A cataract is a vision impairment resulting from a cloudiness of the lens in the eye that prevents light from being focused clearly. Most people have some clouding of their lenses by age 60.

Surgery is the only treatment option for cataracts and is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures in the United States. During surgery, your cloudy lens is removed and an intraocular lens (IOL) is implanted and becomes a permanent part of your eye. Columbia Eye Clinic offers the latest advancements in lens implants and surgical procedure options to create a custom experience for every cataract patient.

There are many fantastic IOL options to correct nearsightedness, fiarsghtedness, astigmatism, and presbyopia–age-related inability to focus at near distances—that can reduce or eliminate your dependence on glasses, even if you have had them for most of your life. Your surgeon will recommend a lens during your consultation visit based on your particular visual needs, including your hobbies, activities, lifestyle, and pre-existing eye conditions such as glaucoma or macular degeneration.

Patients who choose a monofocal IOL may need glasses for some or all distances. Monofocal IOLs are set to provide your best uncorrected vision at one focal point. Many people who choose a monofocal IOL have it set it for distance vision and use reading glasses for near activities. On the other hand, a person whose IOLs are set to correct near vision would need glasses to see distant objects clearly.

Monofocal IOLs can also be set for monovision, which is distance vision in one eye and near vision in the other eye. If you are considering monovision, your ophthalmologist may suggest trying this technique with contact lenses first to see how well you can adapt. If you require crisp, detailed vision, monovision may not be the best approach for you.

Multifocal IOLs utilize advanced technology and offer a series of focal zones or rings built into the IOL. Depending on where light focuses through the zones, you may be able to see distance, intermediate and near objects clearly. The ability to read and perform other tasks without glasses varies from person to person but it is generally best when multifocal IOLs are placed in both eyes.

Astigmatism is an imperfection in the curvature of your cornea. Laser cataract surgery enables the physician to correct certain amounts of regular astigmatism to reduce your need for glasses. Astigmatism correcting IOLs can also be used to help decrease the dependence upon glasses. Monofocal IOLs that correct astigmatism allow you to see without glasses at one distance. With this option, you may still rely on glasses for some activities. Some multifocal IOLs can also correct astigmatism.

Most insurance, including Medicare, cover the traditional procedure after deductibles and copays/coinsurances are met.  You may pay out of pocket for laser cataract surgery and for a premium lens.

Contact us at (803) 779-3070 to schedule an appointment for a cataract consultation at any of our four conveniently located offices.

The post Will I need glasses after cataract surgery? appeared first on Columbia Eye.

Why do I have cataracts? Patients often wonder why their vision has become cloudy, their eyes are sensitive to light, they have difficulty seeing at night, see faded colors, and their glasses don’t seem to work anymore. Over your lifetime, the natural lenses inside your eyes become cloudy and prevent light from being focused clearly. It may seem like these changes in your vision happened overnight, but because cataracts form gradually, you probably didn’t notice them.

Cataracts are part of the natural aging process and most people have some clouding of their lenses by age 60. Cataracts can develop more quickly in patients with uncontrolled diabetes, who have had a trauma to the eye, or have used oral or topical steroids for extended periods of time.

Cataract surgery to remove your clouded natural lens and replace it with a lens implant is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures in the United States. You should have very little pain after surgery. You will need to observe a few precautions during the first week or so after surgery to avoid developing an infection or sustaining an injury to your eye while it heals, but should be able to resume most of your normal activities within a day or two. In most cases, your eye should be completely healed and your recovery complete in about a month.

Cataract surgery has been shown to significantly improve vision and quality of life for patients who undergo the procedure. Many patients are able to reduce or eliminate their dependence on glasses and contacts after cataract surgery. We offer a host of the latest advancements in lens implants and surgical procedure options to create a custom experience for you.

Call (803) 779-3070 to schedule a cataract consultation at our conveniently located Downtown Columbia location.

The post Why do I have cataracts? appeared first on Columbia Eye.

Drooping or sagging eyelids and eyebrows and under eye fat pockets are common signs of aging and may make you look tired and detract from the attractiveness of your eyes and face. In addition to cosmetic considerations, eyelid drooping can also impair your vision by blocking part of your visual field.

Minor outpatient eyelid surgery, called blepharoplasty, can help you look more rested and youthful by removing excess skin and bulging fat of the upper and lower lids with little to no visible scarring. In cases where the eyelids are also droopy, a procedure to tighten the muscle and lift the eyelids, called ptosis repair, may be appropriate. Incisions are hidden in the crease of the upper eyelid and just beneath the lashes or behind the lower eyelid and are virtually unnoticeable after they have healed.

