Why do I need an eye exam?
Everyone, even children, need to have their eyes examined.
It is required that children have a baseline eye exam when they first begin school. This is to help identify and
treat problems, such as lazy eyes, early and in a timely fashion. Adults with
certain medical conditions such as diabetes should have their eyes examined yearly
to prevent and treat certain associated ocular complications. In addition,
it is important for adults to have their eyes checked regularly to
screen for
glaucoma, a very serious and blinding eye condition.
What should I expect when I come for an eye exam?
When you come to our
office for an exam, you will be greeted by our friendly and courteous
staff who begin the process by asking you a few questions and by checking your
vision. Dr. Miller will then begin by examining how your eyes
work,
look at the front part of the eye, and check the pressure in your eye as part of
the glaucoma screening process. Dilating drops will then be placed in your eyes
so that Dr. Miller can examine your retina and optic nerve. Upon completion of
your exam, the doctor will discuss the state of your eyes, educate you on
any conditions
that she identified, and give you a prescription for new glasses/contact lenses if necessary.
"Doctors were telling me for a long
time that I might have glaucoma, but nobody would tell me for sure and they made
me use a lot of eye drops in both eyes. Then I came to see Dr. Miller and
she told me that with some tests we were going to work together to see exactly
what was going on with my eyes. Thanks to Dr. Miller, I now know
exactly what is wrong with my eyes and I don't have to take as many eye drops
any more. I wish more doctors cared about their patients and
their problems as much as Dr. Miller does." -
Sylvia A.
"I had a bad problem with an infection in my eye. Dr. Miller said that it
was real bad and that I could go blind but that we would work together to make
things better. Well she was right, my eye did get better and she even fixed my
droopy eyelid that was caused by the infection. So now I see great and look 10
years younger." - Miriam J.
How
many surgeries have you performed?
Dr. Miller has
performed hundreds of surgeries, including LASIK, cataract removal, glaucoma, lazy eye
correction surgery, and plastic surgery of the eyelid.
Is my exam/surgery covered by insurance?
Dr. Miller
participates with Medicare and with numerous private insurance
carriers, HMO's and PPO's. Payment plans are available for cosmetic procedures
and for laser vision correction.
CATARACT/CATARACT SURGERY
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What is a cataract?
The eye is like a camera, and
like a camera the eye has a lens inside that allows us to focus on objects that
we see. When we are born, the lens in our eye is clear. With
time, however, the lens becomes cloudy and stiff. It is this clouding of
the lens that is known as a cataract.
What
are the symptoms of cataracts?
When the lens
becomes cloudy, a patient with cataracts may experience any or all of the following
symptoms:
-hazy or
blurry vision
-double
vision
-haloes and
problems with glare
-frequent eye
glass prescription changes with no improvement of vision
-a yellowing
or dulling of colors
What is cataract
surgery like?
Cataract
surgery
takes about an hour and is performed in an out patient setting, meaning you go home the same day. Dr. Miller performs topical clear
corneal cataract surgery (no needle/no stitch) in most cases. The
patient is
given IV sedation during the surgery for comfort. A small instrument, known as a
phacoemulsifier, uses sound waves to break up the cataract and then
remove these pieces from the eye. A new synthetic "lens" is then placed in the eye once the cataract has
been removed. The patient generally experiences minimal discomfort both during and after the surgery.
"Before I came to see Dr. Miller I couldn't see anything, I mean I
was blind. Dr. Miller told me that I had cataracts and that with a small surgery
that lasted about a half hour I could see better. First she operated on my right
eye
and I didn't feel a thing either during or after the surgery. And best of
all, I could see better right away! Dr. Miller operated on my left eye about a
month later and now I see great. Dr. Miller is a great surgeon that let me
see again but she is also a great person that held my hand and comforted me when I
was scared and didn't know what to expect." -
Alicia V.
When
will I notice that my vision is better?
Some people notice an
improvement in their vision just hours after the surgery is
complete. However, most patients say their vision is improved by
a day or two after the surgery. Complete healing of the eye
generally occurs within 1 month.
Will
I need to make any lifestyle changes after the surgery?
After cataract
surgery, Dr. Miller will request that you wear a shield on your
eye at night for about 2 weeks to prevent any inadvertent
rubbing while you are sleeping. You might also want to consider
sun glasses while outside since some patients say they are a
little sensitive to light in the few days following surgery. Dr.
Miller also recommends that all patients refrain from lifting
heavy objects, greater than 25 pounds, and from swimming for
three to four weeks following surgery. Besides these few
recommendations and restrictions, patients generally go about
their lives as usual following cataract surgery.
