A cataract is the clouding of the normally clear lens in your eye. Though cataracts are painless, they blur your vision by restricting the amount of light that enters your eye. In addition to hazy vision, symptoms include unusual glare, poor night vision, and changes in the perception of color.

Cataracts are the leading cause of vision loss in adults. They can occur at any age but are much more common after the age of 55. The good news is there are a wide variety of treatment options available that can not only remove the cataract, but can also improve your vision. Cataract surgery is the most common surgery in the United States, with more than two million procedures performed each year.

There are 2 surgical options for removing cataracts, traditional small-incision surgery, and femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery.

Once the cloudy, natural lens has been removed, we need to restore the eye’s focusing power. Years ago, thick eyeglasses were used. Today, we insert intraocular lens implants into the eyes of nearly all our patients. These synthetic lenses, made of high-grade plastic or silicone material, are permanent and non-toxic. Since we use specially shaped or foldable implants, we can insert them through the small incision.

The lens implants have other advantages, too. Because they stay in the eye, you will have a more natural appearance. They also can improve your depth perception as well as aid your side vision. Although you may need corrective eyeglasses after your surgery for activities such as reading, a strong prescription is generally not required.

Diabetic retinopathy occurs when the small blood vessels in the retina are damaged. It is the leading cause of blindness among working age adults.

Anyone with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes can develop diabetic retinopathy, but those with Type 1 diabetes and those who have had diabetes for a long time are at the greatest risk.

Because diabetic retinopathy can develop with few or no symptoms, it is important that all adults with diabetes have an eye exam at least once a year. Frequent, comprehensive eye examinations are the best protection against the progression of diabetic retinopathy.

Our optometrists utilize the latest technology and medical equipment to properly evaluate, diagnose, and treat most types of glaucoma. Although a vast majority of glaucoma is managed clinically with topical and/or oral medications, some patients require a specialty consultation with Anita Campbell, MD, our board-certified ophthalmolgist, who can provide surgical care when medically necessary. Our optometrists and ophthalmologists work closely together to ensure seamless continuity of care between our providers and medical teams. Early detection and treatment are the cornerstones in preserving vision loss caused by glaucoma. There are no symptoms in the early to moderate stages of the disease, so don't delay having regular eye examinations.

LASIK surgery is an extremely popular and commonly sought-after vision correction procedure. Millions of people with refractive errors such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism have been able to ditch their prescriptions thanks to LASIK surgery. It’s fast, painless and the benefits are substantial. But, what exactly is LASIK?

LASIK is a surgical procedure that reshapes the cornea. People with refractive errors often have irregular or misshapen corneas. This means that light does not properly reflect onto the retina, causing blurry vision. By reshaping and smoothing out the surface of the cornea, LASIK surgery permanently corrects these errors.

LASIK surgery is a fairly simple procedure. You will be awake during your LASIK surgery, however, you will be given a mild sedative to calm any nervousness. Your surgeon will begin by numbing your eyes. The surgery begins when the surgeon uses a femtosecond laser to create a “flap” in the cornea. This thin flap of corneal tissue is then peeled back. This leaves the inner layers of the cornea exposed, allowing your surgeon to reshape with an excimer laser. Once the proper adjustments have been made, your surgeon will reposition the corneal flap. The surgery is over! LASIK surgery has been life changing for many of our patients. If you would like to wake up with a clear vision and be free from the hassle of glasses and contact lenses, LASIK may be for you.

Please visit www.grenelaser.com for more information.

"You can expect your vision to begin improving within a few days, although blurriness can occur at first as your eye heals and adjusts. You may also experience soreness or itchiness around your eye, and colors may appear brighter after your surgery because you are looking through a new, clear lens.

You'll usually see your eye doctor a day or two after your surgery, the following week, and then again after about a month to monitor healing. Your doctor may prescribe eyedrops or other medication to prevent infection, reduce inflammation and control eye pressure, and may also recommend wearing an eye patch for a few days after your surgery and a protective shield when you sleep during the recovery period.

After a couple of days, most of the discomfort should disappear. Often, complete healing occurs within eight weeks.

