Older Entries »
Posted on June 12, 2013 in EDOWs' Blog, Latest News
Drs. Thomas Clinch and Paul Kang of Eye Doctors of Washington use the LenSx® Femtosecond Laser to provide custom-tailored surgeries that eliminate cataracts without the use of a surgical blade.
Washington, DC – Drs. Thomas Clinch and Paul Kang, Washington DC cataract surgeons, have adopted an innovative cataract surgery technique. Their private practice, Eye Doctors of Washington, recently acquired the LenSx® Femtosecond Laser that allows blade-free removal of cataracts with more precision than ever before.
According to Drs. Clinch and Kang, untreated cataracts cause progressively impaired vision, eventually leading to blindness. The LenSx® Femtosecond Laser, developed by Alcon, has been recently approved by the FDA and successfully eliminates cataracts without the use of a surgical blade. The laser is the first to be used for cataract surgery, and Eye Doctors of Washington is one of the few ophthalmology facilities in the United States to offer this advanced form of cataract treatment.
One major advancement the LenSx® Femtosecond Laser provides is image-guided computer precision to assist refractive cataract surgeons in the operating room. Using this technology, the treatment is customized for each patient, yielding an exceptionally high degree of surgical accuracy and results that are tailored to the patient’s individual situation.
The LenSx® Femtosecond Laser’s customizable 3D surgical platform allows Drs. Clinch and Kang to visualize, customize, and perform the most challenging steps of cataract surgery with greater ease, including:
- Anterior capsulotomy
- Lens fragmentation
- All corneal incisions, including arcuate incisions
The level of precision Drs. Clinch and Kang can achieve with the LenSx® Femtosecond Laser is due to a number of unique features including:
- Real-time video imaging with integrated OCT
- A curved interface for increased patient comfort
- Intuitive touch screen graphic interface that simplifies treatment planning
- True image-guided surgical planning that allows surgeons optimal incision precision
Drs. Clinch and Kang are also among the first surgeons performing cataract surgery in Washington DC and the surrounding area to use the LenSx® Femtosecond Laser with SoftFit™ Patient Interface. This new patient interface allows Drs. Clinch and Kang to improve surgical outcomes while enhancing patient comfort. The LenSx® SoftFit™ Patient Interface, which provides all the features of the LenSx® Laser single piece patient interface uses the natural curvature of the patient’s cornea to secure a gentle fit to a patient’s eye while minimizing corneal distortion. Drs. Clinch and Kang are proud to offer this advanced technology at Eye Doctors of Washington and to continue to offer their patients the highest quality of eye care available, whether they are performing cataract surgery or LASIK in Washington DC.
About Thomas Clinch, MD
Dr. Thomas Clinch is the first surgeon in the Washington, DC region to utilize the ReSTOR lens in cataract surgery, and the only eye surgeon in the area selected to participate in FDA trials for IOLs used to correct extreme nearsightedness. He has been selected to the “Top Doctor” list by the Washingtonian Magazine, as well as the “SuperDoctors” list by the Washington Post. Dr. Clinch is available for interview upon request.
About Paul Kang, MD
Dr. Paul Kang has been named to the “Top Doctor” list by Washingtonian Magazine, the “SuperDoctors” list by the Washington Post, and as one of America’s Top Ophthalmologists. He is a scientific reviewer for the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. Dr. Kang is available for interview upon request.
Posted on April 23, 2013 in EDOWs' Blog, Latest News
Drs. Thomas Clinch and Paul Kang lead one of the few practices in the United States to offer LASIK surgery patients the technological advantages of the WaveLight® EX500 Excimer laser.
Washington, DC – Washington DC LASIK surgeons, Drs. Thomas E. Clinch and Paul C. Kang, have recently implemented a new laser vision correction technique to their eye care practice. Eye Doctors of Washington, their private practice, recently acquired the WaveLight® EX500 Excimer laser, allowing them to utilize one of the fastest refractive surgery treatment techniques available in the United States. The two LASIK surgeons say that with the addition of the latest laser LASIK technology, they are excited for the opportunity to offer their patients a safer, more precise method of laser vision correction.
