Physicians at The Eye Center perform numerous types of surgeries including the popular corrective LASIK and LASEK refractive surgeries to corneal transplants and cosmetic surgeries.

This page provides a general overview of a few of the many surgeries performed at The Eye Center. The list is not intended to be a comprehensive listing of the surgeries performed at The Eye Center, but is instead provided to give visitors to our website a general understanding of some of the surgeries performed at our surgery center.

Click on the general surgical categories below for more details on individual procedures performed at The Eye Center.

 Refractive Surgery (Lasik, PRK, Lasek, ICL)
Corneal Surgery
Strabismus Surgery
Cosmetic Surgery
Retinal Procedures

Refractive Surgery top
LASIK: (laser in-situ certainties) which uses the excimer laser to change the curvature of the cornea. This is accomplished by creating a hinged flap of thin corneal tissue using a microkeratome.
PRK: (photorefractive Keratectomy) which uses the excimer laser to change the curvature of the cornea. Unlike the LASIK this does not require creating a flap. The epithelium is removed either manually or with laser.
LASEK: (laser epithelial Keratomileusis) also uses the excimer laser to change the shape of the cornea. Unlike the Lasik no flap is created. The epithelium, outer layer of cornea, is removed with an alcohol solution and laser treatment applied.
ICL: (implantable Contact Len) unlike the above procedures this does not use a laser. A small incision is made in the patient’s eye and an implantable contact lens is inserted between the iris and the eye’s natural lens.

CLEAR LENSECTOMY: The natural lens of the eye is removed and replaced with an intraocular lens with power appropriate to patient’s needs.

Corneal Surgery top
CORNEAL TRANSPLANT: (PK) if the cornea becomes cloudy as a result of corneal disease or corneal injury the only way to restore sight is a corneal transplant. Corneal tissue for transplant comes from organ donations thru the eye bank. Procedure is painless and is usually done on an outpatient basis.
CATARACT SURGERY:

Cataract surgery removes the natural, clouded lens of the eye and replaces it with a clear, artificial one (known as an intraocular lens, or IOL).

What Is A Cataract?
A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye. Cataracts prevent light from properly reaching the retina (the back of the eye), and this results in blurry or distorted vision. Cataracts are a major cause of vision loss in the United States. They can occur as the result of age, injury, or disease. They most commonly affect older adults, but they can sometimes afflict infants or younger people. The most common symptoms of cataracts include blurry or cloudy vision, diminished night vision, frequent eyeglass or contact lens prescription changes, and problems with halos and glare. Although cataracts are not painful, they can cause a progressive loss of vision.

PHACEOMULSIFICATION: Phacoemulsification is the process by which the cataractous lens is fragmented into minute pieces with a high frequency ultrasound probe. The fragments are then gently aspirated out of the eye.
Strabismus Surgery
Strabismus, more commonly know as cross-eyed or wall eyed is a vision condition in which a person cannot align both eyes at the same time. 		top
MUSCLE SURGERY: Eye Muscle surgery is surgery to weaken, strengthen, or reposition any of the muscles that move the eyeball. The purpose is to align the pair of eyes so that they gaze in the same direction and move together as a team.
Cosmetic Surgery
 top
BROWLIFT: This procedure restores a more youthful, refreshed look to the area above the eyes. The muscles and tissues that cause furrowing or drooping are removed and altered to raise the eyebrows, smoothes the forehead and reduce the frown lines. There are several surgical methods for this procedure, you and your physician will decide which is best for you.
BLEPHAROPLASTY: Blepharoplasty is eyelid surgery, in which the oculoplastic surgeon removes excess fat and skin through a tiny, inconspicuous incision. The incision is usually hidden either in the eyelid's natural crease, along the lower lash line, or on the inside of the lower lid. In any case, visible scarring is minimal, and the results can be astounding. This surgery may be done just to improve the appearance of the face but may also be recommended to improve vision.
ENDOSCOPIC FOREHEAD LIFT: This surgery is performed to alter the position, contour, and wrinkling of the forehead and eyebrows. Time and gravity cause a drooping of the eyebrows that causes the upper eyelid to appear heavy. This surgery improves that heaviness as well as softening the wrinkle lines between the eyebrows.
ENDOSCOPIC MIDFACELIFT: This surgery is performed through the lower eyelid and small endoscopic incisions to reposition the lower eyelid and cheek fat. As we mature, the fat of the lower eyelid protrudes and the cheek fat sinks. This results in the lower eyelids and cheeks having two protrusions with an indentation line between the two fat pockets. The midfacelift may be used in combination with lower eyelid blepharoplasty to smooth out the irregular contour
CHEMICAL PEELS, MICRODERMABRASION and LASER SKIN RESURFACING: These procedures can be effective means of eliminating wrinkles, fading irregular pigmentation, and rejuvenating the skin. The CO2 laser, microdermabrasion, and chemical peels are safe for use around the eyes. Our surgeons will help you decide which of these options suits your individual needs and recovery time. You'll look younger and more attractive in no time!