Contact your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following:

• Vision loss
• Pain that persists despite the use of over-the-counter pain medications
• Increased eye redness
• Eyelid swelling
• Light flashes or multiple new spots (floaters) in front of your eye

Once vision has stabilized, your doctor will fit you with glasses if needed. The type of intraocular lens you have implanted will determine to some extent the type of glasses required for optimal vision."

Medical eye care refers to issues or conditions cared for by an Ophthalmologist, which is a medical or osteopathic doctor who specializes in eye and vision care. Types of conditions that require medical eye care include glaucoma, retinal and corneal conditions, cataracts, eye muscle disorders and more.

An ophthalmologist is a medical or osteopathic doctor who specializes in eye and vision care. Ophthalmologists complete 12 to 13 years of training and education, and are licensed to practice medicine and surgery. This advanced training allows ophthalmologists to diagnose and treat a wider range of conditions than optometrists and opticians. Typical training includes a four-year college degree followed by at least eight years of additional medical training.

An ophthalmologist diagnoses and treats all eye diseases, performs eye surgery and prescribes and fits eyeglasses and contact lenses to correct vision problems. Many ophthalmologists are also involved in scientific research on the causes and cures for eye diseases and vision disorders. Because they are medical doctors, ophthalmologists can sometimes recognize other health problems that aren't directly related to the eye, and refer those patients to the right medical doctors for treatment.

When you look at an object, you're using several muscles to move both eyes to focus on it. If you have a problem with the muscles, the eyes don't work properly.

Six muscles in your eye socket control your eye's movement up, down, to each side and in rotation. Problems in these extraocular muscles include weakness or paralysis that prevent one eye from moving in coordination with the other.

Some eye movement disorders are present at birth. Others develop over time and may be associated with other problems, such as injuries. Treatments can include glasses, patches, eye muscle exercises, and surgery.

The cornea is the transparent tissue at the front of the eye. It acts as the eye’s outermost lens and helps to shield the rest of the eye from germs, dust, and other harmful matter.

Treatment options for corneal disease or damage include corneal transplants, Corneal Collagen Cross-Linking (CXL) and Corneal Implants.

Corneal disease can range from the simple to the complex. If you have a complex problem requiring advanced medical or surgical care, the doctors at Grene Vision Group can help.

Prescription sunglasses can adjust your vision in the same way as your prescription glasses. Just like traditional sunglasses, prescription sunglasses help protect your eyes from harmful UV rays – while enabling you to have optimal vision outdoors during bright, sunny days.

Our specialists can help you find the perfect frames, lenses, lens materials, and coatings!

A contact lens, or simply contact, is a thin lens placed directly on the surface of the eye. Contact lenses are ocular prosthetic devices placed directly on the eye to correct vision, or to be worn for cosmetic or therapeutic reasons.

Uveitis occurs when the middle layer of the eye becomes red and swollen. This layer, called the uvea, has many blood vessels that nourish the eye. Uveitis can damage vital eye tissue, leading to permanent vision loss. There are three types of uveitis: anterior, intermediate and posterior.

Thyroid eye disease (also known as Graves’ ophthalmopathy) is a complex orbital inflammatory disease, which can be sight threatening, debilitating and disfiguring.

The eye’s tear ducts, also called the nasolacrimal ducts, are small tubes that stretch from the eye into the nose. They are responsible for carrying tears away from the eyes into the nasal cavity, where they naturally are absorbed or eventually swallowed. An obstructed tear duct can be caused by a wide range of problems, such as excessive tearing and chronic eye infections. It can be present at birth or acquired through infection, inflammation or eye diseases. In some cases, an obstructed tear duct can also be age-related or a result of a physical injury to the eye.

Strabismus is a visual problem in which the eyes are not aligned properly and point in different directions. One eye may look straight ahead, while the other eye turns inward, outward, upward, or downward. The eye turn may be consistent, or it may come and go. Which eye is straight (and which is misaligned) may switch or alternate. It is a common condition among children but can also affect adults.

