Glaucoma, Antidepressants & The Elderly

Researchers from the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario reported on a study at the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (AAGP) 2011 Annual Meeting in which the results indicated that elderly patients over 66 taking antidepressants were at significantly greater risk of developing Acute Angle Closure Glaucoma (AACG). Depending on the class of antidepressant the risk was as much as 2-fold higher. Many people taking antidepressants complain of visual problems after taking antidepressants and usually it is thought to be related to dry eyes. These findings should make clinicians a bit more aware that ocular complaints might be more serious than that. Although the study was on a large group, it was agreed that it was necessary to be replicated in a randomized, controlled design to be unquestionable.

GLASSES AFTER CATARACT SURGERY

Cataract Surgery Questions & Answers

Question: Will I need to wear eyeglasses after cataract surgery?

Answer:There are two primary goals of Cataract Surgery. The first goal is to remove the cloudy crystalline lens. The crystalline lens is actually an optical component of the eye that provides focusing power. The second goal of Cataract Surgery is to replace the optical and focusing power that was provided by crystalline lens. This is accomplished by implanting an intraocular lens (IOL) to provide the correct amount of focusing power to allow you to see clearly.

If you wore glasses because you were nearsighted, farsighted or had astigmatism before you developed a Cataract, it is possible for the Cataract Surgeon to use a carefully calculated IOL power or special IOL that can correct astigmatism so that you may not need to wear eyeglasses to see at distance after your surgery. Today, it is even possible for Cataract Surgeons to select IOLs that can correct both distance and near vision so that you can decrease, or even eliminate, your dependence on bifocals and reading glasses after Cataract Surgery.

If you think you have a Cataract or have been told you have a Cataract and would like to be less dependent on glasses it is worthwhile to find a Cataract Surgeon who has experience with advanced technology intraocular lens implants so that they can guide you as you learn about your possibilities and options for vision correction after Cataract Surgery.

HOW TO CHOOSE A CATARACT SURGEON Part 3

Search the Internet for Possibilities

While it is not possible to determine everything about an eye surgeon on the internet it is a good place to begin to develop a list of possibilities. Search “cataract surgeons in (insert your town/city/state)” or “best cataract surgeon in (insert your town/city/state)”. Compile a list of possibilities and compare it to you insurance list and your personal Cataract Surgeon referral list.

CATARACT SURGERY & DIABETIC RETINOPATHY

Cataract Surgery Questions & Answers
Question: I am 68 years old and have been a diabetic for over 20 years. During that time I have tried to stay healthy but my vision has varied. I needed laser treatment 5 years ago and the vision was pretty good until about 6 months ago. My retina doctor told me I now have Cataracts in both eyes and it is decreasing my vision-especially at night. Can I have Cataract Surgery since I already had the laser treatment for my diabetic retinopathy? Are there any risks or more complications beyond what my friends who have had Cataract Surgery experienced?

Answer: The answer is that you absolutely can have Cataract Surgery if you have diabetic retinopathy , even after laser treatment. The fact that your retinal specialist is in the loop is important. One of the retinal problems created by diabetic retinopathy is diabetic macular edema. As part of your examination and consultation, your Cataract Surgeon may wish to perform a test called ocular coherence tomography (OCT) in order to carefully observe and review the status of the macula, specifically to look for macular edema. It is possible that they will prescribe and ask you to use a type of eye drop called an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent) for some time before your Cataract Surgery and for as long as three months after your surgery. Also, in certain instances your eye surgeon may recommend that either he or she at the time of Cataract Surgery, or your retinal specialist after the surgery, place an injection of an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (Anti-VEGF) agent such as Avastin™ in order to retard the possible growth of new blood vessels in the retina. These are several steps that a Cataract Surgeon my take to minimize the risks and complications of cataract surgery if you have diabetic retinopathy.

Regarding the actual cataract surgery operation procedure, if your Cataract Surgeon is using the most modern small incision phacoemulsification technique, they are not likely to make any modifications in their procedure.

So, the simple answer to the question “Can I have Cataract Surgery if I have diabetic retinopathy?” is yes. As always, choose a reputable Cataract Surgeon with experience in performing Cataract Surgery for diabetics and who takes the time necessary to evaluate you properly and guide you through the right decisions.

