Consistent results, reduced reliance on eye glasses
A shared interest in community service brought Dr. John Dumler, a retired obstetrician/gynecologist, to his eye doctor. "Years back, I approached Dr. Alan Knapp about coming to my community to provide my neighbors with eye health information and screenings," relates the retired physician.
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| ALL IN FOCUS. Following cataract surgery expertly performed by Dr. Knapp, Dr. Dumler enjoys one of his favorite newspapers, without the need for eyeglasses! |
Alan J. Knapp, MD, is a Board Certified Ophthalmologist and the founder of Southwest Florida Eye Institute.
"Dr. Knapp graciously agreed to provide this service, and I was confident that we had a very talented eye doctor coming to educate us. I had looked around his office when I was there and saw the diplomas he had earned. He graduated magna cum laude," Dr. Dumler observes. "Thai's quite an accomplishment. Dr. Knapp is a fine man, in addition to being a fine doctor - and very thorough in his explanations. I was impressed with the level of caring he brought to this task and with the good advice he offered to my neighbors. I decided to consult him as my personal eye doctor."
Four years later. Dr. Knapp detected the beginnings of cataracts in Dr. Dumler's eyes and explained what his patient could expect as they progressed.
"Dr. Knapp let me know that they weren't going to get any better." acknowledges Dr. Dumler. "He told me he would monitor their development, but that I would be the one to decide when their impact on my vision warranted surgery."
Three more years went by. and Dr. Dumler realized that he had grown increasingly uncomfortable driving at night, facing the halos and glare of oncoming headlights. He realized, too, that his visual acuity was approaching a level that would no longer qualify him for his Florida driver's license.
"It was time," says Dr. Dumler, "so I called Dr. Knapp's office and scheduled my surgery. It was a quick and painless procedure, and after my surgery, my vision was immediately improved. I'd been using eyeglasses for reading," he notes, "but now I use them only for the smallest print. I can drive at night with no problem, too. I'm impressed with the results Dr. Knapp achieved for me."
Richard Redding, MD, is impressed with the results Dr. Knapp provided for him, too. "Three years ago, I just didn't feel I was seeing as well as I should," reports Dr. Redding, a retired orthopedic surgeon. "I went to Dr. Knapp for a routine eye exam and learned I had a cataract in my left eye.
"Dr. Knapp performed surgery on that eye, and I was quite pleased. Then the cataract in my right eye needed surgery, and those results were equally good.
"The results were a little surprising, too," Dr. Redding notes, "because I didn't notice any specific symptoms before my surgeries, but now that I have clear prescription lOLs, I see that colors are brighter and things look better ... crisper."
Expected results
Dr. Knapp says Dr. Dumler's and Dr. Redding's experiences are typical for his cataract patients.
"I have performed thousands of these surgeries during my seventeen years in practice in this community," says Dr. Knapp. "and I am pleased to report that my patients achieve consistently excellent results."
One of the reasons is the meticulous attention Dr. Knapp brings to evaluating his patients' total ocular condition.
Dr. Knapp employs an advanced device called the Zeiss lOLMaster", a non-contact device that uses laser light, rather than ultrasound energy, to take measurements of the eye. "Ultrasound exerts a small amount of pressure on the cornea," explains Dr. Knapp. "and that pressure could actually have an impact on the measurements and on the IOL[intraocular lens] we select based on those measurements."
He adds that today's cataract surgery not only restores clear-vision, but also, in the majority of cases, it provides improved visual acuity without glasses, because lOLs can now be fabricated with prescription strengths that compensate for refractive error, freeing patients from their eyeglasses in many situations.
Dr. Knapp emphasizes, "My goal when performing cataract surgery is to restore a patient's clear vision, while reducing the need for eyeglasses."
Customized correction
Dr. Knapp explains that the variety of lOLs available helps him customize each patient's post-operative result. Some patients prefer to enjoy crisp distance vision without using eyeglasses, while others may prefer to view close, fine details without glasses because of their work requirements or preferred hobbies. Single prescription lOLs can provide lens-free correction in either situation.
Some patients want it all: crisp distance vision, as well as the ability to read or do close work, without having to rely on eyeglasses in either situation. Monovision correction treats each eye with a different prescription, correcting one eye for distance vision, and the other for reading vision. Multi-focal lenses combine several prescription strengths in a single lens, allowing both eyes to see more clearly up close and at a distance.
Added Protection
Dr. Knapp adds that another innovative lens, the Acrysof Natural IOL by Alcon,Inc., has a special tint that filters out not only ultraviolet light, but also short wavelength blue light. Short wavelength blue light is suspected of contributing to the development of macular degeneration, one of the leading causes of blindness among patients over 65 years ago age. "The AcrySof lens is FDA and Medicare approved," informs Dr. Knapp, "but not all practices are offering it. I'd urge any patient considering cataract surgery to ask his or her eye doctor about treatment with the AcrySof lens, or to contact my office for additional information."
Practice Newsletters
If you are a member of the media, please contact Alan Knapp at 971-474-2266, or e-mail aknapp@verizon.net.
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