Refractive lens exchange, also called lens replacement surgery or clear lens extraction, replaces your eye's clear natural lens with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL) to correct your refractive error and achieve sharper focus, reducing your need for reading glasses or bifocals.

Pediatric ophthalmology focuses on the development of the visual system and the various diseases that disrupt visual development in children. Pediatric ophthalmologists also have expertise in managing the various ocular diseases that affect children and are qualified to perform complex eye surgery and manage children's eye problems using glasses and medications.

Pediatric Oculoplastics includes an evaluation and correction of the eyelids, orbit and lacrimal system in babies and children up to 18 years of age. Complex diseases and disease processes include eyelid lesions/malformations, nasolacrimal duct obstruction, microphthalmia/anophthalmia, orbital diseases/tumors, and craniofacial diseases.

Cataracts in a child can be congenital (present at birth) or acquired (develop after birth). Cataracts can happen in one or both eyes. When both eyes have a cataract, one can be worse than the other. Cataracts may appear in different parts of the lens and range in size from tiny dots to dense clouds. Genetics, metabolic disorders like diabetes, and eye injury can all cause cataracts.

Our neuro-ophthalmologist will conduct extensive evaluations to identify the cause of visual concerns including unexplained visual loss, blurred vision and blind spots that may be related to optic nerve damage (optic neuropathy). Our neuro-ophthalmologist's clinical interests include diplopia, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, thyroid eye disease, ocular myasthenia gravis, optic neuritis, benign essential blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm.

Neuro-ophthalmology merges the fields of neurology and ophthalmology, often dealing with complex systemic diseases that have manifestations in the visual system.

In the last 20 years, several new glaucoma procedures termed Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS) that have fewer risks than traditional glaucoma surgery have emerged. These have the advantage of using micro-incisions through the cornea that cause less trauma and scarring to the surrounding conjunctival and scleral tissues. These procedures do not exclude the possibility of traditional surgeries in the future if needed.

Macular Degeneration is caused by the deterioration of the central portion of the retina, the inside back layer of the eye that records the images we see and sends them via the optic nerve from the eye to the brain. The retina’s central portion, known as the macula, is responsible for focusing central vision in the eye, and it controls our ability to read, drive a car, recognize faces or colors, and see objects in fine detail.

Hemifacial spasm is a nervous system disorder in which the muscles on one side of your face twitch involuntarily. Hemifacial spasm is most often caused by a blood vessel touching a facial nerve, but it may be caused by a facial nerve injury or tumor, or it may not have a cause.

Glaucoma is a variety of conditions where the pressure in your eye is too high for the health of your eye. This elevated eye pressure can damage the optic nerve and lead to permanent loss of your peripheral or side vision. In advanced cases, glaucoma may cause loss of your central vision.

Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) is a surgical procedure to improve the appearance of the eyelids. Surgery can be performed on the upper lids, lower lids or both. Whether you want to improve your appearance or are experiencing vision or functional problems with your eyelids, surgery can rejuvenate the area surrounding your eyes.

In some cases in children and adults, strabismus treatment consists of glasses, prisms, patching or blurring of one eye, botulinum toxin injections, or a combination of these treatments. Other times, eye muscle surgery is necessary to straighten the eyes. In children with some types of constant strabismus, early surgery may be recommended to improve the chance of restoring or promoting normal binocular vision. In adults, eye alignment surgery is performed for visual and/or cosmetic reasons.

Trauma to the eye can affect many different structures, including the eyelids, requiring medical or surgical treatment.

• Confrontation Visual Field Testing - Can detect dysfunction in central and peripheral vision which may be caused by various medical conditions such as glaucoma, stroke, pituitary disease, brain tumors or other neurological deficits.
• Pupillary Test – Evaluates how well your eyes react to light and dark. This test can also reveal potential neurological problems and help detect optic nerve disease.
• Eye Pressure Test – Measures intraocular pressure and checks for potential signs of glaucoma.
• Dilated Fundus Examination – After dilating your pupils, we check for any other diseases that may take form deep within your eyes such as macular degeneration, diabetic changes and cataracts.

