Can a Pterygium | Carnosidad Grow Back After Removal?

/in /by

Pterygium, also known as “surfer’s eye,” is a non-cancerous thickening of the outer coating (conjunctiva) of the eye that grows onto the cornea. Normally the conjunctiva is a thin clear membrane over the ‘whites’ of the eye (sclera) and extends to the inner surface of the eyelids.

In most cases, pterygium must be surgically removed to relieve discomfort and restore the cosmetic appearance to the eye. Pterygium removal is a safe procedure and can be performed in our state-of-the-art office surgical suite.

How can you lower the chance of recurrence or regrowth?

The best way to lower the chance of recurrence or regrowth of a pterygium is to ensure you choose the best surgeon based on his or her experience and one that specializes in that procedure, has developed and continually improving a surgical technique, and has performed a large volume or large number of surgeries. When surgeons perform certain procedures with regularity and they specialize in those procedures, they continually improve and perfect their technique and are better equipped to deal with any complication.

Why Pterygium | Carnosidad Regrowth Occurs

Recurrence rates vary widely among current studies on pterygium regrowth. While some studies have reported rates as high as almost 40 percent, others report rates as low as 5 percent. Other studies have found that recurrence is higher among individuals who had their pterygium removed during the summer months, possibly because overexposure to the sun has been linked to pterygium development. Wearing polarized sunglasses is a must. Other factors that can increase the risk of recurrence include dusty and windy conditions.

One of the Lowest Documented Recurrence Rates in the World – The EyeWhite Institute at Visionary Eye Doctors

EyeWhite

Dr. J. Alberto Martinez, Founder of Visionary Eye Doctors and one of the most sought after Pterygium surgeons in the world, has many years of collective experience, training and has developed The ASAP™ (Advanced Sutureless Amniotic Membrane Pterygiectomy procedure – providing a superior cosmetic outcome. Dr. Martinez, founder of The EyeWhite Pterygium and Pinguecula Research Institute has conducted numerous clinical research studies and has published in prestigious ophthalmology journals. He is on the cutting edge of the latest and most advanced surgical methods to reduce the possibility of recurrence, including using a special no stitch, amniotic membrane technique.

Studies have shown this technique can lower pterygium recurrence rate to less than 5 percent. Dr. Martinez has one of the lowest recurrence rates in the world – less than 0.1%. Following your procedure, our team will schedule follow-up appointments with you to monitor your progress. We will also make recommendations on medications or steps you can take to minimize the chances of recurrence.

To learn more about the ASAP™ procedure, please click here.

LEARN MORE FROM VISIONARY EYE DOCTORS

To learn more about pterygium surgery or to schedule a FREE consultation, please request to schedule a surgical consult online today here, or call 301.896.0890 and a member of our team will gladly assist you.

How not to let your Halloween Contact Lenses turn your eyes into a permanent fright!

/in /by

Its time to start thinking about enhancing your Halloween costume and prescription costume contact lenses are the perfect finishing touch to any spectacular costume!  If you are considering using costume contact lenses as part of your Halloween get-up this season, make sure you don’t purchase them from a gas station, online store, nail salon or other unlicensed dealer—or you and your eyes could be in for a real scare.

We’ve seen many cases during past Halloween seasons, where people who wore illegal costume OTC lenses ended up with an eye injury or inflammation. One of the more serious risks people face when wearing costume OTC lenses is developing a corneal ulcer. This happens when a bacterial infection occurs under the lens and can cause pain, irritation, discomfort and possible blindness.

OTC lenses can also cause corneal abrasions and conjunctivitis

This occurs when the lenses injure or scratch the eyes. If they are not tailored to a person’s eyes, the lenses may scratch or cause an infection, particularly if they are not kept clean with the correct solution or by not fitting properly and/or people don’t receive or follow proper instructions on how to insert, remove and sterilize lenses.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), the potential risks associated with non-prescription, decorative lenses include:

  • Corneal ulcer
  • Corneal abrasions
  • Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
  • Allergic reactions like itchy, inflamed, watery red eyes that doesn’t go away with increased discomfort
  • Infection
  • Decreased vision or light sensitivity
  • Blindness

Adolescents and young adults are the most common groups affected by the risks associated with some decorative contact lenses, according to the FDA. Moreover, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states that when decorative contact lenses are sold without a prescription and without proper fitting and education about wear and care from an eye-care professional, the potential for permanent eye damage–including blindness increases.

