLASIK)
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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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