Our ophthalmologists are available 24/7 to care for your emergency medical and surgical needs. Our team of technicians, optometrists and ophthalmologists are prepared to handle all eye-related emergencies.

Double vision (diplopia) is seeing two, often overlapping, images of a single object. Double vision can occur with one eye or both. If it is in one eye when the other is closed, it is less worrisome, but still serious. If it occurs when both eyes are open, it could signal a major disorder.

Vitreoretinal specialists diagnose retinal and vitreous diseases through a detailed eye examination using highly technical equipment and testing. They treat a wide variety of eye conditions in both adults and children, including diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. Medical and surgical procedures used by retina specialists are exacting. Vitreoretinal surgeons work on very delicate tissue in incredibly small spaces of the eye cavity. Microscopes and laser are vital tools used by retina specialists for procedures in both the office and hospital settings.

A corneal transplant replaces the diseased cornea with a clear, healthy cornea from a human donor. In some cases, only the front and middle layers of the cornea are replaced. In others, only the inner layer is removed. Sometimes, the entire cornea needs to be replaced.

Corneal collagen cross linking (sometimes referred to as CXL) is a procedure used to halt the progression of keratoconus and decrease the chances of needing a cornea transplant. The procedure was only recently approved for use within the United States.The minimally invasive procedure involves applying liquid riboflavin (vitamin B2) to the surface of the eye, followed by treatment with a controlled application of ultraviolet light, to strengthen the cornea.

Corneal and external diseases involve the cornea, anterior chamber of the eye, iris, lens, conjunctiva and eyelids, including cataracts; corneal allergies, infections and irregularities; refractive errors (nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism); conjunctivitis (pink eye); dry eye; tear disorders; keratoconus; pterygium; endophthalmitis; Fuch’s Dystrophy and many others. We specialize in identifying and treating these conditions to preserve and protect vision in patients of all ages.

A blocked tear duct is when the eye’s drainage system for tears is either partially or completely obstructed. Tears cannot drain normally, causing a watery, irritated or chronically infected eye. There are many treatments available.

Blepharospasm is an abnormal, involuntary blinking or spasm of the eyelids. Blepharospasm is associated with an abnormal function of the basal ganglion from an unknown cause. The basal ganglion is the part of the brain responsible for controlling the muscles. In rare cases, heredity may play a role in the development of blepharospasm.

Blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) is a surgical procedure to improve the appearance of the eyelids. Surgery can be performed on the upper lids, lower lids or both. Whether you want to improve your appearance or are experiencing vision or functional problems with your eyelids, surgery can rejuvenate the area surrounding your eyes.

Amblyopia (lazy eye) is a vision development disorder in which an eye fails to achieve normal visual acuity, even with prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses. Amblyopia is usually corrected by making the child use the weaker eye. This is often done by putting a patch over the child’s stronger eye. In some cases, eye drops can be used to blur vision in the stronger eye. The child may wear eyeglasses with a lens that blurs vision in that eye. It generally takes several weeks to several months to strengthen vision in the weaker eye. Once the child has better vision in that eye, he or she may need to wear an eye patch part-time for a few years. This is because there is a chance that eye can weaken again.

Adults can benefit from some of the same treatment options that are available to children for treating strabismus (eye misalignment). Treatment options may include prismatic glasses and surgery for visual and/or cosmetic reasons. Most adults with misaligned eyes can have successful surgical correction. Adults may have strabismus either from a residual childhood strabismus or they may acquire strabismus in adulthood. New strabismus that develops in an adult can result from conditions such as thyroid eye disease, stroke or tumors, but often there is no identifiable cause.

Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation is helpful with patients who have suffered from any type of acquired brain injury. Patients suffering from CVA or traumatic brain injury have a multitude of symptoms that can be improved with optometric intervention and treatment. Mid-line perception and balance are often affected with acquired brain injury, and degenerative neurological conditions and optometric treatment can improve patients' overall comfort and function.

