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.