Cosmetic contact lenses are easy to find and are often sold illegally without a prescription online, novelty shops, barber shops, beauty salons, mall kiosks, Halloween costume stores, convenience stores and even gas stations. Because contacts are a medical device that is regulated by the FDA, it is illegal to sell contacts without a prescription and any supplier who doesn’t require a prescription is breaking the law.

Be Safe – use costume OTC lenses only with a prescription by your eye doctor

Our Optometrists can fit and prescribe safe, decorative costume lenses for you and we have a great selection

Your doctor will be sure that the decorative lenses that are prescribed for you are FDA approved for use on the eye and that the lenses fit your eyes appropriately. Once you have the prescription for your decorative lenses and you’ve bought them, we will be sure to show you to how to properly insert and care for safe wearing.

Call us about our costume lenses and be sure to order by October 18th to be in time for Halloween!

 

 

Dr. Martinez’s Visionary Foundation – Healing Hands for the Blind

/in /by

August 23 – 28, 2018

A very successful surgical mission was carried out by Visionary Foundation and Alberto Martinez, MD from August 23 to August 28, 2018 at “Fundación de Servicios Medicos Voluntarios” (FSMV) Hospital Leonardo Martinez, San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

FSMV, a charity clinic led by Marcos Fajardo, MD, serves the impoverished population of San Pedro Sula. Dr. Fajardo provided the logistic support and infrastructure that allowed us to provide free surgical eye care. The patients who received surgery were pre-screened by Dr. Fajardo. Pre-surgical screening consisted of a complete eye exam, diagnosis and plan. Once the need for surgery was determined, appropriate testing such as axial eye length measurement, corneal topography and B-Scan ultra-sonography were performed.

This year, Dr. Martinez spent time training local ophthalmologist Edgar Maldonado following the principle of “When you give a fish to a man, you feed him for a day. When you teach him how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime”. The principal focus of training was clinical cornea, cataract and corneal transplant surgeries.

A total of 54 eye surgeries were performed:

  • 11 corneal transplants (1 Penetrating, 7 Partial or DSAEK, and 3 DMEK)
  • 40 cataract surgeries (32 phaco + 8 extra capsular)
  • Multiple clinical consultations and examinations of general ophthalmology, cornea and external eye diseases and pre and post op evaluations

Patients were seen on their first postoperative day.  Cornea patients were seen again three days later, at the end of the surgical mission. All medications needed for postoperative care were provided for free.  Postoperative care of these transplants will continue via telemedicine with the by using the app WhatsApp, by means of high quality photography and descriptions.

 

 

Surgical Complications:

  • 1 DSAEK successfully re-bubbled

We plan to return in August 2019, this time with 2 surgeons. One surgeon may focus exclusively on transplants the other on cataract surgery. Thus, we hope to have a larger surgical impact. One of the most difficult parts of the mission was the heart wrenching process of turning down many people who direly needed a corneal transplant because we did not have enough cornea tissue.

We are thankful to the numerous individuals and organizations that helped us with the success of this mission:

  • Alcon Laboratories
  • SightLife Tissue Bank
  • Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision, Inc
  • New World Medical
  • Allergan
  • Vanessa Lemus
  • Dan Lawson and the staff and physicians at Palisades Eye Surgery Center
  • Loretta Scrub Technician and the OR staff at the Washington, DC Hospital Center
  • Toufic Melki
  • Kevin Smith
  • Berny Kreutz

In addition to the surgical mission, Anna Pigotti with the support of Visionary Foundation provided funds to help maintain the infrastructure of the facility where 80+ girls of all ages reside at the orphanage “Hogar San Jose” directed by Sister Thelma. Future plans in this area include visiting the orphanage in October 2019 and providing cash donations to cover a few of the many basic needs.

Once again, thank you for your generous help. You have literally shone light into the life of our fellow human beings.

May your contribution become a light of kindness filling your heart with joy!

Signs that your child may have a vision issue and why annual exams are so important

/in /by

Even the most gifted students will struggle academically if they have trouble seeing the blackboard or focusing on a book.

