The first day of Fall is right around the corner, much to the chagrin of allergy suffers everywhere. Beautifully canopied trees, clear blue skies, crisp clean air... full of dust, ragweed and pollen.
This can present many problems for the contact lens wearer. Itchy, red, watery and generally irritated eyes can make daily living quite unpleasant. Contact lenses can aid this irritation by accumulating debris on and around the lens surface, further irritating the ocular area.
Although eye drops and rinsing/washing can provide the eyes a certain amount of relief, Premium Intraocular Lenses (IOL) circumvent the complications of daily contact lens use. At Christenbury Eye Center we offer some of the latest IOL technology, such as the AcrySof ReSTOR® Premium IOL. With ReSTOR®, 99% of patients could see well enough to drive a car without their glasses or contacts!
So as the Fall allergy season approaches, consider whether or not it's worth it to deal with the nuisance your contact lenses can become. Perhaps it's time to upgrade to Premium IOL lenses. And perhaps it's time to book your free consultation with Christenbury Eye Center!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
The ABC's of Great Vision
Today is the first day back to school for many children across the United States. Correct vision is crucial in today's fast-paced classroom, and without it, learning will become increasingly difficult. Recent studies suggest vision problems affect as many as one in 20 preschoolers and one in four school-age children. Since many vision problems begin to develop at an early age, it is very important for parents to maintain a proactive role in securing proper eye care for their child. Untreated vision related issues can lead to more serious and complicated problems, as well as negatively impacting learning, personality and behavior.
Good vision is essential in a child's physical and educational development. Parents should be prepared by ensuring regular vision and eye health screenings to allow for the detection and treatment of any eye problems, if they exist.
If your child often complains of headaches, tearing, holds items unusually close or far away to view them, or tilts his head to the side to read schoolwork, it could be indicative of a vision related problem. One must never assume their child has 20/20 vision just because they've never complained about it. Frequently, issues go undiagnosed as the child doesn't realize that the world does not appear blurry to everyone else. The burden of responsibility here falls directly on the parents.
Amblyopia, or poor vision in an otherwise normal eye, commonly caused by crossed eyes or refractive differences, if left untreated can cause irreversible vision loss. The best time for detection and treatment of this is the preschool years. Effective treatment after 8 or 9 years of age is rarely achieved.
Strabismus, or misalignment of the eyes, can result in amblyopia if the eye is habitually misaligned. Early detection and treatment are crucial in correcting and restoring vision.
With a timely diagnosis, common refractive errors such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism, are all frequently corrected with proper corrective eye glasses. Uncorrected refractive errors can cause amblyopia in some cases.
Ultimately, an ophthalmologic examination should be performed any time questions arise regarding eye health, regardless of the age of the child. As with many health issues, early detection and diagnosis of incorrect vision provides the best opportunity for effective treatment and correction. And the sooner poor vision is corrected for your child, the sooner they can enjoy a happy and healthy learning environment, free from vision related hindrances.
Good vision is essential in a child's physical and educational development. Parents should be prepared by ensuring regular vision and eye health screenings to allow for the detection and treatment of any eye problems, if they exist.
If your child often complains of headaches, tearing, holds items unusually close or far away to view them, or tilts his head to the side to read schoolwork, it could be indicative of a vision related problem. One must never assume their child has 20/20 vision just because they've never complained about it. Frequently, issues go undiagnosed as the child doesn't realize that the world does not appear blurry to everyone else. The burden of responsibility here falls directly on the parents.
Amblyopia, or poor vision in an otherwise normal eye, commonly caused by crossed eyes or refractive differences, if left untreated can cause irreversible vision loss. The best time for detection and treatment of this is the preschool years. Effective treatment after 8 or 9 years of age is rarely achieved.
Strabismus, or misalignment of the eyes, can result in amblyopia if the eye is habitually misaligned. Early detection and treatment are crucial in correcting and restoring vision.
With a timely diagnosis, common refractive errors such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism, are all frequently corrected with proper corrective eye glasses. Uncorrected refractive errors can cause amblyopia in some cases.
Ultimately, an ophthalmologic examination should be performed any time questions arise regarding eye health, regardless of the age of the child. As with many health issues, early detection and diagnosis of incorrect vision provides the best opportunity for effective treatment and correction. And the sooner poor vision is corrected for your child, the sooner they can enjoy a happy and healthy learning environment, free from vision related hindrances.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Breakthrough Treatment for Glaucoma!
