Keratoconus: Dodging the cones

One in every 1,000 to 2,000 Americans is affected by Keratoconus, a degenerative disorder of the eye. Keratoconus causes the cornea to thin and change, resulting in a more conical shape instead of a gradual curve.

Keratoconus can cause vision distortion, streaking and sensitivity to light. It is typically diagnosed during childhood and gets worse into the twenties and thirties. The deterioration in vision can affect one’s ability to perform daily tasks like driving or reading.

The great news is that the treatment options for this debilitating disease have been progressing in the recent years. Previously, there were only two treatment options. A patient was given contact lenses to get the best possible vision. Once the contact lenses failed, the only option was a corneal transplant, which is less than optimal as there are serious long term complications, risks and vision issues associated with such a transplant.

Now at Mann Eye Institute, we offer several treatments to improve keratoconic patients’ vision and most importantly, prevent patients from having to undergo a corneal transplant. Our newest treatment option is collagen crosslinking.

Corneal collagen crosslinking (or CXR) is a procedure that is done to actually change the chemical make-up of the cornea. The cornea is exposed to a medicine (riboflavin) and then treated with a UV light. These two things combine to make new bonds within the cornea which strengthens it and creates a more rounded (less conical) shape.

CXR has been performed throughout the world for many years and is the primary surgical intervention in all European countries. It is newer in the US and has yet to be FDA approved, though studies are being performed to gain that approval and those of us who are passionate about doing what is best for our patients are offering the procedure with the proper informed consent.

CXR is just one of the treatments options available at Mann Eye Institute. If you are suffering from keratoconus, please schedule an appointment with us so we can help get your vision to its optimal state.

Photo credit: Eyerobics.com

Active Life Lenses not only fix cataracts, but can improve your vision

Jeanne J. after her Active Life Lens procedure. Read her
 thank you note to Dr. Wright here.

Quality of life is a big term in ophthalmology.  Luckily we rarely have to deal with life and death situations in our field, instead we are given the chance to improve a patient’s everyday life, which is just as exciting to me. It is what makes my job the best one in the world.

Nobody likes the news that they need surgery.  The same holds true for patients who come to me with decreased vision from cataracts.  Many patients hear that “s” word and become apprehensive.

What is great about ophthalmology is that I have the opportunity to not only fix a cataract, but to make the vision better than before the cataract.  Think about that for a second. Most of the time you go to the doctor with a problem. You get it fixed, which brings you back to the baseline you were at before the illness or problem.  With cataract surgery, I am able to remove the cataract, but take it a step further and actually improve the vision to better than before surgery.

At Mann Eye Institute, we perform the surgeries and use Active Life Lenses to improve your life.  There are lenses that can get rid of the astigmatism and prescription that has plagued some their whole lives.  These lenses can let you wake up in the morning and see in the distance without glasses in greater than 95% of people who receive them.  There is also a lens which can let you see distance and near without glasses the majority of the time.  Think about shaving, putting on make-up, and of course reading without using glasses.  Again, around 95% of people with Active Life Lens procedures can go the majority of their day without glasses. That’s pretty amazing if you ask me.

Come in and see if one of out Active Life Lens procedures may be able to help you see better and be less dependent on glasses.  It is an exciting opportunity for our patients, and we love to be a part of it.

Enjoy outdoor activities again

The weather is changing, and it is time to get out and enjoy the sun.  Along with the sun comes the active lifestyle we all enjoy.  At Mann Eye Institute, I get the pleasure of hearing my happy patients talk about all the activities they get to enjoy glasses-free after surgery.

For those out there who are on the fence about LASIK you should talk to someone who has already had surgery and ask them how happy they are (even if they were nervous about doing it beforehand!)

We all know we should be running, walking, biking, swimming, and more to stay healthy, look good, and live longer.  Think of how much easier is to do all these activities without glasses.

And even for those activities that require eyewear, my patients get excited when they no longer have to buy expensive prescription eyewear.  To be able to buy swim goggles, designer sunglasses, motorcycle goggles, and such without the restrictions of a prescription opens up a whole new world of designs and brands at a fraction of the cost.