BOTOX: Botox is a more conservative, temporary solution to the problem of wrinkles. This treatment is the most commonly performed cosmetic procedure in the United States. Botox is given as an injection to relax the muscles that create wrinkle lines. It not only treats what's there, but it also prevents new and deeper wrinkles from forming while the treatment is working. Botox can also be used to induce an incisionless browlift. This technique was first developed by one of our doctors.
Retinal Procedures
 top

RETINAL DETACHMENT:
There are several types of surgery that can repair a detached retina. The surgery usually consists of one or more of the following procedures:

Scleral Buckle - A plastic band is often placed around the eye to indent and support the area of the tear. It may extend all the way around the eye, like a belt, or it may be fixed to only one area. The patient cannot see or feel the band once the eye has healed. The scleral buckle is meant to stay in place for your entire life.

Pneumatic Retinopexy - If the tear causing the retinal detachment is in the top half of the eye, it may be possible to seal it with a gas bubble injected into the eye. This is combined with special head positioning to push the bubble against the tear, and laser or freezing to "glue" the tear back into position and prevent re-detachment. This is a good treatment option for only occasional retinal detachments. Your surgeon will advise you on your individual case. If the bubble does not work, scleral buckling and/or vitrectomy may be recommended.

Vitrectomy - This operation removes the vitreous jelly as well as any scar tissue or blood, which may have accumulated. The vitreous is replaced with a gas bubble or silicone oil. The gas is replaced by the eyes own fluid over weeks to months without any further surgery. The silicone oil may need to be removed with a later surgery.

DIABETIC RETINOPATHY:
When significant retinopathy is detected, a special test called Fluorescein Angiography is sometimes performed. This is a photographic test of the retina and does not involve X-rays. After color pictures are taken, a yellow dye, called fluorescein, is injected into the arm vein and photographed as it passes through the retinal vessels. This provides a very detailed "road map" of the retina, identifying any weakened or abnormal blood vessels. This test is helpful in deciding whether laser treatment is needed and in guiding that treatment.

Laser surgery is the most common treatment for diabetic retinopathy. Laser is a highly focused beam of light that can be used to cauterize leaky blood vessels or stimulate abnormal new vessels to shrink and stop bleeding. Laser surgery is done in the office, using anesthetic eye drops or an anesthetic injection. Usually laser involves little or no discomfort, and patients go home immediately after treatment. Post-operative discomfort, if it occurs, is usually controlled with non-prescription pain medication such as Tylenol TM or Advil TM.

Laser surgery for retinal swelling is called focal or grid laser therapy. This is effective in preventing further vision loss and may result in some visual improvement. Once this treatment has been performed, it may take several weeks or months for the swelling to fully drain away. Occasionally, more leaky spots develop requiring repeated focal treatment. Abnormal new vessel growth can be treated with panretinal photocoagulation. In this type of laser surgery, a large number of laser spots are placed in the side portions of the retina. This causes abnormal new vessels to shrink and reduces the risk of vision loss from bleeding or retinal detachment.