Glaucoma is by definition a disease of the eye marked by increased intraocular pressure. This pressure is controlled in part by a substance called the aqueous humor, a clear fluid that flows through the eye and provides nourishment to the tissues that regulate the pressure itself, helping to maintain the shape of the eye. Glaucoma occurs when there is either an increase in production of the aqueous humor, or blocked and therefore decreased drainage, causing the increase of intraocular pressure. If left untreated, the elevated pressure causes damage to the optic nerve resulting in permanent vision loss, or even blindness.
The goal of treating Glaucoma is to reduce intraocular pressure, which is commonly done with the use of medicated pills or eye drops. Some medications are designed to allow for faster drainage of the aqueous humor if it is blocked and draining slowly, while others are used to decrease its production. While eye drops are a common treatment, they are not the most desired because they can be expensive and messy, have side effects, and may need to be used indefinitely. In fact, Glaucoma management is usually a lifelong process requiring frequent monitoring and treatment.
In lieu of medicinal treatments, Dr. Jonathan Christenbury and the doctors at Christenbury Eye Center employ the use of a state-of-the-art laser treatment known as Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty, or SLT. SLT uses a laser to stimulate the body's natural healing system resulting in reduced pressure in the eye. The laser itself is set to a specific wavelength that only targets the cells containing melanin. This improves the flow of fluid in the eye, in turn lowering the pressure.
The eye is treated with eye drops to prepare it for the procedure, then the laser applications are made through a special microscope, similar to the one used for eye examinations. The lens used on the eye may cause some irritation or redness, but you will not feel any sensation from the laser at all. The treatment takes only a few minutes, and you may have reduced pressure as soon as one day following the SLT procedure! SLT may also reduce or eliminate the need for additional Glaucoma medications.
Other benefits of SLT are that there are no allergy or systemic side effects. Because SLT only targets specific cells, the surrounding tissue is left intact and unharmed. It is also very cost effective: there are not continual expenses as there are with medications, and the costs of SLT therapy are often reimbursed by Medicare and other insurance providers.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Christenbury Eye Center Welcomes Casey Mathys, M.D.
PRESS RELEASE
CHRISTENBURY EYE CENTER WELCOMES K. CASEY MATHYS, M.D., TO CHRISTENBURY EYE CENTER
Charlotte, NC - July 9, 2009 - Jonathan D. Christenbury, MD, FACS, is excited to introduce Casey Mathys, MD, to the Charlotte medical community. Dr. Mathys is a fellowship trained Cornea and Refractive surgeon, specializing in cataract surgery, multifocal lens implant surgery, Custom All-Laser iLASIK, and advanced corneal vision corrective procedures.
“I am excited to expand the ophthalmic services at Christenbury Eye Center with the addition of Dr. Mathys to my surgical team,” said Jonathan D. Christenbury, MD, FACS, chief surgeon and founder of Christenbury Eye Center. “With more than two decades in Charlotte serving the Carolinas, the addition of Dr. Mathys allows us to expand our uncompromising level of patient care to the growing number of patients trusting Christenbury Eye Center with their vision.”
Dr. Mathys received his undergraduate degree at Emory University, and then earned his medical degree at Case Western Reserve University. Following medical school, Dr. Mathys continued his education as a medical intern at the University of California, San Diego, and completed his ophthalmology residency at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was honored with the position of Chief Resident. Dr. Mathys continued his ophthalmic training as a Cornea and Refractive surgical fellow at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, GA.
Dr. Mathys is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and has been published in a variety of peer-reviewed journals, including a most recent article in New England Journal of Medicine.
About Christenbury Eye Center
Christenbury Eye Center was established in 1987 and is renowned for groundbreaking work in vision care. The first LASIK procedure in the Carolinas was performed at Christenbury Eye Center, by founder and Medical Director Jonathan D. Christenbury, M.D., F.A.C.S. in the early 1990s and since that time more than 65, 000 laser vision correction procedures have been performed. He also performed the first IntraLASIK procedure on the East Coast and the first WaveFront Customized IntraLASIK in the Carolinas. In the Spring of 2005, Christenbury Eye Center was the first in the Carolinas to perform the ReSTOR® procedure, used for the treatment of cataracts and presbyopia to reduce or eliminate the need for reading glasses, bifocals and progressive lenses. Today, Dr. Christenbury is the most experienced ReSTOR surgeon in the United States and the most experienced Visian ICL surgeon in the Carolinas.