According to Alcon® – developers of the WaveLight® EX500 Excimer laser – the advanced LASIK technology provides a heads-up display, a fiber slit projector with LED light source, and a high-resolution video system. The Excimer laser is also equipped with non-contact corneal measuring, and increases the working distance for eye surgeons utilizing the device. Furthermore, the WaveLight® EX500 Excimer’s proprietary PerfectPulse Technology® reduces the potential for nighttime glare by maintaining a high pulse frequency with a minimized thermal load.
In regard to the unique attributes of the Excimer laser, Drs. Clinch and Kang say the new technology will enable them to conduct LASIK surgery with an unmatched level of efficiency. By utilizing the Excimer laser, Dr. Clinch says they will also be able to more effectively customize LASIK procedures based on each patient’s unique vision correction needs. Additionally, Dr. Kang notes that the enhanced accuracy of the device, combined with a powerful multi-dimensional eye tracker, will help them achieve better results while ensuring the safety and comfort of their patients.
Ultimately, Drs. Clinch and Kang recommend all-laser procedures for their LASIK surgery patients due to the superior precision and safety these techniques provide. Eye Doctors of Washington is one of few practices in the country to own The WaveLight® EX500 Excimer laser, and Drs. Clinch and Kang say they are proud to offer their Washington, DC eye care patients one of the most advanced all-laser LASIK surgeries available.
About Thomas Clinch, MD
Dr. Thomas Clinch is a graduate of Cornell University and earned his medical degree at Jefferson Medical College, where he also graduated with honors. In addition to being the first surgeon in the Washington, DC region to utilize the ReSTORE lens in cataract surgery, Dr. Clinch is the only eye surgeon in the Washington area to be selected for participation in FDA trials to correct extreme nearsightedness with IOLs. He is available for interview upon request.
About Paul Kang, MD
A graduate of Harvard University, Dr. Paul Kang earned his medical degree and served as a delegate to the American Medical Association at Indiana University. He has been appointed Assistant Clinical Professor at the Department of Ophthalmology at Georgetown University and the Washington Hospital Center. In addition, Dr. Kang works as a scientific reviewer for the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and has been named to the “Top Doctor” list by Washingtonian Magazine, the “SuperDoctors” list by the Washington Post, and as one of America’s Top Ophthalmologists. He is available for interview upon request.
Posted on October 2, 2012 in EDOWs' Blog, Latest News
It’s open enrollment for most of us right now, and it’s more important now than ever to max out those Health Savings Accounts (also known as Flex Spending Accounts and Health Reimbursement Accounts). 2012 is the last year that you can put the maximum of $5,000 in your HSA. The tax laws have changed and, starting in 2013, the maximum amount allowed in any HSA will be $2,500. What does this mean for you? If you’re interested in laser eye surgery like LASIK, this is the last year that you can use your HSA to cover the entire cost of your surgery with pre-tax dollars. To schedule a consultation to see if you’re a good candidate or if you have any questions about this change in HSAs, call us at 240-482-1220.
Posted on May 29, 2012 in EDOWs' Blog
As the saying goes…”It’s not the heat, its the humidity”. If you have lived in the DC metro area for at least one summer I will bet that saying rings true. If you are gearing up for your first June, July, and August in Our Nation’s Capitol, you better just set your A/C at 62 now and start hoarding cold air. There is nothing like a hot, sticky, humid, June afternoon that will ease your apprehension about being seen in a bathing suit, and get you to the pool, ocean, or lake as fast as possible. Unfortunately, if you have less than 20/20 vision you might have to consider your contact lenses while you’re planning your refreshing plunge. In fact, you may have had to find out “the hard way” about how difficult it can be to enjoy those water activities while also worrying about seeing clearly! It becomes impossible to just enjoy the water, when you are attempting to keep track of your glasses, or even worse, soliciting help from a stranger to search for your missing contact in the deep end. If either of those scenarios sound familiar, it might be time to re-think your contact commitment and consider LASIK…until then…think cool thoughts.
Here are a few common questions to get you thinking:
Can I Swim With Contacts In?