It is estimated that over 60% of children with learning difficulties have an undetected vision problem. 80% of information kids receive in the classroom is presented visually and vision can affect sports performance, too – hand-eye coordination, depth perception and eye tracking ability. Healthy eyes and good vision are essential for your kid’s growth and development.

Often, vision issues are at the root of learning problems and behavioral issues and may unfortunately go unchecked and misdiagnosed. If your child is having trouble in school, you may want to start out with a comprehensive eye exam and see if there is a vision issue first with your child before pursuing other avenues.

It is common for children to think that their vision is normal and therefore they often won’t report it to parents or teachers. That is why it is even more important to know what signs to look for:

Vision Signs

  • Squinting or blinking often
  • Eye rubbing
  • Tilting the head to the side
  • Covering one eye
  • One eye that turns out or in
  • Reporting double vision
  • Holding books or reading materials very close to the face

Behavioral Signs

  • Complaining of headaches or eye fatigue
  • Short attention span
  • Difficulty reading
  • Losing their place frequently when reading
  • Avoiding reading or any activity that requires close work
  • Problems with reading comprehension or recall
  • Behavioral issues that stem from frustration and/or boredom
  • Poor performance and achievement in school or athletics
  • Working twice as hard to achieve minimal performance in school

Often, parents and teachers think that a school vision screening is good enough to assess your child’s vision, so if that test comes back okay, they believe there is no vision problem. However,this may be far from the case. A school vision test usually only assesses visual acuity for distance vision or how far a child can see. Even a child with 20/20 vision can have significant vision problems that prevent them from seeing, reading and processing visual information.

We recommend all kids of school age have yearly comprehensive eye and vision exams to ensure any issues are addressed and taken care of as soon as possible. It’s also important to have an exam prior to entering kindergarten, as undetected lazy eye may be more complicated to treat past seven years of age.

Some of the issues our optometrist may look for, in addition to good visual acuity, are the ability to focus, eye teaming and tracking, visual perception, hand-eye coordination, depth perception and peripheral vision. They will also assess the health of the eye and look for any underlying conditions that may be impairing vision. Depending on the problem the eye doctor may prescribe eyeglasses, contact lenses or vision therapy to correct the issue.

During the school years a child’s eyes and vision continue to develop and change so it is important to continually check in on your child’s vision. If you have a family history of vision problems, follow-ups are even more important. Progressive conditions like progressive myopia, strabismus (crossed eyes), amblyopia (lazy eye) or astigmatism can be treated and monitored for changes with early treatment so it’s important to seek a doctor’s diagnosis as soon as signs or symptoms are present.

Add a comprehensive eye exam to your back to school to-do list. Our experienced, kid-friendly optometrists look forward to making sure your child has the best possible chances for success in school. And we know, kids will be kids. Our WOW Guarantee worry free protection plan was made with that in mind. Check out our Back to School Specials!

Schedule your child’s eye exam today, (301) 591-1763 or request to schedule online!

Summer, 2018 Newsletter

/in /by
Visionary Eye Doctors Newsletter
Summer, 2018
In This Issue

  • Meet our new Cornea and External Disease Specialist, Dr. Sarezky
  • Even Non-Surfers can get Surfer’s Eye – Pterygium/Carnosidad
  • It’s Back to School Time and We Have Some Great Promotions 
We are excited to welcome Dan Sarezky, MD!
Cornea and External Diseases Specialist

Cataract and Refractive Surgery

Comprehensive Ophthalmology 

Meet Dr. Sarezky

Book an appointment with Dr. Sarezky in our Rockville or DC office.

 Even Non-Surfers Can Get Surfer’s Eye! 

Pterygium | Carnosidad

If you spend a lot of time working or playing outdoors, you run the risk of developing a pterygium/carnosidad, commonly referred to as Surfer’s Eye. Despite the name you do not need to be anywhere near the ocean to acquire surfer’s eye; you just need excessive exposure to UV radiation or dry, dusty environments.

Pterygiums/Carnosidads are most common in people between the ages of 20 and 50 years and are more common in men. Also, Pterygia (plural for Pterygium) often occur in multiple members of families thereby indicating a genetic predisposition. People who live or are from tropical climates, occupations such as, landscapers and other outdoor workers, people who participate in sports such as soccer, sailors, surfers, golfers and skiers who are subjected to a lot of reflected UV light and populations living where there is ozone layer depletion, have a higher incidence. People who tend to suffer from dry eyes may also be more prone to developing a pterygium particularly if they spend a great deal of their time outdoors.