HOW TO CHOOSE A CATARACT SURGEON Part 2

Do Not Limit Yourself to the Insurance List
Just because a Cataract Surgeon is listed by your insurance company as “in-network” does not mean that they are the best Cataract Surgeon for you. Nor does it mean that other very well regarded Cataract Surgeons who are “out of network” do not take your insurance. Sure, there may be a slightly higher co-pay or deductible but this is about eye surgery and a small added expense to get the best Cataract Surgeon in your area may very well be worthwhile.

Cataract Eye Surgery Information & Cataract Surgeon Directory Website Receives Reaccreditation by Health On the Net (HON) Foundation

North Andover, Massachusetts, (3/16/11) The cataract eye surgery information & cataract surgeon directory website www.aboutcataractsurgery.com has been notified that it has received its annual reaccreditation by the Health On the Net (HON) Foundation.

“Accreditation by the HON Foundation means that http://www.aboutcataractsurgery.com/ is in full compliance with the HON principles (http://www.hon.ch/HONcode/Conduct.html) which serves as the basis for its initiative to improve and maintain the quality and integrity of health and medical information on the World Wide Web,” said Katherine Carlisle, a Managing Partner of Medical Management Services Group, L.L.C.

http://www.aboutcataractsurgery.com/ is structured to provide potential eye surgery patients with useful and reliable information about cataract symptoms, how eye cataracts affect vision, surgery for cataracts to correct astigmatism, night vision and cataracts, near vision and cataract surgery, laser cataract surgery, the cataract surgery procedure, recovery from cataract surgery and cataract surgery complications.

In addition www.aboutcataractsurgery.com contains detailed information regarding the different types of intraocular lens implants (IOL) that can be used to correct vision after cataract surgery such as aspheric lens implants, astigmatism correcting toric lens implants and near vision presbyopia correcting lens implants.

“When trying to decide about cataract surgery and intraocular lens implantation patients should seek current information about the various procedures to be certain that they understand the available options for vision correction. The final decision should be made between an informed patient and their eye surgeon. The choice of a cataract surgeon is the most important decision they can make. Thus we have included a “Find a Cataract Surgeon” feature to assist users in locating the best cataract surgeons in their geographic area,” said Ms. Carlisle.

In order to provide eye care consumers with the most unbiased information, unlike many websites offering information about cataract, cataract surgery, cataract surgeons or intraocular lens implants (IOL), www.aboutcataractsurgery.com does not accept funding, support or advertising from pharmaceutical, medical device, laser or lens implant companies.

CONTACT: Katie Carlisle, The Medical Management Services Group, L.L.C.
978.470.8217, or email, katie@aboutcataractsurgery.com

SOURCE: Medical Management Services Group, L.L.C.

PALM BEACH CATARACT SURGEON LAWRENCE KATZEN, M.D. JOINS CATARACT SURGERY PATIENT INFORMATION DIRECTORY

NORTH ANDOVER, Massachusetts, (3/15/2011) Medical Management Services Group, L.L.C., managers of the patient information web site for cataracts, cataract surgery and lens implants www.aboutcataractsurgery.com announced today that Palm Beach Cataract Surgeon Lawrence Katzen, M.D. of Katzen Eye Care & Laser Center in West Palm Beach and Boynton Beach, Florida has become a member of it's network of top cataract surgeons offering access to the useful patient friendly web information resource.

"Katzen Eye Care has worked diligently for over 30 years in the Palm Beaches to bring world class eye care to our community. We have been in the forefront of the many advances in the management of cataracts and the technology of cataract surgery and lens implants (IOL). I personally believe that having well educated and well informed cataract patients helps us get the best possible results for each and every cataract surgery patient,” stated Lawrence Katzen, M.D.

http://www.aboutcataractsurgery.com/ is structured to provide eye care consumers with useful and reliable information about symptoms of cataracts, the cataract surgery operation and procedure, how cataracts affect vision, cataracts and astigmatism, near vision & presbyopia, recovery from cataract surgery and complications of cataract surgery. In addition the site contains specialized information regarding diabetes and cataract surgery and what patients taking prostate medication should know about cataract surgery. To help cataract patients understand their options after cataract surgery there is detailed information regarding the different types of intraocular lens implants (IOL) that can be used to correct vision after cataract surgery such as aspheric lens implants, astigmatism correcting toric lens implants and near vision correcting presbyopic lens implants.

“We are committed to helping patients learn as much as possible about cataracts and cataract surgery so that they understand the available options. This education helps us to help the patient make the best decisions regarding their cataract surgery and care. A well informed patient makes a helpful partner for the cataract surgeon," said Dr. Katzen.

