Category Archives: Ectasia

LASIK eye surgery should be taken off the market, former FDA adviser says

CBS NEWS November 2019

LASIK eye surgery should be taken off market, former FDA adviser says

LASIK eye surgery has been popular for more than 20 years, with an estimated 20 million Americans undergoing the procedure to correct nearsightedness and improve distance vision. But some patients say the surgery has ruined their eyesight. The quick, minimally-invasive surgery uses a laser to cut a flap to reshape the cornea at the front of the eye. Now an expert who once backed LASIK is campaigning to get it off the market. Abraham Rutner said LASIK surgery damaged his vision and nearly ruined his life. “It’s a devastation that I can’t even explain,” Rutner told CBS News medical contributor Dr. Tara Narula. “Things would appear double. Around the lights were like having starbursts,” he added…. click here to continue the story.

Dr. Irwin Azman is one of the leading LASIK consultants with over 25 years of experience in the diagnosis and management of Post LASIK complications and side effects. Dr. Azman affirms that although patients may experience side effects due to pre-existing eye conditions, there are non-surgical treatments to help those with LASIK complications. Together with his team of technicians, as well as being aided by new technologies in instrumentation and new treatment methods, Dr. Azman is able to prescribe each patient with a solution to resolve their Post LASIK complications without further surgery.

According to Dr. Azman: “While LASIK surgery can be successful under optimum eye conditions, unfortunately many patients do experience side effects due to pre-existing conditions. However, there is hope. Utilizing our vast experience and expertise, as well as an array of new technologies, we are able to treat these side effects with non-surgical techniques.”

Thankfully we can help with Post LASIK Complications!

If you or a loved one are living with LASIK Complications then call us to learn about treatment options. 410-561-6071

Beloved Fox TV meteorologist Jessica Starr, 35, worked for WJBK Fox 2 in Michigan kills herself a month after telling fans she was struggling from LASIK eye surgery

Beloved Fox TV meteorologist and mother-of-two, 35, kills herself a month after telling fans she was struggling to recover from eye surgery

A well-known Michigan meteorologist and mother-of-two has taken her own life.

Jessica Starr, 35, worked for WJBK Fox 2 since 2011. On Thursday morning, her colleagues cried as they announced her death on the air.

Starr, whose married name was Rose, had two young children. She leaves them behind along with her husband of eight years, Daniel.

In a statement issued on its website and read aloud by her colleagues on Thursday morning, Fox 2 said: ‘Last night we were informed of the heartbreaking news that our friend and colleague, meteorologist Jessica Starr took her life.

‘All of us here at FOX 2 are in deep shock and cannot believe that such a wonderful, bright and intelligent individual will no longer be with us.

‘Her family and friends will be in our thoughts and prayers in the coming days as we all deal with our grief.’

 Morning anchor Amy Andrews tweeted: ‘Our hearts are broken.’

Further details about her death have not yet been revealed.

Over the last month, Starr said she had been facing ‘challenging times’ since undergoing Lasik eye surgery.

She had the surgery in October and took four weeks off then returned to work for one day in November but it was too much of a struggle for her and she was back at home the next day.

In a video uploaded to her Facebook page on November 13, the day she went back to work, she was downcast as she asked viewers for their prayers and well wishes. Starr was struggling to recover from Lasik eye surgery. In her last post on her public Facebook page, she asked fans for their well wishes and said she was struggling to return to work.

‘If you have any tips I’d appreciate it, I’m trying to stay strong and get through this recovery.

‘Thanks again for all the wishes, I’m excited to be back I just want to get my vision back so I can keep you guys smiling,’ she said.

The following day, she posted that she had not yet been ready to go back to work.

‘Yesterday was a struggle for me. I really wanted to come back but I need more time to recover.

‘Please keep me in your thoughts during this challenging time. Will keep you updated,’ she said.

It was her final post.

Starr had two degrees, one in broadcast meteorology and one in geography and communications.

She regularly shared photographs of her happy family life on her public Facebook page.

Before working for Fox 2, she worked for Fox 45, WKAG 3 and WLNS.

Hers is the second laser-eye-related surgery in a month. In November, Canadian Paul Fitzpatrick, 56, took his own life after blaming the procedure for giving him 20 years of intolerable pain in his eyes.

PROSE Lenses – Pellucid Marginal Degeneration (PMD)

Pellucid Marginal Degeneration:

Pellucid Marginal Degeneration is a sub-category of Keratoconus. Pellucid corneas involve a larger distorted geographic area usually extending from the inferior corneal margins up to the center of the cornea. It is not unusual for 50% or more of the corneal surface to be involved. Because so much of the cornea can be affected, fitting this type of cornea can be challenging. The problem we face as eye care practitioners is fitting the steep areas if the cornea without adversely affecting the flatter areas.

PVR PROSE Lenses | GPVR PROSE Treatment:

PVR PROSE- Precision Vision Rehabilitation  Prosthetic Replacement of the Ocular Surface Ecosystem

Our PVR PROSE Treatment is a process that uses a prosthetic device, like a scleral lens, to replace the ocular surface to provide functional vision to complex corneal conditions. Utilizing our knowledge, experience, and technology, like the Vistante- Optical Coherence Tomography OCT, we are able to customize a prosthetic PROSE lens, with the precise measurements down to the micron. With an exact fit, there is proper movement, comfort, and perfect vision.

