Happy Thanksgiving from Lake Dillon Eye Care!

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the team at Lake Dillon Eye Care would like to take a moment to share a few of the things for which we are thankful.

We are thankful that:

• We have an outstanding ophthalmologist who is specially trained and highly experienced in LASIK vision correction.
• The LASIK technologies we've invested in are allowing us to improve vision for even more patients – even some of those who were not candidates in the past.
• Our entire team maintains strong ethical standards and only performs LASIK on qualified candidates.
• We help patients afford the improved vision they desire through LASIK financing options.
• We get the opportunity to help educate people about every aspect of LASIK, whether or not they choose us for their procedure.

Our goal is to make our patients feel thankful that they chose Lake Dillon Eye Care for their vision correction.

Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy time with your loved ones this holiday season. And if the quality of your vision isn’t something that is making you thankful, contact Lake Dillon Eye Care in Lake Dillon to schedule your free LASIK Consultation. Call 970-468-0389 or visit lakedilloneye.com.  

The National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) has designated the month of November as National Family Literacy Month®. Having the ability to read with your children can dramatically improve their performance at school as well as their economical, emotional and social development. Family reading time also helps to strengthen the family bond.

At Lake Dillon Eye Care we work hard to help adults achieve clear vision so it’s easy and fun to read – both to their children and for their own enjoyment. One way we do this is through LASIK vision correction. LASIK can correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism by actually changing the shape of the cornea. When the cornea is properly shaped, light coming into the eye will focus correctly on the retina (the back of the eye).

Some patients are able to eliminate their need for glasses and contacts after LASIK. Of course, every patient is different, but think of how much more enjoyable reading would be if you didn’t have to hunt for your glasses or take out your contacts at night when reading before bed.

Not everyone who wears glasses is a good candidate for LASIK. You need an in-depth examination by a trained ophthalmologist to find out for sure. At Lake Dillon Eye Care we offer free LASIK Consultations to do just that.

The NCFL has created a fundraising challenge called The Big Give for Families Learning to raise money to support family literacy and learning programs. Participants can win a variety of fantastic prizes. Visit the NCFL website to learn more: http://www.famlit.org/.

Make this a National Family Literacy Month to remember. Contact Lake Dillon Eye Care in Lake Dillon today to schedule your free LASIK Consultation to find out if LASIK is right for you: 970-468-0389 or lakedilloneye.com.

What is a LASIK Self-Evaluation?

A LASIK Self-Evaluation is an interactive online tool to help you determine if you are a good candidate for LASIK vision correction surgery. While this is not a substitute for a full LASIK Consultation from an experienced ophthalmologist, it is a great first step in the LASIK research process.

The Self-Evaluation asks questions about what your vision is like right now, such as:

• I can’t see things up close
• I can’t see things far away
• It’s difficult for me to drive
• I’ve been diagnosed with astigmatism
• I wear glasses / contacts / reading glasses

The Self-Evaluation also asks questions regarding your current medical health and your eye health. This information is kept strictly confidential.

When all of the details are submitted, the Evaluation tallies the information and provides an immediate, personalized result as to whether or not LASIK might produce the results you desire. You can use this information to further research your options or as back-up information to share during your full LASIK Consultation with a surgeon. The only way to know for sure if you are a candidate for LASIK is by having a complete eye exam to determine your corneal thickness and overall eye health.  

Our doctors at Lake Dillon Eye Care in Lake Dillon offers a free LASIK Self-Evaluation on his website at lakedilloneye.com. If you are considering LASIK, we encourage you to take the quick assessment to see what might be best for your unique situation. 

Possible Cause for High-Grade Nearsightedness Discovered

A recent study published in the American Journal of Human Genetics has identified gene mutations associated with severe, high-grade myopia (nearsightedness). Researchers at Duke Medicine found these mutations in the SCO2 gene that metabolizes copper, which is important to regulate oxygen levels in eye tissue. When there is too much oxygen, the eye’s development can be altered.

"This is the first time a gene mutation for autosomal dominant nonsyndromic high-grade myopia in Caucasians has been discovered," said senior author Terri Young, M.D., MBA, professor of ophthalmology, pediatrics and medicine at the Duke Eye Center, Duke Center for Human Genetics and the Duke-National University of Singapore Graduate Medical School (Duke-NUS). "Our findings reflect the hard work and collaboration of our international research team."

"Our findings, plus information from the literature, suggest that copper deficiency could predispose people to develop myopia," Young said. "While this wasn't directly tested in this study, it's possible that our diets - which are deficient in a number of minerals and vitamins - play a role, and it may be something as easy as taking a supplement with copper that helps thwart the development of myopia."

Other factors besides gene mutations are likely responsible for myopia development. Additional myopia research will continue.

Nearsightedness is one vision condition that is often corrected through LASIK eye surgery. However, laser vision correction is not appropriate for all patients who have myopia, especially high-grade. The FDA has approved certain lasers to treat varying levels of myopia, even up to -.12 diopters; however, some doctors may recommend a different type of procedure for patients who don’t meet the right vision requirements.

If you have any degree of nearsightedness and would like to know if you are a good candidate for LASIK, contact Lake Dillon Eye Care in Lake Dillon to schedule a LASIK Consultation: 970-468-0389 or lakedilloneye.com.