To learn more, contact Christenbury Eye Center at (877) 702-2020 or log onto the website at www.christenbury.com.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
iLASIK - Is it right for you?
Always at the forefront of LASIK technology, Dr. Jonathan Christenbury and Christenbury Eye Center were the first on the East Coast to provide a blade-free, computerized form of LASIK surgery. The results of this revolutionary iLASIK procedure are incomparable to other existing LASIK procedures on the market. The iLASIK procedure utilizes the state-of-the-art IntraLase™ FS laser. This particular laser is not dependent on a surgeon and is completely computer controlled, allowing for more accurate vision correction than LASIK procedures of the past. Michele Boerma, a patient of Christenbury Eye Center, felt the need to check out other eye centers before making her final decision. She says that the Christenbury "staff even encouraged me so that that I would feel comfortable with my decision. There was no comparison! While the price was similar, the technology and knowledgeable staff just didn’t compare to Christenbury Eye Center. My decision was confirmed.”
iLASIK is used to correct hyperopia (farsightedness), mypoia (nearsightedness), and astigmatism (irregularly curved cornea). For each of these conditions, light entering the eye fails to focus properly on the retina, resulting in blurred vision. iLASIK will reshape the cornea and allow your to have excellent vision without the aid of glasses or contact lenses!
In this two-step procedure, Dr. Christenbury will first use the IntraLase laser to create a tiny flap on the surface of the cornea. This will act as a window and allow proper access so that the computerized laser is able to accurately reshape the cornea. In the second step, the corneal flap will be lifted and an excimer laser will perform the actual vision correction. Once complete, the flap is put back into place and seals itself without the aid of stitches. With the use of numbing eye drops prior to the procedure and the blade-free, computerized approach, this procedure is virtually pain free! It is also extremely fast. The creation of the corneal flap takes about 10 minutes for both eyes, and the vision correction takes from 5-10 minutes depending on which laser is used and the amount of vision correction needed. Within a few days and you will return to your everyday activities with miraculously improved vision! Carol Kelly, another Christenbury patient, talks about her results: "I now have 20/20 in both eyes, which is absolutely incredible to me. It took a few weeks for it to sink in that I didn’t have anything in my eyes. Now all I can think is - why didn’t I do this a long time ago?"
Dr. Christenbury has successfully performed over 60,000 procedures! With iLASIK we can make a difference in your life by allowing you to maintain your active lifestyle free of glasses or contact lenses. To schedule your free screening today, register online or call us at (877) 702-2020!
iLASIK is used to correct hyperopia (farsightedness), mypoia (nearsightedness), and astigmatism (irregularly curved cornea). For each of these conditions, light entering the eye fails to focus properly on the retina, resulting in blurred vision. iLASIK will reshape the cornea and allow your to have excellent vision without the aid of glasses or contact lenses!
In this two-step procedure, Dr. Christenbury will first use the IntraLase laser to create a tiny flap on the surface of the cornea. This will act as a window and allow proper access so that the computerized laser is able to accurately reshape the cornea. In the second step, the corneal flap will be lifted and an excimer laser will perform the actual vision correction. Once complete, the flap is put back into place and seals itself without the aid of stitches. With the use of numbing eye drops prior to the procedure and the blade-free, computerized approach, this procedure is virtually pain free! It is also extremely fast. The creation of the corneal flap takes about 10 minutes for both eyes, and the vision correction takes from 5-10 minutes depending on which laser is used and the amount of vision correction needed. Within a few days and you will return to your everyday activities with miraculously improved vision! Carol Kelly, another Christenbury patient, talks about her results: "I now have 20/20 in both eyes, which is absolutely incredible to me. It took a few weeks for it to sink in that I didn’t have anything in my eyes. Now all I can think is - why didn’t I do this a long time ago?"
Dr. Christenbury has successfully performed over 60,000 procedures! With iLASIK we can make a difference in your life by allowing you to maintain your active lifestyle free of glasses or contact lenses. To schedule your free screening today, register online or call us at (877) 702-2020!
