Eye Care & Surgery Center NJ Bladeless LASIK Laser Cataract Surgeon Blog

Monday, April 28, 2014

Omega 3 Supplements May Not Help AMD

Omega 3 supplements have been questioned as playing a beneficial role for patients in the prevention of age related macular degeneration (AMD). Taking diet supplements with antioxidant vitamins C and E, Beta Carotene and   Zinc has been shown to reduce the risk of progression to advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS). In addition to this “AREDS Supplement Formulation”, some data suggests that increased dietary intake of lutein + zeaxanthin (carotenoids), omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (docosahexaenoic acid [DHA] + eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA]), or both might further reduce this risk. 

Researchers from the Age Related Eye Disease 2 (AREDS) Research Group reporting in the Journal of the  American Medical Association concluded that the addition of lutein + zeaxanthin, DHA + EPA, or both to the AREDS formulation did not further reduce risk of progression to advanced AMD but lutein + zeaxanthin could be an appropriate carotenoid substitute in the AREDS formulation for former smokers who were at risk for lung cancer.

If you or someone you know has a question about dietary supplements including Omega 3 fatty acids, please call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an appointment.

With locations at 592 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey 07090, 10 Mountain Boulevard, Warren, New Jersey 07059 and 517 Route One South, Suite 1100, Iselin, New Jersey 08830, The Eye Care & Surgery Center is a leading NJ eye care practice conveniently located for patients from throughout central and northern New Jersey.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Corneal Specialist on Pinguecula Laser Treatment

Corneal Specialist Joel Confino,M.D. of The Eye Care & Surgery Center commented, “A Pinguecula is a common, non-cancerous growth of the clear, thin tissue covering the eye called the conjunctiva. This growth is usually slightly raised from the surface of the white part of the eye called sclera and while the exact cause is unknown long-term sunlight exposure and eye irritation may be factors.” 

Usually no treatment is needed, however keeping the eye moist with artificial tears may help prevent the area from becoming inflamed. Sometimes the temporary use of mild steroid eye drops can also be helpful. Occasionally the growth may need to be removed for comfort or for cosmetic reasons especially if it grows over the cornea and impairs vision. Laser treatment for Pinguecula may be an option where other types of treatment have not been satisfactory according to researchers reporting in the journal Cornea. The researchers studied patients and treated their Pinguecula with argon laser photocoagulation. Each patient graded the cosmetic outcome on a 5 point-grading scale with 5 being excellent, 4 being good, 3 acceptable, 2 poor and 1 very poor and the surgeons evaluation of treatment outcome was based on objective findings of anterior segment photography and anterior segment optical coherence tomography. The overall cosmetic results were excellent or good in 90.5% of laser-treated cases and the laser treated cases had minimal scarring or hemorrhage. They concluded that argon laser photocoagulation is an effective and safe method for removing a Pinguecula for cosmetic purposes and the laser method facilitates control of the extent and depth of removal and thus minimizes conjunctival defects and other complications.

If you or someone you know has a question about Pinguecula or laser treatment of Pinguecula please call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an appointment. 

With locations at 592 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey 07090, 10 Mountain Boulevard, Warren, New Jersey 07059 and 517 Route One South, Suite 1100, Iselin, New Jersey 08830, The Eye Care & Surgery Center is a leading NJ eye care practice conveniently located for patients from throughout central and northern New Jersey.

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Eyewear for Sports Eye Protection

Wearing proper protective eyewear for sports can go a long way to decrease the risk of eye injuries for adults and children who are athletes. The American Academy of Ophthalmology notes that more than 40,000 people suffer from eye injuries related to sports every year with more than 90% of these sports eye injuries being preventable by wearing protective eyewear. The types and scope of eye injuries can include relatively routine corneal abrasions, bruises and contusions of the eyelids-and rather severe eye injuries including inner eye bleeding and retinal detachments. These types of sports eye injuries can result in catastrophic vision loss as well as dramatic lifestyle impairment.

Today, there is specially designed protective eyewear that provides good eye protection for most sports, including basketball, baseball, hockey, football, lacrosse, fencing, paintball, water polo, golf and others. Frame designs must offer proper protection and eyeglass lenses made from polycarbonate materials must be used to provide the highest level of impact protection so that they can withstand a ball or other projectile traveling at 90 miles per hour. These types of protective eyewear, when properly fitted protective eyewear will not interfere with sports performance and serves to help maintain eye safety, health and vision. Regular eyeglasses do not offer proper eye protection.

If you or someone you know has questions or would like help in selecting, fitting or choosing sports protective eyeglasses, please call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit TheEye Care & Surgery Center or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an appointment.

The EyeCare & Surgery Center is staffed by a team of Board Certified NJ Ophthalmologists who are subspecialty Fellowship trained New Jersey eye surgeons, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, surgery for cataracts, intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration (AMD) and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, reconstructive and cosmetic facial surgery including eyelid surgery and facial and skin rejuvenation as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses, eyewear and optical services.

The Eye Care & Surgery Center is a leading New Jersey eye care practice with offices at 592 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey 07090, 10 Mountain Boulevard, Warren, New Jersey 07059 and 517 Route One South, Suite 1100, Iselin, New Jersey 08830
.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Dry Eye after Cataract Surgery

Having a temporary dry eye after cataract surgery is somewhat common-especially given that the incidence of mild to moderate dry eye in a cataract aged population prior to cataract surgery-and exacerbated by cataract surgery makes dry eye a rather common complaint among this group.

According to the Prospective Health Assessment of Cataract Patients Ocular Surface (PHACO) Study some 60-75% of a cataract aged population had a meaningful deficiency in their tear film testing. Further, although cataract surgery is quite friendly to the cornea, it does require and incision which has the potential to temporarily interrupt corneal nerves responsible for reflex tearing and tear film integrity as well. This along with some of the solutions used during the cataract procedure can indeed result in a dry eye.

Symptoms & Treatment of Dry Eye after Cataract Surgery
The symptoms of dry eye that one might experience after cataract surgery could include fluctuations of vision, dryness, grittiness, tearing, burning and a general tiredness as well as an overall sandy feeling. The good news is that for the vast majority of patients with dry eye there are potentially helpful treatment options that include specialized artificial tear lubricants and solutions, tiny punctal plugs to help you retain tears and prescription medication that stimulates production of your own tears. In addition there are more technological approaches such as lasers and other methods to treating underlying blepharitis, eyelid gland problems or eyelid inflammation that can contribute to dry eye as well.

If you or someone you know has a question about the symptoms and treatment of dry eye after cataract surgery, please call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an appointment.

The Eye Care & Surgery Center is staffed by a team of Board Certified NJ Ophthalmologists who are subspecialty Fellowship trained New Jersey eye surgeons, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, surgery for cataracts, intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration (AMD) and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, reconstructive and cosmetic facial surgery including eyelid surgery and facial and skin rejuvenation as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses, eyewear and optical services.

The Eye Care & Surgery Center is a leading New Jersey eye care practice with offices at 592 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey 07090, 10 Mountain Boulevard, Warren, New Jersey 07059 and 517 Route One South, Suite 1100, Iselin, New Jersey 08830
.