Capital Eye Consultants
 
Capital Eye Consultants   
Fall 2013 Newsletter

Capital Eye Consultants


We hope you find this newsletter interesting and informative of new developments at our center and in the field of eye care

 

Sincerely,

 

Clinical Staff
Capital Eye Consultants
In This Issue
CEC to Trial Verion Imaging System
There's an App for that
A More Precise Intraocular Lens
Wisely Choosing An Eye Surgeon

 

    

               

               CEC to Trial Verion             Imaging System for Cataract Surgery

 

 

CEC will be conducting a trial of the Verion Imaging system in the near future. Consisting of the VERION™ Reference Unit and the VERION™ Digital Marker, the system will allow an image capture of the patients scleral vessels, limbus, pupil and iris features in the office that is then uploaded to the operating room microscope.  The technology will allow more precise axis alignment for toric IOLs, limbal relaxing incisions, and incision placement.  The system uses similar

technology to that used in the VISX excimer iris registration process that is used for LASIK and PRK treatment.  It will obviate the need for manual marking of the patient's cornea at the time of surgery.  The reference unit that captures the image in the office also has capability of measuring  keratometry, pupillometry and other key pre-op parameters.  The reference unit will also provide multiple advanced IOL calculation formulas, including lens and power selection, incision and implantation axis planning customized for each patient. As the Washington DC area leader in cataract surgery, we continue to explore technology that can improve patient outcomes 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

            

                   There's an App for that...

 

For many of us out there, technology can be daunting.  Here are a few App suggestions that can benefit both you and your patients.  I have to say I am an Apple guy so these are for iOS.  I am sure many are available for the Android OS as well.

 

Eyedrops is a reminder App for your patients, with the ability to set alarms to remind them when to take their drops.  The App offers the ability to take pictures of the bottles that display with the alarms to avoid confusion.  It also counts the drops used and will alert the patient when they need refills.

 

RxmindMe is another reminder App for patients.  This also has picture capability and count down of medications.  They can also add their systemic meds to these reminders, print summaries of usage, etc..

 

Medscape offers medical info on breaking news, drug reference and interaction checker, prescribing info, procedure videos, and CME.

 

MedPage Today puts the latest news and free CE/CME on your mobile device from the University of Pennsylvania Medical School.

 

NEJM, the New England Journal app provides free access to recent articles and images.

 

Skyscape Medical Resources includes drug information, medical calculators, and other clinical information.  This App has many in App purchases to expand capability.

 

Goodrx is an App that I use to check local prices on meds for self-pay patients.  They also can be accessed from their webpage goodrx.com.

 

There are a lot of Apps out there that can be very useful.  There are also some that directly compete with you such as Glasses.com  App or 1800contacts App.

So, for your patients compliance, to look up some dusty old fact, or to keep abreast of breaking news, there's an App for that!

 

             James Mattern OD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

            

 

    A More Precise Intraocular Lens (IOL)????

 

We all know that cataract surgery with or without a premium IOL is in reality a refractive procedure.  Our cataract patients expect to have rapid return of their vision and to be as glasses free as possible. However, only recently, has there been a change in the availability of IOLs with power increments <0.5D.  For the last 35 yrs, we have had IOLs available available in 0.5D steps and those IOLs have a lens tolerance up to 0.37 D.  In otherwords, a patient that needs a 20D IOL, may be getting an IOL that is in reality anywhere from 20.375D down to 19.625D.    Now there is an aspheric monofocal IOL that comes in 0.25D steps and has a lens tolerance of 0.125D.   The Softec HD IOL manufactured by Lenstec, a Florida based, reduces the IOL power variability and is up to three times more precise than cataract replacement lenses manufactured by other companies under less stringent ISO standards. 

 

CEC is presently conducting a small study to determine whether the Softec HD IOL delivers more precise outcomes in our monofocal IOL cataract patients. With over 20,000 cataract procedures performed, many of them co-managed, we are proud to offer your patients technology that will help obtain the best results possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

      Wisely Choosing An Eye Surgeon

           

 

Upon hosting various educational seminars, I have been amazed to find out that only a small percentage of the general public knows about oculoplastic surgery.  This has fueled my desire to make it a priority to introduce and educate others about this sub-specialty.


Within the medical field, the face can be divided into three sections - the orbital region, the nasal cavity, and the oral cavity.  For each of these sections, there are specialists who are trained and qualified to deal with the trauma and repair of abnormalities of that specific area.  Some specialists become sub-specialists within these three areas - ophthalmologists, otolarynologists (ear, nose and throat/ENT), and dentists - pursue further training in order to deal with more complicated orbital, nasal, or oral repairs.


- Ophthalmologists who are trained to repair orbital wall fractures, eyelid and eyebrow abnormalities, and nasolacrimal pathways (tear drainage areas) are known as oculoplastic surgeons.


- Ear, nose and throat specialists who are trained to deal with the complexity of facial structures are known as ENT facial plastic surgeons.


- Dentists who are trained to repair jaw abnormalities and the complexities of the lower face are known as oral maxillofacial surgeons.


Oculoplastic surgeons deal with the defects and abnormalities that are specifically related to the eyes and the structures around them.  This includes various eyelid surgeries (blepharoplasty, levator advancement, Mullerectomy, etc.), facelifts, reconstruction of the lower eye and building the lower eyelids using the excess skin of the cheek area.  This is just a small sampling of which most people are unaware.


Of course, choosing the right doctor should always be of the utmost importance to you.  It's a hot topic these days, and the specialty of "oculoplastics" has not been properly introduced to the general public. If you desire the best evaluation of your eyelids, eyebrows, and the surrounding areas (whether for cosmetic or medical/functional reasons), your wisest choice is to select an oculoplastic surgeon who has been trained for that specific purpose.


Let me provide you with an example.  A lady has been thinking about having her eyelids done for many months.  Her reasons include (1) suffering from heaviness behind her eyes, (2) trouble with keeping her eyes open (generally or toward the end of each day), and/or (3) her eyes are now narrower and less attractive than they were in previous years.  Because she believes that this is simply a cosmetic problem, she goes to a general plastic surgeon and has a bilateral upper eyelid blepharoplasty (removing the excess skin from the upper eyelids).  Weeks or months later, she still believes that she has the same problems that she had prior to the surgery, and in fact, she does.  She begins to ask around, and one of her friends tells her about an oculoplastic surgeon in her area.  She makes an appointment to see the doctor. She learns that she has a condition called mild blepharoptosis (droopy upper eyelids) and that she needs to have another surgery done to repair this condition.  It wasn't just a problem of having excess skin removed, but also involved functional muscles of the eyelids and eyebrows.  She is now faced with a decision to� have a second surgery, with just as much downtime and cost, or to leave the condition as-is without repair and suffer with the same problems as before.


When you are considering major surgery near or around your eyes, please remember that there are oculoplastic surgeons who are specifically trained for these eye conditions

                            

                                Soheila Rostami MD

 

 

 

            

 

                      About Us

Founded in 1986 by doctors of optometry in Northern Virginia, Capital Eye Consultants has provided 27 years of quality and comprehensive consultative/surgical co-management services for the optometrists and their patients in the Northern Virginia area. 

 

Capital Eye Consultants
3025 Hamaker Court
Fairfax, Virginia 22031
(703) 876-9630