Plenty of people have heard the word “astigmatism” before. Astigmatism refers to an eye condition where the curvature of the eye is not the same in all orientations. Less well known is that astigmatism can come in a variety of forms. The most common form of astigmatism is called regular astigmatism. Regular astigmatism can be corrected using glasses and special contact lenses called “toric” lenses. It may also be corrected with refractive surgery such as LASIK.
Another type of astigmatism is called “irregular astigmatism”. Irregular astigmatism is more difficult to treat because the eye bends light in a haphazard fashion in a variable way. The most common cause of irregular astigmatism is a condition called keratoconus. Keratoconus is a progressive steepening and thinning of the cornea that occurs most commonly in the adolescent and the young adult years. As the condition progresses, patients may develop worsening irregular astigmatism and corneal scarring. In some cases, the disease progresses to the point where patients require a corneal transplant in order to restore clear vision.
In 2016, the FDA approved a new treatment for keratoconus and similar disorders called corneal crosslinking. Corneal crosslinking is a procedure designed to stop the progression of keratoconus. It stabilizes the surface of the eye to prevent the astigmatism and thinning from worsening. This also helps to prevent scarring from progression of the disease. The procedure entails saturating the corneal tissue with a vitamin called riboflavin, and then using UV light treatment to create stable chemical bonds in the corneal tissue. This prevents the progressive steepening and scarring that is the hallmark of keratoconus.
Dr. Hart is now offering this procedure for people with progressive keratoconus and similar conditions at the Eye Lasik Austin facility on MoPac. If you are interested in learning more about this treatment or would like to schedule a consultation, please contact our office.
Heard about laser cataract surgery but want to know more? Cataract surgery is the most common outpatient procedure in the US. Because cataracts are so common and so many procedures have been performed, there has been a great push for technical innovation over the last several decades. Many years ago, patients were admitted to the hospital for several days after their procedure. Surgery incisions were large, requiring multiple stitches. Starting in the 1980s, new techniques evolved such as phacoemulsfication: the ability to use ultrasound energy to break cataracts into small pieces and remove them through much smaller incisions. Over time, incision sizes decreased and the amount of energy the machines needed to break cataracts into manageable pieces was reduced.
Around 2010, the FDA began approving new types of medical lasers to assist during the cataract surgery procedure. These lasers are known as femtosecond lasers, a term that refers to the ultrashort laser pulse duration. Femtosecond lasers are versatile in that they can perform several important steps of cataract surgery in a very precise and reproducible way. These functions are (1) creation of the small corneal incisions that allow the surgeon access to the cataract to remove it, (2) creating a perfectly round and symmetric opening in the cataract (a step called capsulotomy), and (3) softening of the hard cataractous lens material. In particular, the capsulotomy step is the most important. The placement, size, and shape of the capsulotomy is the primary determinant of where the new lens implant sits in the eye after surgery, and this is what ultimately determines the quality of postoperative vision. If you or someone you know has a cataract that is affecting your vision and you are interested in learning more about laser cataract surgery, please contact us to schedule an appointment.
We’re proud to say that Longhorn Eye Care is open for business. Please give us the opportunity to provide exceptional comprehensive ophthalmology services to you and your family here in the Pflugerville area. As a reminder, we have evening hours available on Tuesdays until 7pm and Saturdays by appointment. In many cases we can get patients in same day. Stop by to check out the new office, we’d love to meet you!
Hello everyone. I’d like to check in with those who have been following the site. If this is your first time here, welcome! Concrete flooring was stained and sealed last week. The trim is being installed currently. Cabinetry and tops will be installed next week. I spoke with our general contractor today and we will be open the week of Feb 19th, hopefully on the 19th itself. I want to remind everyone that we are currently making appointments for new patients. Please contact us if you would like to schedule a visit!
Thanks for visiting the site which just went live this week! We are now accepting appointments for new patients. Completing the construction process has taken a bit longer than we originally expected. However, things seem to be moving along swiftly at this point. Our new target date for opening is early February. Concrete work, plumbing, and electrical are done. The walls and drywall have just gone up recently. The next phase will be painting and installing the cabinetry and built in furniture.