Monday, June 29, 2009
ReSTOR your youthful vision in less than a day!
As you age you may find your eyesight changing and becoming more blurred, more sensitive to bright lights, and colors becoming dull or faded resulting in more frequent changes to your corrective lens prescription. These changes in your vision are very likely a result of cataracts. Cataracts occur when the lens becomes cloudy, blurring your vision. Other symptoms may include poor night vision, double vision, and the appearance of a glare or halo from bright lights. Cataracts are the main cause of poor vision in adults, affecting most Americans by the time they are 80 years old. Even though cataracts are so common, risk may be increased by sun exposure, diabetes, family history, injury to your eyes, and certain medications. The good news is that cataract surgery has a success rate of over 95%! However without surgery the clouded area will become larger and eventually result in a loss of vision.
Christenbury Eye Center has become a pioneer in Customized Cataract Surgery, whose advanced technology provides a safe and comfortable experience and an extremely fast recovery. The improvement will be so immediate that you will be able to watch TV and even drive the same day as the surgery! This new customized surgery paving the way in cataract treatment uses the ReSTOR IOL (Intraocular Lens). ReSTOR is a multifocal lens which provides a full range of vision. Because the coverage of this lens is all-encompassing, you will most likely not need corrective glasses or contact lenses following surgery. The older Monofocal lens only allows for clear vision at a fixed mid-range distance, requiring the use of corrective lenses for near, far, and even still some middle distances. ReSTOR allows you to regain your youthful vision more quickly and can eliminate your vision care costs!
Visit http://christenbury.com for more information on cataracts and cataract surgery, or call us at 800-702-2020. You may only be a FREE consultation away from 20/20 vision or better!
Christenbury Eye Center has become a pioneer in Customized Cataract Surgery, whose advanced technology provides a safe and comfortable experience and an extremely fast recovery. The improvement will be so immediate that you will be able to watch TV and even drive the same day as the surgery! This new customized surgery paving the way in cataract treatment uses the ReSTOR IOL (Intraocular Lens). ReSTOR is a multifocal lens which provides a full range of vision. Because the coverage of this lens is all-encompassing, you will most likely not need corrective glasses or contact lenses following surgery. The older Monofocal lens only allows for clear vision at a fixed mid-range distance, requiring the use of corrective lenses for near, far, and even still some middle distances. ReSTOR allows you to regain your youthful vision more quickly and can eliminate your vision care costs!
Visit http://christenbury.com for more information on cataracts and cataract surgery, or call us at 800-702-2020. You may only be a FREE consultation away from 20/20 vision or better!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Don't qualify for LASIK? Choose Visian ICL!
Always at the forefront of vision correction technology, Dr. Christenbury was the first physician in North Carolina to provide Visian Implantable Collamer Lens, or Visian ICL, for moderate to severe Nearsightedness. Visian ICL will help you enjoy clearer, sharper, and more vivid vision, with much more depth and dimension. This High Definition Vision is only available with Visian ICL.
Visian ICL acts as a permanent contact lens once it is implanted into the eye. However, this FDA approved technology requires none of the maintenance of a normal contact lens such as cleaning, replacing, and being put in or taken out of the eye on a daily basis. This technology does in fact potentially nullify the need for corrective eyewear of any kind. Sandy Ferguson, a patient of Dr. Christenbury’s, says “It has been [over a] month since I received the Visian ICL surgery, and I can not stop raving about the experience and how well I can see without assistance from contacts or glasses. I have worn glasses/contacts for 23 years and the last month has been such a blessing to have freedom from them.”
The Visian lens is implanted during a minimally invasive and virtually painless outpatient surgery. The lens is capable of being folded and inserted through a minute 3 mm incision in the eye, into the area in front of the natural lens and behind the iris. Once in place, the lens will unfold on its own and will not move. Since the incision is so small it does not require sutures following the surgery; it will seal itself. Due to the extremely small size of the incision, recovery time may be as quick as a single day. Caroline Ingle, another satisfied patient, shared her results with us: “I am completely thrilled with my results and have not regretted my decision to go with the Visian Lens. Two hours after the surgery, I could see well enough to drive and in one week I had 20/20 vision. Each day my vision is becoming clearer as well. I cannot wait to find out what my vision might be after one month.”
