Do You Follow Good Contact Lens Care?

Most contact lens users know about potential complications and believe they follow all the recommended wear and care guidelines, but few actually do, according to new research. The study included 281 patients who visited eye care practitioners in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas and 152 who went to a university eye clinic. Many patients could name a complication related to contact lens use -- 58 percent in the general community and 91 percent at the university clinic.

The most commonly named complications were related to lens comfort/handling and infections, said the researchers, Dr. Danielle Robertson and Dr. H. Dwight Cavanagh of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. The majority of patients also knew important risk factors for contact lens-related complications such as: topping off instead of replacing contact lens solution; exposing lenses to tap water, including wearing them while showering; and poor hygiene practice, according to the study published in the November issue of the journal Optometry and Vision Science.

Overall, 85 percent of the patients believed they followed recommended contact lens wear and care practices. However, the researchers found that the average patient only performed 50 percent of the recommended wear and care practices, and compliance was rated as good for only 2 percent of the patients.

Only one patient (0.4 percent) was fully compliant with all the recommended contact lens wear and care guidelines.

"It is unlikely that further education will change patient behavior,"  the study authors noted in a journal news release, "because most patients already know that failing to follow recommended guidelines can increase their risk of complications."

"New strategies and approaches to effectively modify inherent patient non-compliance are urgently needed," the researchers concluded in the release.

What do YOU think? How can we help contact lens patients to take care of their eyes? Let us know! Leave a comment here, or "Like" us on Facebook and leave your thoughts there. 

Eye Side Effects From Non-Eye Medicine I: Flomax (Prostatic Hypertrophy)

As medicine becomes more and more complex we are seeing new interactions between medicines you take for your general health and your eyes. At Skyvision we thought it would be helpful to do a series on the most common of these and what they mean for you and for us.

Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH) is a problem that is very common in older men. The prostate gland becomes larged enough to interfere in urination and complete emptying of the bladder. This can become a problem in middle-aged men, as well, and so you may actually have a discussions with your doctor at a younger age. Some urologists are prescribing medicines for BPH to ease the symptoms of kidney stones as well, even in women.

The most commonly prescribed medicine for BPH is Flomax (Tamsulosin). Other medicines in this class include alfuzosin, doxazosin, and terazosin, all of which are occasionally prescribed for high blood pressure as well. The side effect that most concerns us occurs during cataract surgery: Intraoperative Floppy Iris Syndrome (IFIS). During surgery the iris and the pupil become unstable. There can be billowing of the iris, the iris can bulge out through the cataract incisions, and the pupil can become very small. All of these make the surgery more challenging, and all of them can increase the chances of complications, especially if the cataract surgeon is not aware that you are taking them.

There are two very important take home messages for Flomax and the other medicines noted. First, ALWAYS tell your doctor what medicines you are taking so that we can be prepared. There are very cool, very special instruments that make the surgery much safer when we know! Second, the effect of these medicines is permanent after you have been on them for as little as a couple of weeks, so DON'T STOP YOUR MEDICINE unless your family doctor tells you to do so!

Stay tuned for more information about your medicines and your eyes!

Generic Eyedrops Aren't Always = Brands

At Skyvision Centers we are very aware of how expensive medicines can be. There are some instances where we can safely (and happily!) prescribe generics to replace your brand-name medicine and be confident that you will get the same effect and benefit. However, this is unfortunately not always the case.

The most common place where we run into this issue is around the time of cataract surgery. There's no other way to put it: the generic eyedrops that insurance companies want you to substitute are just NOT the same and NOT AS GOOD as the brand-name eyedrops they would replace.

We use the best, most modern, safest antibiotic drops around the time of cataract surgery. The older, generic antibiotic drops are simply not as strong. There is a special drop that we use to decrease swelling around the surgery, and there are three different brand-name eyedrops that work equally well. Unfortunately, ALL of the generic options cause stinging when you put them in, and they can even CAUSE swelling that decreases vision. They are NOT EQUAL to the brands they replace.

At Skyvision Centers we want what is best for you, our patient. We know that medicines can be expensive, but there is a real, medical reason why our doctors choose each medicine for you. Please talk to us before you let your pharmacy or your insurance company change you to a generic medicine.

The emPower Lenses Are Here!

Now you can adjust your vision just by living your life. With emPower!™, the first electronic-focusing eyewear. Skyvision Centers now has a full selection of emPower!(TM) frames in our Westlake, Ohio office. We will be taking appointments to fit you with this unbelievable new technology. 