In order to provide eye care consumers with the most unbiased information, unlike many websites offering information about cataracts, cataract surgery, cataract surgeons or intraocular lens implants (IOL), www.aboutcataractsurgery.com does not accept funding, support or advertising from pharmaceutical, medical device, laser or lens implant companies.

CONTACT: Katie Carlisle, Medical Management Services Group, L.L.C. 978.470.8217, or email, katie@aboutcataractsurgery.com

PRACTICE CONTACT: Sondra Stateman, Katzen Eye Care & Laser Center, 877.736.2020, http://www.katzeneyecare.com/, sondra@katzeneyecare.com

Ask People You Trust for Your Cataract Surgeon

One of the best sources of helping you find a top Cataract Surgeon is to ask people you trust. This should include friends, family and co-workers as well as your personal primary care physician. In addition, if you have a trusted optometrist who knows your eyes, their input is valuable as well. Consider all of these opinions together and look for common names when selecting an experienced, trusted cataract surgeon for your surgery.

Blood Glucose Measures Can Predict Diabetic Retinopathy

Researchers from Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale in Villejuif, France studied how glucose levels might predict the risk of diabetic retinopathy.The goal was to study the frequency of diabetic retinopathy in individuals 10 years after measuring baseline levels of fasting plasma glucose and hemoglobin A1C and to evaluate whether there were certain levels of the glucose measurements that could be used to predict whether patients would develop diabetic retinopathy. A clear relationship was found between certain threshold levels of fasting blood glucose level and hemoglobin A1C level and the predisposition to develop diabetic retinopathy. This information provides useful values for physicians treating diabetic patients to strive for in order to help patients with diabetes avoid the retinal complications of diabetes.


Archives of Ophthalmology: February 2011

Macular Degeneration (ARMD) and Omega-3 Fatty Acids

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ARMD can be very dangerous for the Retina and about 2 million Americans above 40 years of age have some kind of ARMD. Research published in the December 2010 edition of Ophthalmology confirmed that Omega-3 Fatty Acids which are present in eye’s Retina and a diet rich in consumption of these Omega-3 Fatty Acids could go a long way in making preserving eye health and vision and help to prevent any sort of vision damage. This study has found that Omega-3 Fatty Acids help in preventing the Age Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD) found in elderly people.

Ophthalmology: December 2010

How to Choose a Cataract Surgeon

Question:
I thought I needed new glasses so I went to my regular eye doctor for an exam. She told me that I had a noticeable cataract in one eye and a cataract starting in the other eye and wanted to send me to an eye surgeon she recommended. I don’t know this person and I really don’t know any eye surgeons because I never needed eye surgery. I looked in my insurance book and there is a list of eye doctors who do cataract surgery and offer cataract operations. I don’t know how to find a good cataract surgeon. Any suggestions?

Glaucoma Risk in Women

Researchers from Rotterdam, Holland reported that women's risk of open-angle glaucoma (OAG) decreased significantly as body mass index (BMI) increased, according to data from their large cohort study. For every unit increase in body mass index, women had a 7% lower risk of glaucoma. Other lifestyle factors did not significantly influence either open-angle glaucoma or intraocular pressure (IOP) in men or women. Patients were categorized according to baseline values for socioeconomic status, education, smoking history, alcohol intake, and the measures of BMI and waist-to-hip ratio. Other studies of potentially modifiable risk factors for glaucoma have yielded mixed results, particularly with respect to obesity. Some studies have shown an inverse association between obesity and glaucoma but a positive association with IOP. The use of Goldmann applanation tonometry to assess intraocular pressure could have led to overestimation of values in obese women.
Archives of Ophthalmology:February 2011

Cataract Surgery & Dry Eyes: What You Need to Know Part I

Eye surgeons from around the world were presented some interesting information about cataract surgery at the Hawaiian Eye 2011 meeting. A report was discussed in which the results of a prospective multicenter study that assessed the prevalence of dry eye in 272 eyes that underwent cataract surgery. The study found that more than 60% of eyes had abnormal tear breakup time, 50% of eyes had central corneal staining and 21.3% of eyes had low Schirmer's test results all of which are diagnostic signs of dry eye or dry eye syndrome.

Cataract Surgery, Diabetes & Prostate Medication Update on aboutcataractsurgery.com

Medical Management Services Group

North Andover, Massachusetts, (2/11/11) Medical Management Services Group, L.L.C., managers of the cataract surgery & lens implant information and cataract surgeon directory website http://www.aboutcataractsurgery.com/ has incorporated additional new informational content about diabetes and cataract surgery and the potential for complications of cataract surgery for those taking certain prostate medications for an enlarged prostate.