One of the biggest concerns people seem to have with corrective laser surgery is that it is an irreversible procedure that will permanently change the eye. A huge advantage of Visian ICL is that even though the vision correction is permanent, the lens can be removed or replaced in the unlikely occurrence of negative side effects. In the words of patient S. Steinbrueck, “It’s a good feeling to know that if there was ever a problem, this procedure can be reversed.”
For more information on Visian ICL or to schedule your free consultation, please contact us by visiting www.christenbury.com or call us at (877) 702-2020.
Visian ICL acts as a permanent contact lens once it is implanted into the eye. However, this FDA approved technology requires none of the maintenance of a normal contact lens such as cleaning, replacing, and being put in or taken out of the eye on a daily basis. This technology does in fact potentially nullify the need for corrective eyewear of any kind. Sandy Ferguson, a patient of Dr. Christenbury’s, says “It has been [over a] month since I received the Visian ICL surgery, and I can not stop raving about the experience and how well I can see without assistance from contacts or glasses. I have worn glasses/contacts for 23 years and the last month has been such a blessing to have freedom from them.”
The Visian lens is implanted during a minimally invasive and virtually painless outpatient surgery. The lens is capable of being folded and inserted through a minute 3 mm incision in the eye, into the area in front of the natural lens and behind the iris. Once in place, the lens will unfold on its own and will not move. Since the incision is so small it does not require sutures following the surgery; it will seal itself. Due to the extremely small size of the incision, recovery time may be as quick as a single day. Caroline Ingle, another satisfied patient, shared her results with us: “I am completely thrilled with my results and have not regretted my decision to go with the Visian Lens. Two hours after the surgery, I could see well enough to drive and in one week I had 20/20 vision. Each day my vision is becoming clearer as well. I cannot wait to find out what my vision might be after one month.”
One of the biggest concerns people seem to have with corrective laser surgery is that it is an irreversible procedure that will permanently change the eye. A huge advantage of Visian ICL is that even though the vision correction is permanent, the lens can be removed or replaced in the unlikely occurrence of negative side effects. In the words of patient S. Steinbrueck, “It’s a good feeling to know that if there was ever a problem, this procedure can be reversed.”
For more information on Visian ICL or to schedule your free consultation, please contact us by visiting www.christenbury.com or call us at (877) 702-2020.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Surveys show patients receiving IQ ReSTOR IOL +3.0 D are happier than ever!
The IQ ReSTOR IOL +3.0 D may have a fan base in the field of ophthalmology, but physicians are not the only ones who are happy with this IOL. Patients are looking at life differently thanks to the IQ ReSTOR IOL +3.0 D and its ability to provide a wide range of vision, spectacle independence, and minimal glare and halos. At the 2009 meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, surgeons highlighted the impact of the IQ ReSTOR IOL +3.0 D on patient satisfaction and described their patients as “happier.”Comparing multifocal IOLs
After having implanted more than 5,000 multifocal IOLs, Jonathan D. Christenbury, MD, understands the value of patient satisfaction. Dr. Christenbury, the medical director of the Christenbury Eye Center in Charlotte, N.C., compared patient satisfaction and visual results among multifocal IOLs. Like his colleagues, he found that patient satisfaction was higher in those who received the IQ ReSTOR IOL +3.0 D, particularly in patients undergoing bilateral implantation of the lens rather than some other combination of lenses.
According to Dr. Christenbury, patients who received the IQ ReSTOR IOL +3.0 D report good vision at all distances: reading vision, intermediate vision and distance vision. After implanting the lens in 121 eyes, he and his colleagues measured uncorrected postoperative binocular vision -- near with a 40-cm VectorVision card and intermediate with a 60-cm VectorVision card. “Patients tell me they can read 8 inches to 10 inches -- which is a little closer than most reading distance -- comfortably. Then they can move that out to 28 inches to 30 inches so [they] can see their computer, and they have full range of vision in between those distances,” he said. Dr. Christenbury named the IQ ReSTOR IOL +3.0 D as his lens of choice because patients who received the IOL had fewer complaints, good night vision, and rapid neuroadaptation. “In my experience, [the IQ ReSTOR IOL +3.0 D] provides the highest spectacle independence,” he said. “It provides the most functional range of vision, and it has truly the best intermediate vision of any multifocal I’ve implanted, and I’ve implanted them all.” -Jonathan D. Christenbury, M.D.
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