Vision therapy is an individualized program of prescribed activities using specialized instruments to redevelop and strengthen neuro-connections between the brain and visual system, improving deficient visual skills. You can think of it as physical therapy for the eyes: we are teaching the visual system to function in a better, more efficient way. Vision therapy is the treatment of choice for diagnosed vision disorders that contribute to reading and learning difficulties. Vision therapy is not tutoring. We do not instruct our patients in reading or other academic subjects, but vision therapy can improve the visual skills needed to succeed in the classroom and beyond. If you or a family member have symptoms such as headaches, blurred vision or double vision, loss of place with reading, or decreased reading comprehension, call and schedule an evaluation with one of our optometrists below to see if you would benefit from vision therapy services.

With a thorough evaluation, our optometrists can determine the appropriate treatment plan for conditions including cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and many more diseases. When indicated, a referral is made to a specialized ophthalmologist for further intervention such as surgery, laser or injections. Our optometrists work with the ophthalmologist in comanaging postoperative care and treatment plans. They also work with primary care providers and other specialists in regards to systemic conditions that can have ocular manifestations.

Pediatric optometry refers to the examination of children's eyes by optometrists who are trained to evaluate and treat visual disorders in children. Pediatric optometrists work closely with the Grene Vision Group pediatric ophthalmologist when a patient needs medical or surgical treatment. Grene Vision Group also is a long-time participant in the Kansas Optometric Association's See to Learn program, which provides free vision assessments for 3-year-olds.

Ocular diseases are those that affect the eye health and vision in patients of all ages. Since early detection is key to preserving your eye health, the best way to treat these common conditions is to have a complete eye exam on an annual basis.

Some of the most common ocular diseases include:

• Blepharitis
• Cataracts
• Diabetic Eye Disease
• Dry Eye Syndrome
• Glaucoma
• Macular Degeneration
• Pink Eye

Our optometrists provide a wide range of services, resources and devices that are useful in assisting patients that have been diagnosed with low vision. Many low vision devices are specific to individual patients' needs. Low vision services are also available to assist patients with tele-assistance, visual awareness and mobility training.

The optometrists at Grene Vision Group offer full-service, personalized eye care for the entire family. Our 38 primary care doctors offer a wide range of professional eye care services, including eye exams, diagnosis and management of eye disease, surgical and disease comanagement, vision therapy, diabetic eye care, glaucoma diagnosis and treatment, dry eye, vision rehabilitation (low vision), eye allergies, emergency services, eyeglasses, contact lenses and much more. Give us a call so that we can help you see your best! If you need medical or surgical care, our primary care eye doctors will refer you to one of our 12 ophthalmic surgeons.

Dry eye syndrome occurs when the eye does not produce tears properly (quantity), or when the tears are not of the correct consistency and evaporate too quickly (quality). Inflammation of the surface of the eye and eyelids may occur resulting in pain, ulcers, or scars on the cornea, and some loss of vision. Nearly five million Americans 50 years of age and older are estimated to have dry eye.

Dry eye can be managed as an ongoing condition. The first priority is to determine if a disease is the underlying cause. If so, then the underlying disease needs to be treated.

Cyclosporine (Restasis), an anti-inflammatory medication, is the only prescription drug available to treat dry eye. It decreases corneal damage, increases basic tear production, and reduces symptoms of dry eye. It may take three to six months of twice-a-day dosages for the medication to work. Short term use of corticosteroid eye drops that decrease inflammation is also used.

Use artificial tears, gels, gel inserts, and ointments - available over the counter - as the first line of therapy. Avoid artificial tears with preservatives if continued issues or preparations with chemicals that cause blood vessels to constrict.

As we move into our senior years, regular eye exams with an ophthalmologist become even more important for preserving sight. You might experience changes in your ability to see well or adjust to different lighting, or may notice a gradual ""contract sensitivity"" change, meaning it's now harder for you to distinguish an object from its background when they are the same color.

It’s important to have a complete eye exam with your ophthalmologist every year or two after age 65.Keeping up with regular eye exams allows your ophthalmologist to catch problems early. The sooner a problem is detected, the more likely it is that treatment will be successful.

During your regular eye exams, your ophthalmologist will check for age-related eye diseases, including:

• Age-related macular degeneration
• Diabetic retinopathy
• Glaucoma
• Cataract