EYES,IMPLANTS & READING GLASSES

New Technologies To Reduce Your Need For Eyeglasses

Is there any way that I can get rid of my glasses?” This is a question we hear every day from our patients, who are frustrated and annoyed by their eyeglasses … especially those who have bifocals, or need reading glasses.

Recent advances in technology have brought us closer to that goal.

The reason that we need reading glasses, or need to get a bifocal in our regular glasses, is that as our eyes mature, they gradually lose the flexibility needed to adjust for near vision. Our eyes are ‘at rest’ when we are not looking at something up close, but when we focus on something close up, like our phone, computer, or reading material, the lens of our eye, which is right behind our pupil, has to flex to a rounder shape. Over time, the lens loses its flexibility, and we need help, in the form of reading glasses or bifocals, to see up close. This usually becomes noticeable in our mid-40s.

Most people are aware of the wonderful effects of Lasik, which can correct your farsightedness, nearsightedness or astigmatism, but unfortunately Lasik cannot reverse the changes in the lens of our eyes that cause us to lose our reading vision.

Many people don’t mind wearing reading glasses or bifocals, but others dislike glasses, and are looking for alternatives. For many, bifocal contact lenses, or an option called monovision, are good alternatives, and your primary eye care doctor can help you with that.

But improved lens implants are making the possibility of good vision without glasses or contacts available to more patients in the 45+ age bracket.

Cataract Surgery and multifocal lens implants. In addition to gradually losing its flexibility, the lens of our eye undergoes a gradual clouding, called cataract. This is a natural process, and all of us experience gradual cataract formation as we grow up. Symptoms of cataract formation include general fuzziness of vision – many patients keep cleaning their glasses, thinking that they just can’t get them clean –needing more light than we used to, troubling driving after dark, not being able to read small print, and other problems. There is no such thing as a cataract needing to become ‘ripe’ before surgery is indicated – the timing of cataract surgery is up to you and your eye doctor. Most commonly patients are in the 60 to 80 age bracket when their vision is blurry enough to want surgery, but we have done cataract surgery on patients in every age bracket, from 6 weeks old to 102!

Your eye surgeon will remove the cataractous lens of your eye, and replace it with a lens implant in an outpatient procedure. Lens implants come in various powers, and a very nice extra benefit of cataract surgery is that a lens implant can be chosen to reverse whatever nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism you may have had, to reduce your need for eyeglasses. These lens implants now come with reading power built in to them, called a multifocal lens implant. You and your eye doctor can discuss this option and see if it is right for you. The goal of multifocal lens implants is to further reduce your need for glasses, so that you don’t need them even for reading.

Lens exchange and multifocal implants. In some cases, your ophthalmologist eye surgeon might recommend a surgical procedure to remove the lens of your eye and replace it with an intraocular lens implant even if the lens of your eye has not clouded into a cataract. Many patients have a very strong eyeglass or contact lens prescription, and are totally dependent on glasses or contacts to see at all. You may be one of those people who can’t even read the time on your bedside clock without groping in the dark for your glasses. Lens removal, and implantation of a multifocal lens can be a life-changing experience for these patients.

“I highly recommend Bagan Strinden Vision and the amazing staff for any and all vision needs. I knew that I was having an issue and Dr. Strinden and his staff were able to make the diagnosis and schedule me for surgery quickly. I am so glad that I selected the multi-focal lens for my replacement. From arrival for surgery to leaving was less than three hours. It was painless and easy. The initial change in my sight was major and continues to get better and better every day. I cannot say enough about the entire staff. They are all top notch. Thank you!”

Joe Johnson

All of these options need to be individualized to your unique situation. The possibility of being less dependent on eyeglasses is exciting, but there are many factors to consider, and a consultation with your eye doctor can help you filter through all the variations.

To learn more visit www.baganstrindenvision. com or call 701-293-8242.

Dryness. Itching. Irritation. Painful intercourse. Stress incontinence. Women may face some or all of these issues during and after menopause, following removal of the ovaries, or during and after treatment for cancer.

Vaginal changes due to aging, declining hormone levels and some medical treatments can seriously disrupt a woman’s life, causing discomfort, lack of sexual pleasure, pain during sex, and urine leakage when sneezing, coughing, or laughing.