We hope we can add you to the large contingent of happy patients at Mann Eye Institute. Call, email, or chat with us to set up a free appointment to see if you would benefit from Blade-free LASIK or if an Active Life Lens is right for you.

Brian Wright, MD
Mann Eye Institute
(713) 580-2500
www.MannEye.com

Don’t Let Itchy Eyes Hinder your Spring Activities

Spring is the season that many people start experiencing “Itchy Eyes,” usually caused by pollens and grasses that are most prevalent at this time of year. This problem can be exacerbated by contact lens use as the contacts often collect allergens and cause constant exposure to these irritating plant particles.

There are multiple ways to deal with the “Itchy Eye” problem, including artificial tears and switching from contact lenses to prescription glasses. Additionally, many of our patients report significant relief following their Blade-Free LASIK procedures at Mann Eye Institute. When a patient is able to eliminate the need for contacts, he or she is also eliminating the constant exposure to allergens caused by those contacts.

This a great time of year to be outside, and we want to help you enjoy your outdoor activities and the many beautiful aspects of nature with clear vision and without discomfort or itching. I invite you to visit us at Mann Eye Institute to learn more about Blade-Free LASIK and our other vision correction solutions.

Brian Wright, MD

Mann Eye Institute

(713) 580-2500

www.MannEye.com

Why should I choose Mann Eye for my surgery?

With my second blog I thought I would address a question I commonly receive when a patient comes in for a LASIK screening.  And if they don’t ask, I am sure they are thinking it. “Why should I choose Mann Eye for my surgery?”  I believe several points should be considered when choosing a surgeon, and I will address the first today as it pertains to Mann Eye.

In my opinion, one of the most important aspects when choosing your surgeon / practice to get rid of glasses and contacts is to check if they are proficient in all the different refractive options available to surgically change your vision for the better.  Your vision is as unique as your fingerprint, and the appropriate vision correction option can vary from patient to patient. But as the saying goes, “When all you have is a hammer, all the world looks like a nail.”  For patients, this means you should want a practice that offers all possible options.  For instance, if a practice only offers LASIK, that practice cannot and should not adequately serve a patient with certain vision conditions that make the patient a poor LASIK candidate.

At Mann Eye we are able to fix, improve, or stabilize a range of vision issues with the latest technology and surgeries.  For the majority of the public that is 60 or below, LASIK is a great option to improve your vision. The following four examples demonstrate various patient needs in which a different surgery may be better than LASIK for the best results.

For patients above 60 years old and /or those with cataract changes in their lens, LASIK is sometimes the correct course of treatment, but many times a lens exchange or cataract surgery is needed in order to get the best results.  Our surgeons at Mann Eye Institute specialize in both types of surgery, and we will be able to decide which option is best for you.

Additionally, LASIK may not be the best surgery for those with significant corneal scarring or recurrent erosions of their cornea.  Not only can the results from LASIK not be optimal, but complications are more likely to occur with these conditions.  Again, this is not an issue at Mann Eye because we are able to offer Advanced Surface Ablation (ASA), which can remove superficial scarring WHILE removing a prescription. In some cases, ASA can actually treat the erosions themselves, possibly ridding the patient of glasses AND their disease.  This is one reason why our screening process is so extensive so that any issues that are present are found and addressed properly either surgically or medically.

A third example would be a patient who is extremely nearsightedness.  Once a prescription gets around -10.00 diopters, it is possible that the cornea is not thick enough to allow for a LASIK laser treatment. Performing LASIK in these instances could put a patient at risk for complications due to the thinness of the cornea.  Therefore, an Implantable Collamer Lens (or ICL) may be the best option.  We are blessed at Mann Eye to have our own surgery centers where these lens implantations (along with other surgeries) can be done. You can always feel safe in knowing that we do extensive screening to look for these risk factors and that we will only recommend the procedure that, in our opinion, is safest and will provide optimal results. Make sure any practice you consider for your vision correction procedure can say the same thing.