Surfer’s Eye: The Good News

The Good news is that if you have been diagnosed with a pterygium/carnosidad, you have access to one of the leading pterygium surgeons in the world, right here at Visionary Eye Doctors that can help treat your pterygium and has one of the lowest recurrence rates in the world, less than 1%.

Dr. J. Alberto Martinez has a true passion for patients affected by Pterygium, and he is completely empathetic in your journey – as he too has a personal story with Pterygium that you may read here.

Prevention is Always Preferable

If your job or lifestyle put you at high risk for surfer’s eye or carnosidad, you can take measures to prevent this unsightly growth:

  • Regularly wear UV 400 rated sunglasses when outdoors in sunny weather
  • Wear sunglasses with a wrap-around design
  • Wear a hat with a wide brim

Your eyes are often the first thing that people notice about you. We can help!

For more information, please go to www.eyewhitemd.com and request a free pterygium/carnosidad screening!
Bark to School Specials – School Style, Solved
Dele
Schedule your kids (and yours too) Back to School Comprehensive Eye Exam Today – We Hope to See the Entire Family!
Stay Connected with Us
Contact Us (301) 591-1782
www.voeyedr.com
$ADDRESS1$ $ADDRESS2$
$CITY$, $STATE$ $ZIP$

Does RLE really prevent me from getting cataracts?

/in /by

Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE) is gaining popularity as a surgical option for people who are over age 45 and beyond who want to decrease or eliminate their dependence on glasses or contacts. As we age, we all expect different parts of their body to become slightly less functional with wear and tear over time. People can be in excellent physical condition into their 80s and 90s. It doesn’t require world-record athletic ability to be able to function perfectly in our daily lives and seniors are more active today than ever.

When you are young, the natural lens acts like the zoom function in a camera, allowing you to focus up close, without the need for reading glasses or bifocals. However, the lens inside the human eye is designed to fail over time. It’s the only part of the body I can think of that inexorably gets worse to the point of non-functionality in a shorter timespan than it takes to grow very old.  As you age, the lens progressively becomes dysfunctional resulting in loss of near vision (presbyopia) that requires the use of reading glasses or bifocals. With aging, the lens also progressively becomes hard, yellow and cloudy (cataract). Cataracts block and scatter light reducing visual quality, quantity and color perception. This progressive loss of function of the natural lens inside the eye is referred to as Dysfunctional Lens Syndrome.

Everyone gets cataracts. Fix the Problem Before It Starts.

Your lenses continually age throughout life. This results in the need for reading glasses or bifocals in your 40′s and eventually cataract surgery in your 70s or 80s.  This is the reason that RLE prevents cataracts. Lens changes cause progressive deterioration in vision. More and more patients do not want to tolerate the years of progressive decline in their vision as they develop cataracts; they want it permanently fixed now and not be hindered by cataracts later in life.

With the advancement in technology and the safety of the procedure, patients are now choosing to have their natural lenses replaced at an earlier age. After RLE, cataract surgery will never be needed. The artificial lens will not age which provides visual stability to the lens of the eye. There are several lenses to choose from to best customize to your specific eyes.

One of the only downsides to RLE is missing out on the miraculous feeling of undoing 50 years of lens hardening and darkening in a 10 to 15-minute surgery. The only way to get that feeling, however, is to let the lens get that dysfunctional in the first place. Preventing that loss of function over the years is part of what makes RLE so miraculous, albeit in a more lifelong rather than spontaneous kind of way. It is the miracle of having a lens that doesn’t age, instead of a lens that seems to age quicker than the rest of you.

Also, I don’t know about you, but in the last year I have lost two expensive pairs of glasses, not to mention the countless ‘readers’ I have all over the house and my office. When I think of all the costs associated with glasses and contacts, RLE may be a great value monetarily as well. After all, great vision is priceless at any age!

 

 

 

 

Refractive Lens Exchange – See Clearly at All Distances and Lose the Glasses

/in /by

Most people when they’re considering surgical treatment to eliminate their dependence on glasses only consider laser vision correction(LVC), either SMILE, LASIK, or PRK. However, with patients over 45 and sometimes younger, the procedure that provides better visual quality and a more permanent result is not LVC but rather Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fix the Problem Before It Starts

Your eye’s natural lens has started to become annoying enough to your vision that you now require glasses or bifocals. The idea of waiting until it is bad enough for your vision to be poor even with glasses doesn’t appeal to you. That’s why RLE exists.