After surgery, discomfort is generally mild and non-aspirin pain relievers are usually all that is necessary. You can resume wearing contact lenses when the eyelid swelling subsides enough to allow the lenses to be comfortable. If you wear eyeglasses, you can put them on carefully at any time after surgery. Most patients return to most normal activities within a week.

These outpatient procedures are performed by an experienced oculoplastic surgeon, an ophthalmologist who specializes in plastic and reconstructive surgery of eyelids, eyebrows and other parts of the face, in office or at our ambulatory surgery center adjacent to our clinic location at 1920 Pickens Street in downtown Columbia.

If you are undergoing a medically necessary blepharoplasty or ptosis repair, Medicare or your private health insurance may cover some or all of the cost of the procedure.

Learn more about eyelid surgery and other non-surgical aesthetic procedures such as facial rejuvenation using Botox Cosmetic and Latisse.

Contact us at (803) 779-3070 to schedule a consultation to see if we can help you look and feel younger with eyelid surgery.

The post Look and Feel Younger with Eyelid Surgery appeared first on Columbia Eye.

Would you like to reduce or eliminate your dependence on glasses and contacts?

Refractive surgery, also known as LASIK or PRK, is a laser procedure used to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. In the procedure, a laser is used to reshape the cornea—the clear, round dome at the front of the eye—to improve the way the eye focuses light rays onto the retina at the back of the eye.

For patients who want to reduce or eliminate their dependence on glasses and contacts, the iDESIGN® Refractive Studio is the next generation of personalized laser assisted vision correction. The iDESIGN® system takes over 1,200 measurements of the inside and outside of your eye and maps each data point to create an optical fingerprint unique to each patient’s eye. Using the personalized procedure plan, the laser corrects your vision to your exact needs.

 iDESIGN® technology is approved for patients with myopia, hyperopia, and mixed astigmatism, making laser vision correction available for some patients who were previously not candidates for refractive surgery. iDESIGN® technology is also approved for monovision, a procedure designed for patients over 40 years old who are experiencing blurry near vision due to aging of their eyes, where one eye is corrected for distance and the other for near vision.

More than 90% of people who have refractive surgery perform most of their everyday tasks without glasses or contact lenses. Your doctor will consider your vision needs for work and leisure activities to determine if refractive surgery is right for you.

Some patients may need a second enhancement surgery or might need to wear glasses for certain activities, such as reading or driving at night. Refractive surgery cannot correct presbyopia, the age-related loss of closeup focusing power, so you may still need reading glasses after the procedure.

Contact us at (803) 779-3070 to schedule a consultation to determine if you are a candidate for refractive surgery.

The post LASIK – Freedom from Glasses and Contacts appeared first on Columbia Eye.

Years ago if you had cataract surgery, the natural cloudy lens was removed and there was nothing to replace it. People had to wear very thick eyeglasses or special contact lenses to be able to see clearly after cataract surgery. Now, we have a replacement for the eye’s natural lenses called intraocular lenses (IOLs). There are several types of lens implants available to help reduce or eliminate your dependence on glasses.

So why do some people still require glasses after their surgery while others do not? There are many factors that determine if you will continue to wear full time glasses, part time glasses such as reading glasses, or none at all. These factors include the overall health of the eye, the type of surgery you select (traditional or laser), the amount of astigmatism,  your current eyeglass prescription, and your visual needs.

Although traditional cataract surgery is very effective and successful, when considering your surgical options, laser cataract surgery can offer a host of benefits over traditional procedures and can help you experience the best possible long-term vision. Laser surgery allows the surgeon to perform certain key steps within cataract surgery with a laser rather than a hand-held blade.

The benefits of laser surgery include:

• The laser provides an extremely detailed 3-D image of the eye. Since each eye is different with regards to its structures, the surgeon can use the measurements the laser provides to plan your surgery much more precisely.
• The laser enables better centering of the intraocular lens which is a significant factor in determining final visual outcomes.
• The laser enables the physician to simultaneously correct certain amounts of regular astigmatism to reduce your need for glasses.

Patients who have traditional or laser cataract surgery with a monofocal IOL may need glasses for some or all distances. Monofocal IOLs have been used for several decades and are set to provide your best uncorrected vision at one focal point. Many people who choose a monofocal IOL have it set it for distance vision and use reading glasses for near activities. On the other hand, a person whose IOLs are set to correct near vision would need glasses to see distant objects clearly.