One last example (though there are many more) would be someone with irregular astigmatism who wishes to have surgery as his or her vision is deteriorating.  At Mann Eye we are able to offer a solution with INTACS corneal implants.  INTACS are medical grade plastic implants that are placed in the cornea to give it a more natural spherical shape, which is sometimes lost from diseases like keratoconus.

As new procedures become available, our surgical team here at Mann Eye evaluates the new technologies to determine which will be beneficial to our patients. We strive to constantly offer a wide variety of safe, effective, proven procedures for the unique vision conditions of each of our patients.

This is just my first blog on why Mann Eye is the right choice for your eye care needs.  Stay tuned next month more information and updates.

--Dr. Wright

Introducing Brian Wright, MD

Monday, January 17th, 2011

Hello everyone.  I am Brian Wright, MD, one of the two newest members of Mann Eye Institute.  Myself and Lisa McIntire, MD joined the practice at the beginning of the new year.  I will be located primarily in Katy and Sugar Land, while Dr. McIntire will be located primarily in Austin, though you may see us around the other offices from time to time.

I thought I would take this opportunity to introduce myself while I have your attention.  I grew up in Plano, TX which is a suburb in northern Dallas.  Growing up there I was involved in many sports including basketball, baseball, football, and soccer.  As the years went by I started getting more serious in soccer and that was my main sport I played in high school.  I even continued to play at Texas A&M my first year before I gave it up competitively and just played for fun.  While at A&M for four years I studied Biomedical Science which is basically pre-med.  I knew going into college I wanted to be a doctor, though at the time I wasn’t sure what kind.  I also had the fortune of meeting my wife while in college, though we didn’t get married until years later when she graduated from Physician Assistant school.  After all, one of us had to be making money before we could support a place together. J

After graduating college, I attended UT Southwestern Medical School in Dallas.  It was a great four years of studying hard and learning what it means to be a physician.  Some of my best friends came from those tough years.  I also was able to meet mentors who molded my future.  One physician in particular got me interested in ophthalmology.  I am thankful for his guidance as at the time I was thinking of doing orthopedic surgery.  I couldn’t be happier with my choice as I love what I do.  There is no happier job than helping people see.  What could be more rewarding?

Upon completion of medical school I moved on to my internship.  I was lucky to have a wonderful experience as many physicians consider this is one of the hardest years of their lives.  My internship was in Roanoke, VA where I did a transitional year.  A transitional year is designed for physicians who plan on going into a specialty (such as ophthalmology).  During the year you rotate through different fields such as general surgery, internal medicine, pediatrics, emergency room, family practice, etc.  While I did work hard, I also had a great time and made great friends.  The city was beautiful and right on the Appalachian Trail.  I had some great hikes and fun ski trips when I got out of the hospital.  I also ran my first marathon that year in Richmond, VA.

The next step in training was my residency.  I was blessed to be able to get a spot at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA.  It was a tough and highly rewarding three years.  I saw some great pathology and learned even more than I hoped from the local population and from those flown in for treatment.  Because our hospital was the major trauma center and place for specialized care in the Great Northwest, I saw patients from Idaho, Montana, Alaska, and other areas of Washington.

After my training was complete, I returned to Texas where my wife and I wanted to settle for good.  My wife Kelli grew up in Houston so we decided the Houston area was where we wanted to be.  I joined a practice in the Katy area and practiced there for a little over two years.  While it was a good experience and I loved my patients, it was time to move to something new.  Fortune was on my side though as I soon talked to the Mann Eye Institute and decided we would be a great fit.  The Katy office was completed in October of last year and is so new and beautiful.  And best of all, I can now offer my patients a clinic that has its own laser center and its own surgery center, which no other practice in Katy can offer.  I am excited about growing our practice in Sugar Land as well, which is in a great location in the Town Center and has its own laser center as well.

That is enough about my story, though.  In my next blogs I will address health topics and how the Mann Eye Institute can help you see to your full potential.  I look forward to talking with any of you in the clinic or feel free to contact me or any other doctor through our website.  Have a great day and come see us soon.