The lens inside your eye is destined to become a cataract over time. It gets cloudier each year, noticeably so after age 50, and a cloudy lens is the same thing as a cataract. There is a window of time, however, where the lens is cloudy and dense enough to cause trouble, but not enough to be officially called a cataract.

The symptoms of this stage of dysfunction for your lens are uniform across all people who have:

  • A need for reading glasses or bifocals
  • Difficulty reading in low light compared to bright lights
  • Difficulty driving at night with the ease you once had

RLE is the solution to these annoyances because it doesn’t require waiting until the lens has become so cloudy it impairs you.

RLE is the procedure whereby the natural lens in the eye is exchanged for an intraocular lens (IOL). This is the same operation that is done when a person has a cataract when their natural lens has become cloudy. By the age of 45, the natural lens has lost its ability to accommodate so that reading vision becomes difficult or impossible. Especially if a person is farsighted so that both their reading and distance is impaired, it quite often makes more sense to replace the natural lens with a better one, the IOL.

Tony’s story:

Tony is enjoying an active lifestyle – as if he was 25 years old again!

That wasn’t the case a year ago, when Tony 57, was still a slave to his eyeglasses. He used to have a pair of glasses in almost every room of her house. “I had glasses on my head, around my neck, and of course, prescription sunglasses,” he said. “I even had a bag just for glasses that I used to take with me when I traveled!”

Things had been that way for a long time. It was a frustrating lifestyle, and one that she was eager to change.

Lynda’s interest in vision correction was piqued by the Herzig Eye Institute ads on television. She did a little investigating, and decided to book a consultation to find out what options existed. When told she was a candidate for Refractive Lens Exchange, her answer was an emphatic “Go for it!”

The results have amazed her. “It’s as if someone turned on a light and I can see the way I used to.” And since her eyes’ natural lenses have been replaced, she no longer has to worry about developing cataracts. So impressive were the results that a month after Lynda’s surgery, her sister had the procedure too.

“It’s like I’m 20 years old again!”

Lynda now has 20/20 vision. She’s able to knit, paint, play tennis and golf like she did in her youth – all without the hassle of glasses and contact lenses. “It’s become very real to me how we take our vision for granted.”

Now the only problem is deciding what to do with all her glasses.

Determining which option is best for any given patient requires a comprehensive eye examination and discussion with the surgeon to understand the pros and cons of each procedure. One size doesn’t fit all. It’s important to choose the right

 

How to Protect Your Eyes from a Pterigión or Carnosidad?

/in /by

How to protect your eyes from a Pterygium | Pterigión | Carnosidad?

Most people may have not heard of a pterygium, and you may be wondering what the heck a pterygium is? Pronounced (turr-idge-ee-um) it may be easier to remember it by its nickname, Surfer’s Eye.

Tell me more about Pterigión | Carnosidad…

A pterygium is a condition that affects individuals who are exposed to sunlight for long periods of time. Surfers are at higher risk for developing this condition because they spend long periods of time in the sunlight. They are also at higher risk due to the reflection of the sunlight on the surface of the water. A pterygium can affect people of all ages who have excessive exposure to UV rays or by living in a dry, dusty, windy environment and also you may be prone to pterygium due to your heredity.

Prevention and Treatment

A pterygium is a non-cancerous growth on the white part of the eye. It typically grows on the inner cornea of the eye, closer to the nose. It can obstruct your vision and cause it to become blurry. The most common symptoms of a pterygium are blurry vision and a burning or itching sensation in your eyes as well as:

  • Eye redness and inflammation
  • A gritty feeling in the eye
  • A feeling that there is a foreign object in the eye
  • Dryness of the eye due to reduced tear production
  • Blurring of vision if the corneal surface is altered or “warped”
  • Obscuring of vision if growth encroaches across the pupil.

People who live in sunny climates, work outside or are from countries that are close to or live near the equator have a higher risk of developing a pterygium. It is also more common among individuals between the ages of 20-40 and affects men more commonly than women.

As with many medical conditions, the best treatment for a pterygium is prevention (we know, we know… but keep reading!)