A touch of the temple or tilt of the head activates a layer of liquid crystals in each lens, instantly creating a near-focus zone. emPower! not only gives you control over your vision, it also provides wider fields of view and less distortion than regular progressive bifocal lenses. 


Call us at the Skyvisioncenters Optical to make an appointment to be fit with this amazing new technology.  See why emPower! is the biggest optical advance in over 50 years

Nearsightedness: A New Risk For Glaucoma

Glaucoma is damage to the optic nerve, usually but not always associated with high pressure in the eye. Eye doctors first see Glaucoma in changes to the optic nerve, the fine nerve fibers that enter the nerve, or in tests of the side vision. Unfortunately, the damage to the eye from Glaucoma is permanent once it occurs. This is why prevention and early detection are so important.

There are a number of risk factors or associations for Glaucoma risk that have been known for a long time. The most important risk is having a family history of Glaucoma, especially if a family member has had a severe loss of vision from Glaucoma. Other known risks include diabetes and certain family heritages (African-Americans have a much higher risk to develop Glaucoma). Of course, the greatest risk factor is age, as the risk to develop Glaucoma goes up dramatically as we age.

A recent study has confirmed that MYOPIA, being nearsighted, is a risk for Glaucoma. People who have a nearsighted prescription of greater than -3.00 have TWICE the risk of developing Glaucoma as people with little or no myopia, or people with farsightedness or hyperopia. Simply being nearsighted does not mean you will get Glaucoma, but if you have any other risk factors and you are also nearsighted you should consider having your eye doctor do a complete evaluation to rule out this severe, potentially blinding disease.

Feel free to call us at Skyvision centers if you live in Cleveland and have any questions about Glaucoma.

Skyvision: An Educational Center

The doctors at Skyvision Centers recently hosted a Continuing Education seminar for local Cleveland area Optometrists. Nearly 50 optometrists gathered at The Surgery Center in Berea for a 2 hour educational session sponsored by Skyvision Centers. Dr. David Eldridge from the TearLab company was the guest speaker. An Italian dinner menu was prepared by Bucci's of Berea.

Dr. Schlegel was the official host for the evening. "We wanted to reach out to our colleagues in the Cleveland area and offer an addtional way for them to obtain CE credits without having to travel. I was particularly thrilled that Dr. Eldridge was able to join us and give his unique perspective on Tear Osmolarity since he was involved in the formation of the TearLab company. Tear Osmolarity has been an enormous help to us in taking care of Dry Eye patiens at Skyvision."

After Dr. Eldridge gave his talk on Tear Osmolarity Dr. White took the floor and discussed the pre-operative evaluation of cataract patients who have Astigmatism. He shared the great enthusiasm that all three Skyvision doctors have for the Alcon IQ Toric implant for cataract surgery when a patient wishes to see well for distance after surgery despite lots of Astigmatism. He noted that the implant was "great technology", and suggested that the patient's Personal Eye Doctor could help them make the right decision about whether or not to use the Toric implant.

Dr. Kaye has been very pleased by the feedback from his colleagues around Cleveland. "I've heard nothing but positive things! We are looking forward to our next meeting, and I think my fellow Optometrists are too!" Skyvision Centers is planning on another meeting in late Winter, and Dr. Kaye said "we hope to have at least three each year."

Why Does Dr. White Wear A Bowtie?

We recently asked Dr. White why he wears a bowtie. Here’s what he said (after he stopped laughing!):

“Why a bowtie? Wow...it’s been so long I haven’t given all that much thought to that. When I was in medical school my wife and I cleaned out the bargain tie bin at a local department store that was going out of business. Silk ties for 2 and 3 bucks! When we got home we noticed two bowties in the mix. I happened to be on call the next night so Beth tied one for me to wear—bowties stay out of the way of all kinds of icky stuff you encounter in a hospital.

Well, as luck would have it, the most popular show on TV was “Hill Street Blues”, and one of the detectives wore a bowtie. Whenever Henry Goldblum got stressed his bowtie came undone. Of course, my wiseguy fellow med students thought it would be fun to untie MINE...and I didn’t know how to tie it yet! Sooo, three hours in front of a mirror later and I was an expert on bowtie tying.

I must have gotten good feedback about the bowtie as a resident because I found myself wearing it more and more. Not everyone at NYU knew Dr. White the ophthalmology resident, but everyone knew Dr. Bowtie the eye doctor! Now if I go someplace without a bowtie I’m almost invisible.”

So there you have it, why Dr. White wears a bowtie. If you’re interested Dr. White gets his bowties from Beau Ties Ltd. in Vermont, and leeallison.com in Chicago.