Treatment of Ocular Disease

Assessments of ocular and systemic health are important aspects of a vision exam. We integrate these evaluations into a comprehensive vision examination. This requires that we have an extensive knowledge of ocular diseases in addition to an understanding of how systemic diseases can affect the eyes.

As a profession, optometry in general has been slow in embracing the medical philosophy of primary, secondary, and tertiary models of care. Perhaps this has been because we were not recognized as medical providers by insurance companies. Thanks to years of hard work this has all changed. Equality in Medicare billing in 1987 was a huge step. The addition of therapeutic services, inclusion onto medical insurance panels, and the ability to have large numbers of optometrists providing medical care in hospitals, multidisciplinary medical clinics, ophthalmology practices, and laser surgery practices has also advanced our experiences and skills.

The biggest change for the average private optometrist is the use of therapeutic services (pharmaceutical and minor medical procedures). In addition, the proliferation of new technologies, new imaging, devices, advanced diagnostics, and new surgical techniques has provided different levels of specialties within all eye care fields.

Minnesota state law, and our extensive education, allows us to treat essentially all eye conditions. In our office we routinely treat:

*Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
*Dry eye
*Contact lens complications
*Corneal scratches
*Glaucoma
*GPC (upper lid inflammation)
*Allergies
*Foreign body removal from your eyes

Our optometrists have removed metallic materials, plant materials, and more from our patients’ eyes. If you experience eye pain, changes in vision, redness or irritation that lasts overnight, or if you get a foreign object in your eye, please give us a call. Self treatment usually results in delaying proper treatment. We are happy to see you the day you call to make you comfortable as quickly as possible. If you have an ocular emergency on the weekend or evenings we will make every attempt to see you.

We treat and manage eye and vision conditions that can be sight threatening, lead to eye discomfort, and may signal systemic health problems. Drs. Smith, Hanson, and Kempfer use advanced instrumentation to manage eye conditions such as: glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, dry eye syndrome, eye infections and eye inflammation. Our clinic utilizes state of the art technology needed for the diagnosis and management of many ocular diseases. We have an OPTOS Retinal Map, a GDx, a visual field unit, and topography instruments. All instruments are on site and readily available! This is a unique aspect to our office and we continually strive to keep our technology up to date and a step ahead.

Foresee PHP
The Foresee PHP provides a simple, quick and non invasive way to detect abnormalities in the macula that may suggest the presence of the severe form of Age Related Macular Degeneration. Regular monitoring with the Foresee PHP, after initial detection, can let you and your doctor know if your AMD is progressing to the severe, wet form of the disease before you experience visual symptoms, at the stage of the disease when treatment is most effective. If you have been diagnosed with AMD, ask your doctor about monitoring with the Foresee PHP. Today, there are effective therapies for wet AMD, and they have the greatest effect when used following early detection.