Monofocal IOLs can also be set for monovision, which is distance vision in one eye and near vision in the other eye. If you are considering monovision, your ophthalmologist may suggest trying this technique with contact lenses first to see how well you can adapt. If you require crisp, detailed vision, monovision may not be the best approach for you.

Astigmatism is an imperfection in the curvature of your cornea. Laser cataract surgery enables the physician to correct certain amounts of regular astigmatism to reduce your need for glasses. Astigmatism correcting IOLs can also be used to help decrease the dependence upon glasses. These IOLs are monofocal IOLs that correct astigmatism so you can see without glasses at one distance.  You may still rely on glasses for some activities.

Multifocal IOLs utilize advanced technology and offer a series of focal zones or rings built into the IOL. Depending on where light focuses through the zones, you may be able to see distance, intermediate and near objects clearly. The ability to read and perform other tasks without glasses varies from person to person but it is generally best when multifocal IOLs are placed in both eyes.

Regardless of the type of lens you select, you may still need to rely on glasses some of the time, but if correctly selected, your IOLs can greatly reduce your dependence on glasses. Discuss your options with your ophthalmologist to determine the IOL that best suits your vision needs and lifestyle.

The post Will I need glasses after cataract surgery? appeared first on Columbia Eye.

So why do some people still require glasses after their surgery while others do not? There are many factors that determine if you will continue to wear full time glasses, part time glasses such as reading glasses, or none at all. These factors include the overall health of the eye, the amount of astigmatism,  your current eyeglass prescription, and your visual needs.

Patients who have cataract surgery with a monofocal IOL may need glasses for some or all distances. Monofocal IOLs have been used for several decades and are set to provide your best uncorrected vision at one focal point. Many people who choose a monofocal IOL have it set it for distance vision and use reading glasses for near activities. On the other hand, a person whose IOLs are set to correct near vision would need glasses to see distant objects clearly.

Monofocal IOLs can also be set for monovision, which is distance vision in one eye and near vision in the other eye. If you are considering monovision, your ophthalmologist may suggest trying this technique with contact lenses first to see how well you can adapt. If you require crisp, detailed vision, monovision may not be the best approach for you.

Astigmatism is an imperfection in the curvature of your cornea. Astigmatism correcting IOLs can also be used to help decrease the dependence upon glasses. These IOLs are monofocal IOLs that correct astigmatism so you can see without glasses at one distance.  You may still rely on glasses for some activities.

Multifocal IOLs utilize advanced technology and offer a series of focal zones or rings built into the IOL. Depending on where light focuses through the zones, you may be able to see distance, intermediate and near objects clearly. The ability to read and perform other tasks without glasses varies from person to person but it is generally best when multifocal IOLs are placed in both eyes.

Columbia Eye Clinic offers a host of the latest advancements in lens implants and surgical procedure options to create a custom experience for every cataract patient. Although traditional cataract surgery is very effective and successful, when considering your surgical options, laser cataract surgery can offer a host of benefits over traditional procedures and can help you experience the best possible long-term vision.

Regardless of the type procedure and lens you select, you may still need to rely on glasses some of the time, but if correctly selected, your IOLs can greatly reduce your dependence on glasses. Contact us to schedule an appointment to discuss your options with your ophthalmologist to determine the cataract procedure and IOL that best suits your vision needs and lifestyle.

The post Will I need glasses after cataract surgery? appeared first on Columbia Eye.

For patients who want to reduce or eliminate their dependence on glasses and contacts, the iDESIGN® Refractive Studio is the next generation of personalized laser-assisted vision correction. Refractive surgery, also known as LASIK or PRK, is a laser procedure used to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. In the procedure, a laser is used to reshape the cornea—the clear, round dome at the front of the eye—to improve the way the eye focuses light rays onto the retina at the back of the eye.

The iDESIGN® system takes over 1,200 measurements of the inside and outside of your eye and maps each data point to create an optical fingerprint unique to each patient’s eye. Using the personalized procedure plan, the laser corrects your vision to your exact needs in only a few minutes.

iDESIGN® technology is approved for patients with myopia, hyperopia, and mixed astigmatism, making laser vision correction available for some patients who were previously not candidates for refractive surgery. iDESIGN® technology is also approved for monovision, a procedure designed for patients over 40 years old who are experiencing blurry near vision due to aging of their eyes, where one eye is corrected for distance and the other for near vision.

More than 90% of people who have refractive surgery perform most of their everyday tasks without glasses or contact lenses. Your doctor will consider your vision needs for work and leisure activities to determine if refractive surgery is right for you.

