I have discussed this before, but it always bears repeating. In the last few years, the marketplace for post-cataract lens implants has really exploded. This is a great thing for patients, as there are a lot of new options. Of course, as ophthalmologists, we need pay close attention to the nuances and intricacies of these…

Many ophthalmologists have moved away from routine use of eye drops post cataract surgery. Traditionally, I used three different medications in eye drop form for basically all patients after cataract surgery. In recent years, a technique involving placing antibiotics and steroid at the time of surgery has gained popularity as I noted above. Now, I…

I feel like I write too many posts like this, so I apologize if I am being repetitive. I just heard about another expensive industry product that seems to be doing some harm. I suppose I can’t say for sure whether it is doing more harm than good, but this harm is not associated with…

I recently saw a question posted by an ophthalmologist about performing LASIK in HIV+ patients. The specific question was as follows (paraphrased): For HIV+ patients with undetectable viral loads, do you perform LASIK? If you perform LASIK, do you put them as the last surgery or use extra precautions (such as double gloving)? For laser…

In returning to my Marshall, MN practice, I will be operating in two locations once things are established in the upcoming couple of months. One site will be the Avera Marshall Regional Medical Center. The other will be in Redwood Falls. More details will follow soon!

I recently heard the story of a good ophthalmologist who was approached by a 28 year old patient. She wears very strong glasses (+12 D). She wanted to decrease her need for glasses, which can be achieved by performing what is basically a cataract surgery. When there is no true cataract present, that surgery is…

I have mentioned things about dry eye in the past, but it is such a common issue in our clinics that it bears discussing frequently. There are a lot of different symptoms of dry eye, including intermittent blurry vision (vision often changes with blinking), feeling of an object in the eye (“piece of dirt”), tearing,…

I recently read an article from a group at UC Irvine regarding Google Trends data about dry eye. Basically, the method they use is to analyze Google search data as a measure of how much dry eye is actually in the community. One of their conclusions was that the Fall is the time of year…

After LASIK surgery to try to reduce the need for glasses, typically done in young near-sighted people, patients can experience something called “transient light sensitivity syndrome” (TLSS). This syndrome is not deeply/well understood, but it boils down to this situation: a patient who has had LASIK has good vision and a normal looking eyeball but…

When we as ophthalmologists take cataracts out, we like to replace the cataract with an intraocular lens implant. Some of the newer intraocular lens implants (IOLs) are designed to try to help the patient see at different distances, e.g. at far away distances and up close (reading) as well. Many of the lens implants that…