Contact lenses really should not be worn for swimming, bath tubs, in hot tubs, or in any other kind of water activity, as it can pose a serious safety risk. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended that contact lenses not be exposed to any form of water, due to potential sight-threatening eye complications. Acanthamoeba and some other forms of bacteria present in water can become attached to the surface of contact lenses. This can predispose contact lens wearers to undue risk and result resulting in serious infection.
Will LASIK Prevent Me From Participating In Water Activities?
Generally, most doctors advise their patients not to swim in a pool for the first week after the procedure and to wait at least two weeks to go in the river, ocean or lake. This is because your eyes will be very vulnerable to infection following surgery. Plus, on top of the bacteria which can still be found in chlorinated water, chlorine causes dry eye.
Activities such as swimming, waterslides, snorkeling, sailing, water skiing, wind surfing, kayaking and surfing can begin after two weeks WITH eye protection. You may resume swimming, water-slides, scuba diving, snorkeling and sailing after one month without eye protection.
What If I Play Water Sports?
For someone who is an active member of sports and contact water activities, LASIK is almost always the best way to go, as it provides far less risk of losing the clarity of your vision. The biggest concern that people have about playing water sports following their LASIK surgery is the chance of dislodging the flap. While this is extremely rare, it could occur in cases where extreme force contacted the eye, particularly during the first few weeks following LASIK.
Posted on November 20, 2011 in EDOWs' Blog, Latest News
By now you’ve probably heard of all-laser LASIK which dramatically improved the precision and safety we could offer our patients who wanted vision correct surgery. But have you heard about bladeless cataract surgery? The exciting all-laser technology used to correct the vision of our LASIK patients is now being used to increase the precision and safety of cataract removal. In the past, our skilled cataract surgeons manually made a small incision in the eye to remove the cataract, the lens inside of the eye that had become cloudy over time. Eye Doctors of Washington is the first practice in Washington, DC to offer all-laser cataract surgery to our patients using Alcon’s femtosecond LenSX platform!
“Having a LASIK practice, we have seen the benefit of the advances in laser technology through the years. The transition from using mechanical cuts to all-laser LASIK brought both safety and precision to the procedure. Our expectation is that LenSx laser will similarly bring increased accuracy and precision to cataract surgery, which is already a safe and successful procedure.” Said Dr. Kang.
The femtosecond laser makes this possible by creating a more precise, and therefore safer, incision that is reproducible. In one study presented at the American Academy of Ophthalmology, femtosecond laser incisions achieved incision accuracy in 100% of cases, while only 10% of surgeons’ manual cuts were within the acceptable range. It gives our surgeons greater control and flexibility while in surgery. The incisions created by the femtosecond laser are so small that they heal faster than the incisions manually made by our surgeons, further reducing the risk of infection.
“The addition of the LenSx laser is exciting because it allows us the ability to provide our patients with the precision of computer controlled surgical incisions and a gentler method to remove the lens. There is no question that it will revolutionize the way we do cataract surgery,” said Dr. Clinch.
Posted on October 26, 2011 in EDOWs' Blog, Latest News
The Washington Capitals are back and so is your chance to win free LASIK! If the CAPS score a goal during the last 2 minutes of the 2nd period, a randomly chosen Caps fan will win free LASIK from Eye Doctors of Washington. So far this season, two lucky fans have won free LASIK. Congratulations, Brian Sipes and Caitlyn Kochanski! We look forward to seeing you at your appointments.
Posted on October 13, 2011 in EDOWs' Blog, Latest News, Video Transcripts
Our very own board certified ophthalmologist, Dr. Mary Catherine Fischer, shares some details of the philanthropic medical missions that she took part in as a member of the US Army.
Posted on August 31, 2011 in EDOWs' Blog, Latest News
By Hylton Mayer, MD
Glaucoma, a condition related to high pressure inside the eyes, can cause damage to the optic nerve, the nerve that connects the eye to the brain. When the optic nerve is damaged, a person can lose vision, typically side (or peripheral) vision first, but a person could ultimately lose all vision in the affected eye or eyes.