“Diabetes is a known risk factor for developing a cataract. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov/) recently reported that an alarming of Americans has diabetes or “prediabetes”. With more than 1 in 4 Americans over the age of 65 having full blown diabetes, it is very likely that more and more diabetics will seek consultation with cataract surgeons regarding cataracts and cataract surgery,” said Katherine Carlisle, the Managing Partner of http://www.aboutcataractsurgery.com/.

“In addition, we now know the incidence of problems with an enlarged prostate gland (BPH) is at least 50% for men in their fifties and about 80% for men in their eighties with about 50% of all men with BPH having some degree of urinary flow problem and 25% of all men being treated with prostate medication by the age of 80. We are aware of the potential difficulty and complications for men taking certain prostate medications before cataract surgery.”

“With the population of diabetics and those taking prostate medication growing rapidly-and those same people entering the age of cataract formation and needing cataract surgery, we thought it was timely to offer additional information to http://www.aboutcataractsurgery.com/ visitors about these topics as they relate to cataract surgery,” said Ms. Carlisle.

In order to provide eye care consumers with the most unbiased information, unlike many websites offering information about cataracts, cataract surgery, cataract surgeons or intraocular lens implants (IOL), http://www.aboutcataractsurgery.com/ does not accept funding, support or advertising from pharmaceutical, medical device, laser or lens implant companies.

CONTACT: Katie Carlisle, Medical Management Services Group, L.L.C.
978.470.8217, or email, katie@aboutcataractsurgery.com

SOURCE: Medical Management Services Group, L.L.C.

Macular Degeneration (ARMD) Awareness Month in Greater Boston At D’Ambrosio Eye Care

D'Ambrosio Eye Care

Lancaster, Massachusetts (2/1/2011) D’Ambrosio Eye Care wishes to announce that Prevent Blindness America has designated February as National Age Related Macular Degeneration Awareness Month.


“Age Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD) is the leading cause of visual impairment and blindness in Americans older than 50, affecting more than two million people. Although ARMD is incurable, there are new treatments that can, at a minimum, prevent further vision loss from the disease and in many cases actually help recover lost vision,” commented Francis A. D’Ambrosio, Jr., M.D., a Boston area eye physician and surgeon and Medical Director of D’Ambrosio Eye Care.

ARMD causes central vision to blur, but leaves peripheral vision intact. It is progressive and painless. There are two types of ARMD: dry and wet. Approximately 90 percent of people with ARMD have the dry form which results in gradual vision loss. Although only 10 percent of people with ARMD have the wet form, it generally progresses much quicker than the dry form. Wet AMD is characterized by the growth of abnormal retinal blood vessels that leak blood or fluid, causing rapid and severe central vision loss.

Patients can often reduce the risk of developing ARMD by not smoking as well as working to eat a heart-healthy diet rich in fish, fruit and green leafy vegetables, avoiding foods with trans fats, exercising and controlling blood pressure and weight.

“We are fortunate to be able to offer Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) drugs that inhibit the development of unwanted blood vessels that cause wet ARMD as these agents are effective in helping to prevent further visual loss and even improve vision,” said Dr. D’Ambrosio Jr.

Patients older than 50 are encouraged to have a comprehensive, dilated eye examination every one to two years to ensure that ARMD is detected and treated early. The key to successful treatment is early detection and intervention.

D'Ambrosio Eye Care is a leading Massachusetts eye care practice with offices in Lancaster, Acton and Gardner, staffed by a team of Ophthalmologists, Optometrists, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and Intraocular Lens Implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, management of eye inflammation, ocular inflammatory disease and uveitis and diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration, diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses and optical services.

Francis A. D’Ambrosio, Jr., M.D. is a founding member of the LASIK Eye Surgery Patient Information and LASIK Surgeon Directory at www.seewithlasik.com and the Cataract Surgery, Intraocular Lens Implant (IOL) and Cataract Surgeon Directory at www.aboutcataractsurgery.com.

For additional information, contact Jude Seppa, D'Ambrosio Eye Care, 479 Old Union Turnpike, Lancaster, Massachusetts 01523, Judith.Seppa@dambrosioeyecare.com, 1.800.325.3937x345.

SOURCE: Medical Management Services Group, L.L.C.