Monday, March 25, 2013

Alabama Surgeon on Being Too Old

Birmingham Alabama LASIK Surgeon Marc Michelson, M.D. offered thoughts on whether you could be too old for LASIK. “Over the years I have examined and provided LASIK consultations for many active and healthy 60-70 year old patients who were pretty nearsighted and just wanted more freedom to be able to see clearly at distance without having to wear glasses. If their general health, eye health, corneal health, shape and tears were healthy-we certainly would accept them as a LASIK candidate regardless of their age,’ commented Dr. Michelson. “In 2013 however, we also have excellent multifocal lens implants that we could also recommend to patients as they would correct both the far vision and the near vision at the same time-which might be important for some patients. If the patient presenting for a LASIK consultation has even a trace of cataracts at that age we would certainly counsel them to opt for the lens replacement surgery with the multifocal lens implant,” Dr. Michelson further explained. “As long as they have a tangible reason for wanting LASIK so that it will improve their lifestyle, people thinking about having Laser Eye Surgery can do so without worrying about being too old for LASIK as long as they have healthy eyes, a health cornea, sufficient tears and are free of cataracts or retinal diseases.”

If you or someone you know would like to learn more about LASIK or any Laser Eye Surgery for vision correction or Lens Replacement Surgery please schedule a Free Consultation in Birmingham by calling 205-930-0930, visiting Michelson Laser Vision or facebook.com/michelsonlaservision.

Michelson Laser Vision and Alabama Eye & Cataract Center are leading eye care centers in Birmingham staffed by a team of specialists including eye doctors who are fellowship trained cornea specialists and cataract and lens implant specialists-all board certified Ophthalmologists & Corneal Specialists-as well as Optometrists, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser eye surgery such as LASIK for laser vision correction, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, care for diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma and fitting of eyeglasses and eyewear.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

LASIK for Alabama Motorcycle Riders


With some caveats, LASIK is a good potential choice of vision correction for motorcycle riders in Alabama who wear glasses or contact lens wearers. “Contact lenses and eyeglasses can be a real challenge for motorcycle riders-so more and more ask about LASIK,” stated Marc Michelson, M.D., a Birmingham LASIK Surgeon & Corneal Specialist at Michelson Laser Vision. “I do take the opportunity to discuss with motorcycle riders who want LASIK that they should always use proper eye protection from the sun, bugs, small rocks and pebbles and especially the wind, which can really contribute to dry eye symptoms,” he explained. “Further I always remind bike enthusiasts about the potential for eye irritation and motorcycle dry eye caused by the wind, exhaust fumes, pollen and pollution-as well as the Alabama sun and heat.”

At your LASIK consultation the staff will be exploring your lifestyle needs and activities. As a potential LASIK patient we want to take the time necessary so that we can carefully counsel you in order to get the best results and help meet your expectations. Please take the time to tell us about your motorcycle riding interest as well as all of the ways in which you are hoping to benefit from LASIK.

If you or someone you know would like to learn more about LASIK or any Laser Eye Surgery for vision correction please schedule a Free LASIK Consultation in Birmingham by calling 205-930-0930, visiting Michelson Laser Vision or facebook.com/michelsonlaservision.

Michelson Laser Vision and Alabama Eye & Cataract Center are leading eye care centers in Birmingham staffed by a team of specialists including eye doctors who are fellowship trained cornea specialists and cataract and lens implant specialists-all board certified Ophthalmologists & Corneal Specialists-as well as Optometrists, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser eye surgery such as LASIK for laser vision correction, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, care for diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma and fitting of eyeglasses and eyewear.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Why Women Need Bifocals Sooner than Men


Women often need bifocals sooner than men of approximately the same age. “While it may come as a surprise and may not be obvious, we actually see this pretty often during regular eye exams,” noted Tyler Hall, M.D., Ophthalmologist & Corneal Specialist at Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham, AL. Researchers reporting the journal Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science (IOVS) found that women tend to need bifocals sooner to correct their near vision and the onset of presbyopia-the age related near vision focusing problem. The studies show that presbyopia, the inability to see at a close distance that occurs with age, is more common in women. While men and women need bifocals as they age, the need is more common among women and tends to hit them at younger ages than men. “It is believed that while men and women appeared to actually have the same focusing ability when looking at nearby objects, because women are generally shorter than the men, with proportionally shorter arm lengths, they needed to hold objects closer to their faces when reading and thus required the near vision presbyopia correction of bifocals, reading glasses or even bifocal contact lenses sooner,” explained Dr. Hall.

If you have questions or concerns near vision focusing problems such as presbyopia or questions about bifocals and reading glasses please schedule an eye exam by calling Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham at 205-930-0930, visiting Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or facebook.com/michelsonlaservision.

Michelson Laser Vision and Alabama Eye & Cataract Center are leading eye care centers in Birmingham staffed by a team of specialists including eye doctors who are fellowship trained cornea specialists and cataract and lens implant specialists-all board certified Ophthalmologists & Corneal Specialists-as well as Optometrists, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser eye surgery such as LASIK for laser vision correction, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, care for diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma and fitting of eyeglasses and eyewear.

Monday, March 4, 2013

Eye Drops for Dry AMD Treatment

In the not too distant future it may be possible to offer patients eye drops for treatment of Dry Age Related Macular Degeneration. Birmingham Ophthalmologist Marc Michelson, M.D. of Alabama Eye & Cataract Center shared some thoughts and information about some possible eye drop treatments for dry macular degeneration. “With the advent of Lucentis® injections for Wet macular degeneration we have been able to make a huge impact on so many people and their quality of life,” commented Dr. Michelson. “In reality though, 85% or so of the cases of macular degeneration that we diagnose are “Dry” macular degeneration and thus it would be significant if we could find some form of treatment for this type as well,” he further noted.

Although we don’t fully understand the exact cause of “Dry” AMD, we know that it tends to progress more slowly than the “Wet” AMD. It is characterized by the appearance of small white or yellowish deposits, called drusen which form on the retina, beneath the macula, causing it to deteriorate or degenerate over time. “The most likely cause is a diminished blood flow in the blood vessels of choroid-a tissue beneath the retina that supplies it with oxygen and nutrients,” Dr. Michelson explained.

The FDA has facilitated a “fast track” approach and testing of an experimental eye drop that has an active ingredient that has been approved and used in an oral formulation to treat hypertension. It is thought that these new eye drops may act to increase choroidal blood flow and circulation and thus slow or stop the progression of AMD from the early stage (Dry AMD) to the later stage (Wet AMD) by increasing the blood flow in the eye's choroidal vessels. Thus far the early clinical studies show that the drug is safe for use in human subjects and is now being tested to determine if it can be an effective treatment for dry AMD by increasing choroidal blood flow.

“We are continually reviewing the research, the publications and the FDA clinical trials to find better ways to take care of our patients-it’s just part of being a good physician and our patients depend on us. More to come regarding “Dry” macular eye drop treatment as soon as we have the data and information,” said Dr. Michelson.

If you have questions or concerns about macular degeneration or about potential new eye drop treatments for Dry macular degeneration schedule an eye exam by calling Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham at 205-930-0930, visiting Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or facebook.com/michelsonlaservision.

Michelson Laser Vision and Alabama Eye & Cataract Center are leading eye care centers in Birmingham staffed by a team of specialists including eye doctors who are fellowship trained cornea specialists and cataract and lens implant specialists-all board certified Ophthalmologists & Corneal Specialists-as well as Optometrists, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser eye surgery such as LASIK for laser vision correction, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, care for diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma and fitting of eyeglasses and eyewear.