“Women may think it’s just something they have to live with,” says Dr. Shannon Bradley, an OB/GYN at Mid Dakota Clinic. “As they begin to experience symptoms, they might think ‘that’s just the way it is’ and may be reluctant to talk about it, even to their doctor. But vaginal health is an important part of a woman’s overall health. When women stop producing estrogen, the vaginal walls become thinner, drier, and weaker. The resulting symptoms can cause pain, avoidance of intimacy, and affect a woman’s self-esteem as well as her physical health. But it’s not something you ‘just have to live with.’ The first step is talking to your doctor about your symptoms and your options for treatment.”

If you’re experiencing menopausal or postmenopausal symptoms, you’re not alone. There are approximately 64 million postmenopausal women in the U.S., and approximately 1.3 million women reach menopause every year. The mean age for menopause is 51. Up to 50 percent of menopausal women suffer symptoms of dryness, itching, discomfort, and/or stress incontinence.

In the past, the usual treatment has been a vaginal cream that contains estrogen. But estrogen cream has drawbacks: it’s expensive, messy, and must be applied frequently. It can cost as much as $350 every two to three months, and it’s not covered by insurance. It also carries a risk of side effects, and can’t be used by breast cancer survivors. With 250,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer every year, and a five-year survival rate of 90 percent, that means a substantial number of patients are left without options for their symptoms. Now Dr. Bradley is offering a new non-hormonal, non-surgical laser treatment that provides lasting benefits for menopausal women, including breast cancer survivors.

MonaLisa Touch® is a new rejuvenation treatment that involves using a laser to deliver controlled pulses of energy to vaginal tissue, creating microscopic holes in the vaginal walls. This process stimulates the body to heal the holes by producing collagen, rehydrating and restoring thickness and firmness to the vaginal tissue. It’s a simple in-office procedure that takes just five minutes. It’s virtually painless and requires no anesthesia. Patients report just a slight vibration or tugging sensation. Regular activities can be resumed immediately, and sexual activity can be resumed in two to three days.

Dr. Bradley is the only OB/GYN in North Dakota or South Dakota offering this new treatment. “I’m so excited to offer my patients this option,” she says. “Our experience is consistent with the extensive studies that show significant improvement in the vaginal tissue, with relief of symptoms of vaginal pain and urinary issues.”

She notes that, while insurance doesn’t cover the treatment, it costs less than hormonal treatment over the long run and offers long-lasting benefits. The cost of the treatment at Mid Dakota Clinic is $500, which is substantially lower than the $800 to $1000 charged elsewhere. Patients usually receive an initial course of three treatments over 12 weeks. For most patients, the benefits can be maintained with annual treatments.

“In 20 years of practicing medicine, all I could offer my patients was an expensive, messy hormonal cream,” says Dr. Bradley. “Now we have a procedure that is nearly 100 percent effective, non-invasive, virtually painless, and takes just a few minutes. In my medical experience, this is quite an amazing opportunity for menopausal women. This process is new and innovative now, but I think it will soon become the standard of care, and for good reason.”

"I am a 52 year old nurse with 14 years of OB/GYN experience. I was struggling with vaginal dryness and a leaky bladder. After visiting with Dr. Bradley and researching the MonaLisa Touch® procedure, I had a treatment. I generally say, ‘If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.’ Since the procedure, I have not needed to use the vaginal hormone that was costing me $350.00 out of pocket every two to three months, and my bladder doesn't leak any more when I stand up. I can't wait to see the improvement after the next two treatments." – T. E.

“Women with these symptoms need to know that they don’t ‘just have to live with it,’” says Dr. Bradley. “The MonaLisa Touch® gives them a great new option for alleviating their symptoms. The first step is to talk about it.”

Symptoms:

• Vaginal dryness

• Painful intercourse

• Itching and irritation

• Stress incontinence

Advantages of MonaLisa Touch®

• Non-hormonal

• No messy creams

• Non-surgical

• Long-lasting benefits

Shannon S. Bradley, MD, FACOG

Board

certified

OB/GYN Fellow, American Congress of Obstericians and Gynecologists Member, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery

701.530.6027

1.800.472.2113 ext. 6027 middakotaclinic.com/vaginalrejuvenation