Laser surgery is designed to stabilize or improve vision. It cuts in half the risk of severe vision loss. Even if vision is not improved, laser therapy may help to limit visual loss that would have occurred without treatment. Some patients experience side effects of laser, including:

  • Mild loss of side vision
  • Blurry vision or spots in the vision
  • Difficulty seeing in dim light
  • Sensitivity to light

These side effects, when noticed at all, are usually mild and temporary, but on occasion they may persist. Even then, this is far better than the serious visual loss that can result without laser treatment.

Although laser treatment is very successful at stabilizing diabetic retinopathy, it is not a cure. Sometimes, damage may progress despite laser treatment. This damage can include persisting hemorrhage in the central jelly or scar tissue and detachment of the retina. Vitrectomy surgery may be needed if further hemorrhage or damage to the retina occurs. This is an operation in which the jelly in the back of the eye along with any scar tissue or blood is removed. This is usually a very successful procedure that is well tolerated by the eye. Your doctor can discuss your case with you individually.

RETINAL VEIN OCCLUSIONS:
The eye is like a tiny camera, with lenses in the front and film in the back. The "film" in the camera is called the retina. It is nourished by tiny blood vessels. Arteries carry the blood into the back of the eye, and veins drain the blood out and back to the heart. Sometimes, the main vein that drains blood from the eye can become blocked. This is called a central retinal vein occlusion, and can result in mild to severe vision loss. If this process occurs in one of the small venous branches, it is called a branch vein occlusion. Similar loss of vision can occur, but it is usually more localized and less severe.

When a vein occlusion occurs, the vision may be damaged in three main ways. Blood may back up and break out of blood vessels resulting in hemorrhages that block the vision. Fluid in the bloodstream may leak out of vessels resulting in vision loss from swelling, also called "edema". Finally, the capillaries (the tiniest vessels) may be damaged, decreasing oxygen supply to the retina enough to result in vision loss. The macula is the central portion of the retina responsible for sharp central vision. If the macula is involved in the occlusion, vision loss may result.

What Causes Venous Occlusion?
Vein occlusions may have many causes. In elderly patients, they are more common in patients with other diseases of small blood vessels such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Patients of any age may have blood disorders that result in abnormally thick blood causing vein occlusions. If you have not had a recent medical exam, you should have one to check for these possible associated conditions. Glaucoma, a condition involving increased eye pressure, may cause vein occlusions by increasing resistance to blood flow within the eye. We will check for this as part of your evaluation.

How Is Venous Occlusion Diagnosed?
Vein occlusions can be detected by examining the back of the eye after instilling drops to dilate the pupils. Sometimes, the circulation is more closely studied using a picture test called Fluorescein Angiography. This involves injecting a synthetic dye, called sodium fluorescein into an arm vein. A few seconds after injection, this dye appears in the retinal vessels and is photographed with a special computerized camera, providing a very detailed "roadmap" of the circulation.

What treatments are available for venous occlusion?
The treatment of retinal venous occlusion depends on the size and location of the blocked vessel. Some small vein occlusions are self-limited and resolve on their own without the need for treatment. The hemorrhage from vein occlusions clears with time and does not require treatment. The swelling that often results from vein occlusion may persist for long periods. In many of these cases, laser treatment can be used to seal leaky vessels and assist in the reabsorption of this swelling. One complication of vein occlusion is abnormal new vessel formation in the eye that can result in vitreous hemorrhage with sudden vision loss or a severe, painful form of glaucoma. These complications can be treated with other laser techniques. Some severe vein occlusions have been successfully treated by doing surgery (vitrectomy) to physically relieve the site of blockage. Your doctor can discuss with you what, if any, treatment is recommended in your case.
 



 

Blue Highway Design