PROSE Lenses are large-diameter gas permeable contact lenses specially designed to vault the entire corneal surface and rest on the “white” of the eye (sclera). In doing so, PROSE scleral lenses functionally replace the irregular cornea with a perfectly smooth optical surface to correct vision problems caused by, keratoconus, Lasik failures, post-surgical complications, and other corneal irregularities.

Because PROSE Lenses / scleral lenses are designed to vault the corneal surface and rest on the less sensitive surface of the sclera, these lenses often are more comfortable for a person with corneal irregularities caused by keratoconus and other corneal irregularities A special liquid fills the space between the back surface of the lens and the front surface of the cornea. This liquid acts as a buffer and protects the compromised corneal tissue. Scleral lenses are designed to fit with little or no lens movement during blinks, making them more stable on the eye, compared with traditional corneal gas permeable lenses. These lenses are almost always very comfortable and the vision provided by them is extremely good. The great majority of patients are able to wear their scleral lenses almost all of their waking hours without problems.

Dr. Irwin Azman, Keratoconus Specialists in Maryland, prescribes PVR PROSE Lenses for a variety of hard-to-fit eyes, including patients with Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, Radial Keratotomy and Lasik Complications and Lasik failures, keratoconus, Corneal Ectasia, Post-Surgical Vision Loss, and Pellucid Marginal Degeneration.

Dr. Irwin Azman specializes in keratoconus, LASIK failures and other corneal irregularities neither avoids nor declines the challenge of prescribing the most difficult cases.

PVR PROSE Lenses for Post LASIK Side Effects

PVR PROSE Lenses are helpful in a lot of post LASIK complications and side effects including corneal ectasia, irregular astigmatism, dry eyes, etc.

PVR PROSE Lenses don’t come in contact with the cornea of the eye, therefore they’re helpful in patients having sensitive or irregular cornea, where soft and conventional contact lenses can’t be used.

There is a film of tear between the PVR PROSE Lens and the cornea, which provides a cushion as well as helps in uniform refraction while the light rays pass through the lens, cornea and the gap in between.

PVR PROSE Lens for post Lasik ectasia

PVR PROSE Lenses and dry eyes

PVR PROSE Lenses and nearsightedness or farsightedness

PVR PROSE Lenses and irregular astigmatism

PVR PROSE Lenses can be helpful in patients suffering with irregular astigmatism after the LASIK procedure.

If you’re having any complications after LASIK procedure consult our specialist to discuss the post Lasik side effects in your case and the best possible treatment options for you.

Post Lasik Ectasia

Post Lasik ectasia of the cornea is one of the most severe complications of Lasik (Laser in situ Keratomileusis).

The Lasik procedure permanently weakens and thins out the cornea, resulting in progressive changes in the cornea such as steepening or bulging, called ectasia. Corneal ectasia results in the visual deterioration.

Keratoconus vs Ectasia

Keratoconus and post Lasik ectasia (keratectasia) are histologically two different processes. Keratoconus is a corneal disorder that isn’t related to surgery and affects both eyes. It begins usually in late teenage years or around puberty. Keratectasia is a result of corneal manipulation during surgery, like Lasik. If the patient didn’t have keratoconus before surgery and didn’t have any family history of the disease, then the post Lasik weakening of the cornea is probably keratectasia (ectasia).

Risk factors of Post Lasik Ectasia

Most common risk factors of post Lasik Ectasia in order of significance are:

  • Abnormal preoperative topography
  • Low residual stromal bed (RSB) thickness
  • Young age
  • Low perioperative corneal thickness
  • High myopia

Post Lasik Ectasia

Treatment of Post Lasik Ectasia

Treatment options for post Lasik ectasia include:

Contact lenses

Contact lenses are helpful in the rehabilitation of vision in patients with post Lasik ectasia. The types of contact lenses best for the patient can be variable as per the exact symptoms and case along with patient’s personal preference. Some of the options include:

  • Rigid gas permeable contact lenses (RGP)
  • Scleral contact lenses
  • Soft contact lenses (custom wavefront guided)
  • Hybrid contact lenses
  • Tandem soft contact lenses

Preferably scleral lenses and rigid gas permeable contact lenses are chosen for the patients. However if they are intolerant to the rigid gas permeable lenses they can be advised the tandem soft contact lenses, hybrid contact lenses and the scleral contact lenses as the next options.

Intracorneal ring segments

Intracorneal ring segments (ICRS) are used in post Lasik ectasia patients having thin cornea that can’t tolerate the contact lens. The size, symmetry, location and number of segments to use are dependent on the individual case and surgeon’s decision.

Corneal collagen cross-linking

The anterior thin layer of cornea is weakened during the flap creation. Most of the cross linking effect occurs in that almost 200 microns of anterior layer of cornea. Cross linking has been claimed to stop the progress of ectasia therefore corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) can be used to stop post Lasik ectasia from getting worse.

Combination therapies

Some patients might need and benefit from the combination therapies including intracorneal ring segments or corneal crosslinking or any other combined therapy.

Penetrating keratoplasty

Penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) is used as the last resort in patients with post Lasik estasia.

Global Complex Eye Care was specifically designed, equipped, and staffed to provide patients with nothing but the finest in professional eye care. As Post LASIK specialists, we have successfully treated patients with Post Lasik Ectasia, Keratoconus, LASIK Dry Eye and other side effects, Pellucid Marginal Degeneration, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, and other irregular corneas. Optometrists and Ophthalmologists from all over Maryland and surrounding states refer patients to Dr. Irwin Azman.

For more information please call, (240) 782-2020
to schedule your complimentary telephone consultation.