With Spring and Summer approaching and as a pterygium may be caused by prolonged exposure to UV rays, the best way to protect yourself is by protecting your eyes from potential sun damage:

  • Use sunglasses that block out ultra-violet light (close-fitting, wrap around styles are best)
  • Wear sunglasses and a hat with a wide brim when outdoors
  • Avoid exposure to environmental irritants, for example: smoke, dust, wind and chemical pollutants
  • Use appropriate eye safety equipment in work environments.

Not only does Pterygium affect your eye health, it can cause you to struggle with your appearance and create self-esteem issues. We can help, if you have a pterygium or may know someone who does, please contact us or request to request to schedule a free consultation.

Glasses with the Washington Monument in sight through the lenses

Visionary Eye Doctors Newsletter – April 2018

/in /by

In This Issue:

  • 2 Reasons Eye Exams Are Important
  • Relief for Symptoms of Dry Eye
  • Spring Promotions – Sunglasses and BOTOX®

2 Reasons Eye Exams Are Important

People often take their vision for granted, especially if they don’t need to wear corrective lenses. Even those who are nearsighted, farsighted, or have astigmatism might become complacent about eye exams if their vision is stable.

Regular eye exams are just as important as regular doctor visits. Here are 2 reasons why:

1. Identify Silent, Sight-Robbing Conditions

Eye exams can detect vision problems that you may be completely unaware of and allow for the earliest treatment possible, which may just save your sight!

One of our wonderful optometrists, Dr. Lorena Riveros, recently had a couple of patients that reported prior to their vision exams, their eyes and vision felt okay. However, during their exam, Dr. Riveros discovered large retinal holes that could have resulted in retinal detachment. Unfortunately, retinal holes are asymptomatic and fortunately, thanks to their eye exam with Dr. Riveros, they were able to get treatment and potentially save their eye sight!

Regular eye exams can provide early detection of eye issues and gives you the opportunity to consider a wider range of treatment options.

2. Alert You to Potentially Serious Health Problems

Your eye doctor can also identify underlying health problems just by looking at your eye health. In some cases, conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer and other medical conditions can be identified during regular eye exams.

Adult Eye Exam Recommendations

  • Adults, ages 18 to 60: A comprehensive eye exam every 1 to 2 years
  • Ages 61 and above: Annual comprehensive exams

At risk adults should have more frequent exams. Risk factors include:

  • Family history of eye disease (glaucoma, macular degeneration, keratoconous)
  • Diabetes or high blood pressure
  • A visually demanding occupation or one that may pose a hazard to your eyes
  • Taking prescription or OTC drugs that may have eye-related side effects
  • Previous eye injuries or eye surgery
  • Contact Lens wearers – Annual eye exams

If you have any family history of eye disease or vision problems, you should schedule eye exams more frequently.

Think about it, when was the last time you had an eye exam? Don’t put it off another year. Schedule your eye exam with us today!

Relief for Symptoms of Dry Eye

Dry eye symptoms are the worst! Itching, watering, redness, sensitivity…It’s bad enough when these symptoms appear during allergy season. But when you have chronic symptoms that don’t go away, it might be time to seek professional relief.

Not all dry eye is the same therefore, not all dry eye treatment is the same. There are two basic types of dry eye:

1. Evaporative Dry Eye –

This is caused by blockage to the glands in the eyelid (the Meibomian glands) which leads to a shortage of oil on the surface of the tears and quicker than normal tear evaporation. This type of dry eye accounts for most of all dry eye cases.

2. Aqueous Dry Eye –

This occurs when the lacrimal glands do not produce enough tears.

As a Dry Eye Center of Excellence, led by Dr. Sandra Lora Cremers, we use the most advanced technologies and techniques to diagnose and completely understand your dry eye and then treat it so you can get back to comfort and normalcy. Dr. Cremers is one of the top dry eye specialists in the United States. Patients from all over the world have sought her out for leading-edge treatments, including stem cell therapy and PRP injections to the Meibomian glands for those with severe, painful, treatment resistant dry eye.

If and when it will be appropriate and effective, one of the more common treatment options for Evaporative Dry Eye is the LipiFlow® Thermal Pulsation System. LipiFlow has been shown to improve Evaporative Dry Eye symptoms in 79% of patients within just four weeks of treatments.

