SOME of the COnditions we treat at basin eye surgery

cataracts

A cataract forms when the lens inside the eye becomes cloudy. The cloudiness develops mostly due to aging but also from steroid use, trauma, diabetes, previous retina surgery, and more.  Most people will develop cataracts in their lifetime.  As the cataract forms, it commonly causes blurry vision at distance and near, glare and halos when looking at lights, and dimming of vision which creates a hard time distinguishing colors correctly.  These symptoms resolve after surgery which is rewarding to the patient and the surgery team.

During surgery, an implant lens is placed in the eye to correct vision. There are several types of implants that vary in the quality of vision they enhance.

  • Distance and near vision correcting implant lenses are the latest and greatest! This technology is constantly evolving and benefits our patients by giving them the ability to see far and near without relying on constant glasses or contact lens wear. People with these implants love being able to wake up in the morning and see across the room and also their reading material independent of glasses.

  • Astigmatism correcting implant lenses sharpen distance vision for patients who have moderate amounts of astigmatism. They do not correct near vision. People who choose these implants have astigmatism and would like clear distance vision but are satisfied by wearing reading glasses for close vision.

  • Distance correcting implant lenses allow for clear vision in patients without astigmatism. If someone has astigmatism, they would still need glasses after surgery to wear all the time for distance and near vision.

A single pterygium or multiple pterygia form when an outer layer of the eye called the conjunctiva grows over the clear cornea and creates a scar. This causes astigmatism which blurs and distorts the vision. UV light from the sun along with windy, dusty & smoky environments stimulate the growth of a pterygium. Pterygium surgery removes the scar tissue and places a graft to help decrease the chances of regrowth.

pterygium

dry eye Disease

About 20 million people in the United States have dry eye symptoms, and West Texas notoriously has an arid, dusty, windy environment. There are many many causes of dry eye, some due to the environment, ocular anatomy, medications, chronic health conditions, and more.  It is a source of frustration for the patients and can create major ocular issues if undertreated. It can also affect the outcomes of eye surgery if not treated in advance.  Dry eye therapy includes a variety of lubricating and prescription medications, treatment of underlying irritations like blepharitis and Demodex (eyelash mites), warm compresses, Meibomian gland expression, and Intense Pulse Light (IPL).

Intense Pulse Light (IPL)

Basin Eye surgery is pleased to have an IPL, which is a new FDA approved technology for the treatment of dry eye disease. The light targets key contributors to inflammation which is an underlying cause of meibomian gland dysfunction related dry eye symptoms. IPL has been studied to shrink abnormal vessels, lower inflammatory markers, and decrease the demodex mite population. By using IPL, a patient’s pre-surgical ocular measurements improve and allow for a more accurate surgical outcome.

  • This is performed in the clinic with four 15-20 minute sessions shown to have the most benefit to the patient.

GLAUCOMA

Glaucoma is a complex disease of the eye that can lead to vision loss and blindness. There are various reasons why there is increased fluid and pressure in the eye. When the intraocular (inside the eye) pressure is elevated, then there can be too much pressure on the Optic Nerve leading to possible nerve damage. The Optic Nerve is composed of the “vision fibers.” When this is damaged, the nerve fibers do not regrow. Therefore, the goal of glaucoma management is to prevent future nerve loss.  Some of the treatments are laser (SLT), drops, and surgical.  At Basin Eye Surgery, we have the SLT laser as well as the imaging and visual field testing necessary to properly and expertly care for glaucoma.

Patients with any type of diabetes can have ocular disease. Therefore, at Basin Eye Surgery, we monitor for vision issues in diabetic patients alongside his or her primary care physician and endocrinologist.  Uncontrolled diabetes can cause symptoms such as blurred vision, floaters, decreased or spotted vision, elevated eye pressure, early cataracts, and more. To see diabetic changes in the eye, Dr. Farber will complete a full dilated eye exam and may include imaging of the macula and retina with an OCT machine that is in the office.  It is possible to improve the ill-effects of diabetes in the eye by having consistently managed blood sugars monitored by your primary physician.

  • If necessary, Dr. Farber may refer a client to a retina specialist for further treatment.

Diabetic Retinopathy