Some patients may need a second enhancement surgery or might need to wear glasses for certain activities, such as reading or driving at night. Refractive surgery cannot correct presbyopia, the age-related loss of closeup focusing power, so you may still need reading glasses after the procedure.

Contact us at (803) 779-3070 to schedule an exam at any of our three convenient clinic locations to determine if you are a candidate for refractive surgery.

The post Now Offering iDESIGN® Laser-Assisted Vision Correction appeared first on Columbia Eye.

If you are suffering from symptoms of seasonal allergies, here are some tips to help ease your misery during the spring allergy season.

• Avoid going outdoors as much as possible when pollen counts are high and when wind blows pollens around.
• Wear sunglasses or eyeglasses when you are outdoors to help protect your eyes from pollen.
• Keep the windows in your home and car closed and use air conditioning. Consider purchasing an air purifier for your home and an allergen-trapping filter for your heating/cooling system.
• Take off your jacket, hat and shoes when you enter the house to avoid bringing pollen inside.
• Shower before bed to rinse away pollen from your hair and skin.
• Don’t rub itchy eyes! Eye rubbing releases more histamine and makes your allergy symptoms worse.
• Cut back on your contact lens wear. The surface of contact lenses can attract and accumulate airborne allergens.

If you still need relief from your season allergy symptoms, you may find an over-the-counter remedy effective.

Artificial tears help relieve eye allergies temporarily by washing allergens from the eye. They also relieve itchiness, redness, irritation and redness caused by allergies. If your eye allergy symptoms are relatively mild, over-the-counter eye drops may work well for you and be less expensive than prescription eye drops or other medication.

Over-the-counter decongestant eye drops (with or without antihistamines) can help reduce redness in the eyes from allergies. If the decongestant eye drops you choose include an antihistamine, they can relieve itchiness as well. Decongestant eye drops should not be used for more than two to three days. Longer-term use can increase your irritating symptoms.

Oral antihistamines may be somewhat helpful in relieving itchy eyes, but they can make eyes dry and even worsen eye allergy symptoms.

If over-the-counter remedies do not relieve your allergy symptoms, ask your eye doctor about prescribing a stronger prescription medication.

The post Spring Allergy Relief for Your Eyes appeared first on Columbia Eye.

Hazy vision after cataract surgery can occur when the thin membrane that surrounds the intraocular lens implant becomes clouded by unwanted cell growth. This condition is called posterior capsule opacification or PCO.

PCO can be treated in your doctor’s office with a procedure called a YAG laser capsulotomy. The YAG procedure takes just a few minutes and does not cause any discomfort during or after the procedure. The effected eye will be dilated with drops before the procedure. The YAG laser will be used to make an opening in the cloudy membrane.

You may resume your normal activities immediately. Aside from possibly experiencing some floaters for up to a few weeks after the procedure, most patients experience improved vision within a day. Only one treatment to remove the cloudy membrane is required to permanently resolve hazy vision caused by PCO.

The post YAG Laser Procedure After Cataract Surgery appeared first on Columbia Eye.

Eleven-year-old Sean McDermott and his parents first learned about EnChroma corrective glasses for people with color blindness from a video posted by someone Sean follows on YouTube. Sean’s parents learned that he is color blind when he was in kindergarten. After doing some research, they found Columbia Eye Clinic to be the only authorized EnChroma dealer in the Carolinas and made an appointment with one of our licensed opticians to see if Enchroma glasses could help Sean with his color deficiency.

According to EnChroma, approximately 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women have some degree of color blindness. People with color blindness can usually still see colors, but have color confusions or see certain pairs of colors so similarly that they cannot tell them apart. Based on more than a decade of research, EnChroma corrective glasses enhance color vision for people with color blindness. EnChroma glasses are designed to make you look good, too, so better color vision can be a seamless part of your everyday routine.

EnChroma estimates that 4 out of 5 cases of color blindness are addressable using their optical lens technology. The technology worked for Sean and his parents are now understanding much color he was missing out on. Sean loves to color and now that he can see colors he tends to select a lot of the wrong colors. He is now learning his colors all over again because what used to be a specific color to him may be different now. Sean also loves to plant flowers with his mom. The day he tried the EnChroma glasses they were walking around in their yard and she realized how limited his perception of color had been.

To find out if EnChroma glasses can help with your color vision deficiency call us at 803.748.8680 to schedule an appointment with our licensed and Board-certified opticians to view the new EnChroma technology.

The post Corrective Glasses Help 11-year-old See Color appeared first on Columbia Eye.