How LipiFlow Works

LipiFlow unblocks the eyelid glands through the application of controlled heat to the inner eyelid. This heat allows the glands to stimulate the production of complex natural oils for your tear film.

Can LipiFlow Provide Relief for You?

The first step is to determine the root cause of your dry eye symptoms. One of the tools we use is the non-invasive LipiView® diagnostic test to assess your tear film and the Meibomian Glands Evlauator to examine the quantity and quality of the oils. Once armed with the facts about your eyes, we can discuss your treatment options.

Now offering special pricing on LipiFlow, if you are interested please give us a call to discuss your treatment options. We are here to get you relief! For more info on dry eye, visit www.eyedrymd.com.

Meet our Dry Eye Specialist:

Sandra Lora Cremers, MD, FACS

Eyes on Spring – Need New Shades?

Spring Promotions

INVU Ultra Polarized Sunglasses

Outdoor lovers, rejoice! The biggest names in polarized sunglasses—Costa, Maui Jim, and Oakley—are offered at higher price points, and though by most accounts they are worth the cost, our Dr. Babak Hosseini felt we needed a comparable, affordable alternative – INVU Ultra Polarized sunglasses from Swiss Eyewear Group, personally field tested and endorsed by Dr. Hosseini and many, many others who spend time in the great outdoors. The INVU sunglasses have not one, not two, but 9 layers of ultra- polarization to deliver the ultimate in glare-free vision.

INVU Special Price, $99.95 Through May, 2018!

Designer Sunglasses – Special

30% off through May 31st, 2018

Spring into BOTOX® with our Dr. Nima Moainie

Get $50 off 20 units of BOTOX® or $100 off 40 units of BOTOX®*

* 20-unit minimum. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Offer valid through 06.30.18.

Call (301) 591-1763 for a complimentary BOTOX consultation today and mention the special pricing offer when you schedule!

*Results may vary. Risks, benefits and alternatives will be discussed during your consultation.  Full prescribing information and important safety information will be provided during your consultation.

Thank you for the privilege of caring for your eyes!

Stay Connected with Us

Contact Us

(301) 591-1763
www.voeyedr.com
11300 Rockville Pike Suite 1202 & 1208
Rockville, Maryland 20852

Closeup of a patient's eye with a pterygium

Is Having a Pterygium Dangerous?

/in /by

Study Finds Pterygium may increase risk of Cutaneous Melanomas

A pterygium is a visible growth on the surface of the eye. It typically emerges as a triangular, soft-tissue growth from the corner of the eye, with a pink and fleshy appearance. This growth is the body’s way of trying to protect the eye from intense environments, such as high levels of sunlight, dust, sand or wind.

In general, pterygia (plural) are not dangerous. During the early stages of pterygium development, the main concern is cosmetic – they change the eye’s appearance – but there is no effect on vision. Symptoms in the early stages may include irritation, itching or burning. These can generally be managed with eye drops. Avoid further exposure to sunlight and wind to reduce the stimulus for it to grow larger. A small pterygium that has stopped growing is relatively harmless and may not need any further treatment. However, surgery is an option if you are worried about the cosmetic appearance of your eye and find you feel self-conscious which may affect your overall confidence and social interactions.

In many cases, the pterygium may continue to grow across the eye and either directly block vision or distort the shape of the cornea and cause blurred vision (astigmatism).

Importantly, pterygia are not cancerous – they are benign growths. That means that while they may grow locally (and possibly affect your sight), they won’t spread to other parts of your body. Nevertheless, it’s important that you have an ophthalmologist evaluate any growth on your eye to rule out more serious conditions, such as a conjunctival or iris tumor.

Pterygium – a red flag for cutaneous melanoma, major new study shows

And while pterygia themselves are not cancerous, new findings published by Australian researchers, looked at 23,625 people who underwent treatment for pterygium, found that people who have a pterygium are nearly 25% more likely to develop malignant melanoma – a dangerous form of skin cancer.

The study advised, ‘Eye care providers who see patients with developing pterygia should advise these patients of this increased risk and recommend regular skin surveillance.” Tell your primary care or dermatologist if you have (or have had) a pterygium, make sure that you protect your skin from the sun/UV exposure (i.e. sunscreen, long-sleeved tops, shade) and always have regular skin checks.