Glaucoma affects more than 2 million people in the United States. It is more common as people age, and as the general U.S. population ages, glaucoma diagnoses are expected to increase. Besides age, there are other risk factors associated with glaucoma, including a family history of glaucoma, nearsightedness, and being of non-Caucasian descent.
A recent study published in the journal Ophthalmology has clarified some other risk factors associated with glaucoma. The research involved a review of medical billing records for over 2 million people aged 40 and older who had visited with an eye doctor between 2001 and 2007. The study found that people with diabetes had a 35 percent increase in their risk for developing glaucoma; people with high blood pressure had a 17 percent increased risk; and, people with both diabetes and hypertension had a 48 percent increased risk of developing glaucoma compared with the average population.
Having diabetes and/or hypertension increases the risk for other eye problems such as cataracts or retina damage, too. This study supports the importance of regular eye exams for patients with risk factors for the development of ocular disease, including diabetes and hypertension.
Citation: The Relationship Between Components of Metabolic Syndrome and Open-Angle Glaucoma. Ophthalmology, 2011 July.
Posted on June 30, 2011 in EDOWs' Blog, Latest News
…or hopefully you won’t. Where I come from, fireworks could be purchased on the side of the road for a few dollars. And there was nothing more fun than watching your older cousins have roman candle battles in the backyard! What were our parents thinking?!
This July 4th, let’s do things a little differently. In fact, let’s let the professionals do all the work! The most difficult part of creating a breath-taking fireworks display, in my opinion, is the timing (and the safety, but we’ll get to that later). There’s nothing worse then waiting for your Uncle Jerry’s “show” to start, seeing a few fireworks, and then experiencing that awkward, pregnant pause while his under-qualified teenage son races to light the next missile. This is where professional shows make all the difference. They have their aerial barrage at-the-ready so the spectators can truly sit back and enjoy a beautiful, seamless show of firework fancy.
If you’re still hanging onto the crazy notion of having the greatest atmospheric dance of lights on your block, please take a few precautions. Be sure to read the directions on how to safely light your fireworks. If it says the flying saucer should be lit while in the upright position, don’t put it on its side and try to see who can get theirs closest to your grumpy neighbor’s front door. And we all know the right glasses are very much an accessory these days. Protect your precious peepers with some glasses so you don’t spend next year wishing you could see what everyone is ooh-ing and aah-ing about. Happy birthday to the good ol’ US of A from the doctors and staff of Eye Doctors of Washington!
Posted on April 1, 2011 in EDOWs' Blog
We are often asked the question by our prospective LASIK patients, “Why should we choose you over the other guys?” It’s a good question, and what follow are some good answers.
>Eye Doctors of Washington isn’t just a LASIK Center. Eye Doctors of Washington boasts optometrists equipped to fit you with the best glasses or contact lenses, a pediatric and strabismus (lazy eye) specialist, and an oculoplastic surgeon! Have glaucoma? We’ve got a doc for that, too. Dr. Kang and Dr. Clinch are cornea specialists who are fellowship-trained in refractive surgery. We have various technologies and state-of-the-art equipment at our fingertips to meet most of your vision needs. If LASIK isn’t the best option for your unique eyes, we have other options that may be a better fit, like the Visian ICL, ReSTOR lens, Intacs, and PRK.
We’re a private practice and most of our doctors are partners. Corporately-owned LASIK centers are large companies that face all the pressures that big business faces during times of financial strain. Likewise, the doctors who work for these corporations are employees. You don’t want to show up at your doctor’s office to see a CLOSED sign on the door or hear that your surgeon has fallen victim to the high turnover rate that is common at these LASIK factories.
When it comes to your eyes, you want the best and the best isn’t always the cheapest. And if you need a retreatment in the next ten years, it’s done at no charge. We’re realists; we know that ocular technology is only going to improve. So we don’t want to wed you to a procedure that may be outdated in the future. For that reason, if you need a retreatment after the 10 years is up, we’ll simply charge you an upgrade fee for the newer technology. Sound fair? We think so.
Older Entries »
