Specialty Services

Specialty Services


What is Dry Eye?

Dry eye syndrome (DES) is chronic insufficient lubrication and moisture on the surface of the eye.
Among the most common symptoms of dry eye syndrome are:

  • Grittiness
  • Scratchiness
  • Burning sensation
  • Watery eyes
  • Blurry vision
  • Itchy eyes


Dry eye syndrome can be caused by many different factors. Most common ones are:


Evaporative Dry Eye
(EDE) Caused by blockage of the oil glands that line up at the margin of your eyelids. (MGD)

The meibomian glands can be blocked for many reasons. For instance, not blinking enough can accumulate debris and therefore block the glands. These glands won’t secrete enough oil (lipids) into the tears, and the tears they secrete, have very poor quality as tears evaporate and leave the surface of the eye exposed to the environment.

During the early stages, patients with dry eyes experience no symptoms, yet in more advanced stages, patients usually complain of redness, gritty sensation, burning after working in front of the computer and watery eyes.


Aqueous Dry Eye
It happens when the lacrimal gland does not secrete enough of the middle aqueous layer. Tear volume decreases, hence there is less water and more salt in the tears (hyperosmolarity). Consequently, salty tears cause inflammation of the tissues on the surface of the eye. Age and some health problems can cause Aqueous deficiency.


Pharmacological Dry Eye

Some medications used to treat different health problems can cause dry eyes. For instance: topical medications to treat glaucoma, systemic drugs to treat depression, thyroid disease, sleeping problems, ophthalmic surgical procedures, and even cosmetic procedures can induce dry eyes.


Inflammatory Dry Eyes

Equivalently to auto-immune diseases, the lacrimal gland of the eye desists in functioning properly as it is inflamed. Inflammation of the lacrimal gland leads to decrease tears production and to release inflammatory mediators in the tear film making the dry symptoms worse.

Treatment depends on the severity and the cause of the dry eye. It includes lubricating eye drops, oral and topical medications, meibomian gland expression, punctual plug, along with additional therapies. By tailoring what we offer to your unique needs, we make certain we determine what is most optimal for your symptoms and overall lifestyle.

Once our Dr. determines the cause of your eye dry, we can offer a personalized regiment tailored to relieve your symptoms.

Ready to say goodbye to those red, irritated eyes?

Call Dr. Dussan in Long Island City for an eye exam and a treatment plan.

(718) 784-3960


Increseagly a Growing Issue

Myopia (nearsightedness) is a common vision problem affecting children. Myopic children can see well up close, while distant objects are blurred.

Myopia in children tends to get worse year after year. This change can be alarming to both children and their parents, prompting the question: Will it ever stops? Or, will this get so bad that, someday, glasses won’t help?”

Myopia that develops in childhood nearly always stabilizes by the age of 20. Unfortunately, by then, some kids have become very nearsighted. High myopia is related to potentially blind eye conditions.

Studies have revealed that children and adolescents who spend more time on up-close activities and less time outdoors may be more likely to develop myopia.

Myopia can not be cured nevertheless, there are different treatments and strategies available to slow down the progression of myopia.

Atropine

Eye strain or focusing fatigue might be linked to the increase in myopia. Atropine drops work by disabling the focusing mechanism. Studies have shown that atropine efficaciously keeps their myopia from getting worse.

Multifocal Eyeglasses

Studies have shown that wearing eyeglasses with bifocal or progressive multifocal lenses may slow the progression of nearsightedness in some children. The mechanism here appears to be that the added magnifying power in these lenses reduces focusing fatigue during reading and other close work, a problem that may contribute to increasing myopia.

Soft Multifocal Contact

These special design types of contact lenses for myopia treatment. Distance center soft multifocal contact lenses help control myopia by reducing eye strain. In some studies, soft multifocal lenses have shown to be more effective than bifocal and glasses. They have reduced myopia progression by 25%.

Contact lenses offer not only a good vision correction but also a positive psychological effect on children and teenagers. Children feel better about their physical appearance and they are safer for children when playing sports.

Orthokeratology

Also known as “Ortho-K,” is a type of gas permeable contact lenses to wear overnight and remove in the morning. This contact lens flattens the shape of the cornea during the night. Therefore, individuals don’t have to wear glasses or contacts during the day. Ortho-K is indicated it for people with low to moderate amounts of myopia.

Recent research suggests Ortho-K may also reduce the lengthening of the eye itself, indicating that wearing ortho-k lenses during childhood may actually cause a permanent reduction in myopia, even if the lenses are discontinued in adulthood.

If your child is developing myopia a prompt intervention and proper treatment can help to slow down the progression and prevent potentially blind conditions. If you want to learn more about possible treatments make an appointment with us.

Undergoing refractive surgery is a serious decision. Adapting to the new changes, understanding risk factors and taking into account the monetary side of it, all are extremely important. You should feel completely confident that the surgeon you choose has the highest degree of experience, knowledge, and compassion. Dussan eye care works with top-notch Ophthalmic Surgeons in NYC. Allow us to evaluate and guide you through the process.

Am I a Good Candidate For Laser Eye Surgery?

Not all individuals are good candidates for laser eye surgery, and it cannot be performed on everyone. Some general and eye health conditions, medications and social habits prevent these individuals from having Refractive surgery.

Dussan eye care offers in-office consultation and recovery care.

If you are considering having laser eye surgery and want to learn more about it please don’t hesitate to contact us. We would love to answer your questions.

Examination

Prior to considering refractive surgery, we will inform you of the risk and benefits of the available procedures.

A careful preoperative ocular examination is essential before any refractive procedure. After a thorough discussion of your medical history as well as your lifestyle, the following should be performed to assess the likelihood of success with Laser vision correction.

The doctor will ensure that your prescription has to be stable and it is likely to remain stable. An eye drop (Cyclopegic) is used to temporally paralyze the focusing muscle inside your eyes. This allows the doctor to measure your total prescription without allowing you to focus too hard.

A binocular vision assessment is performed to rule out any minor eye muscle alignment. Some binocular disorders no caught before the surgery can end up on double vision or eyestrain after having Refractive surgery.

Evaluation of the lids, investigating for meibomian gland dysfunction. Careful attention is focused on the conjunctiva and cornea, looking for signs of dry eyes and any corneal irregularities/abnormalities, that may interfere with Refractive surgery. Anterior chamber and iris examination are inspected for any signs of inflammatory diseases. The natural lens should be carefully examined for any signs of cataract formation. If any contraindication is present during the exam, then laser surgery may not be indicated, and other alternatives may be discussed.

A dilated fundus exam is performed to look for tears and holes, which may need treatment by a retinal specialist before performing LASIK surgery.

If you are interested in laser eye surgery and want to learn more, You are encouraged to call our office. We would love to answer your questions.

https://www.allaboutvision.com/visionsurgery/

Specialty Contact Lenses for the “Hard-to-Fit” Patient

Hard to fit contact lenses are for patients that have not been successful with regular contacts. Contact lenses are not an easy solution for every patient suffering with vision problems. Some eye conditions make wearing contacts a difficult task. This doesn’t mean these patients can not wear contact lenses. It just means patients need to discuss options with their Doctor and obtain specialized hard to fit contacts for their specific visual problems.

Some of the most common problems include:
​​​​​​​

  • Keratoconus
  • Corneal scarring; post-corneal transplant
  • Dry eye syndrome
  • Pellucid Marginal Degeneration
  • Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis (GPC)
  • Post-LASIK, or other refractive procedure
  • Presbyopia
  • Astigmatism
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