Everyone is talking about LASIK. Here is a brief description of the procedure.

A flap is cut in the cornea and then the flap is gently folded back. An Excimer Laser is used to reshape the cornea, much like a contact lens forms a new shape on the cornea, only the laser is permanent. The flap is then put back in place, acting like a natural bandage.

The "Wow!" effect of Lasik is the very rapid recovery of vision and the decreased level of discomfort post-operatively. You hear from people that they did not feel anything, and could see well the very first day. Most people have functional vision in 24-48 hours, although this is true in some cases, it must be noted that each person will heal at a different rate. Vision, although greatly improved immediately after surgery, continues to improve for some weeks, even months.

Everyones eyes are different. Even though you may have had a friend who has had LASIK, it does not mean it is right for you. If you are interested in laser vision correction, we will be happy to guide you in picking the right surgeon, procedure and laser appropriate for you. For many of you who are long-term contact lens wearers my pre-operative input can make the difference between an excellent result and a mediocre one.

Post-operatively we can monitor your eyes, and taper medications to arrive at the best possible result. After all, no one knows your eyes better than your family optometrist.

Our office provides co-management for many of the surgical services such as Cataract surgery, Laser surgery, Refractive surgery and Strabismic surgery. We offer this in conjunction with the excellent eye surgeons and optometrists at Omni Eye Specialists, Colorado Laser Surgeons, and Spivak Vision Center

Our office provides emergency services for eye infections and eye injuries. Please call our office at 303-321-1606 during office hours or our emergency number; 720-363-8498 after hours or on weekends. Our staff will work with you to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. State of the art ophthalmic microscopes allow us to examine the front surface of the eye and facial areas around the eye for infection or injury. After assessing the extent of the injury or infection a treatment plan will be formulated and explained to you. Treatment may include medications and supportive care. Follow-up visits to monitor your recovery will be scheduled as needed.

Dry Eyes: Symptoms include scratchy eyes, burning, mild redness and gritty feeling eyes. Oral medications, reading, computer tasks and dry environments (COLORADO!!!) may aggravate marginally dry eyes. Dry eyes can be diagnosed by using special dyes to observe tear patterns, evaluation of the amount of tears on the front of the eye and from review of your symptoms. Treatment may include artificial tears, eye drops for treating allergies, prescription eye medications such as Restasis, and/or punctal plugs inserted in the tear drainage canals to reduce the loss of tears from the ocular surface.  Nutritional support may also be reccomended as appropriate.

Cataracts: The natural lens in the eye gradually becomes less clear as we get older. When opacities develop in the lens and the lens gets too hazy, vision will be impaired. Our office can diagnose and manage cataract care. When the cataract affects the vision to the extent that you cannot read or see distant objects comfortably, we will recommend cataract surgery. Our office co-manages with cataract specialists that are proven experts in cataract surgery. Cataract surgery can provide you with a bright new world of vision. Multifocal implants are now available to allow clear vision at distance as well as up close without the use of eyeglasses.

Glaucoma: Glaucoma gradually destroys the optic nerve tissue in the back of the eye. The greatest danger of glaucoma stems from the fact that the disease is painless and without obvious symptoms until significant damage has occurred. The most common cause is from pressure being too high inside the eye, but vascular disease and other diseases can also cause glaucoma. We always monitor for glaucoma during routine eye examinations. Tests include checking the pressure of the eye, screening for central  vision defects, use of a scanning laser instrument called the OCT to image the optice nerves and nerver fibers in an MRI-like manner, and analyzing the appearance of the optic nerve. If you are diagnosed with glaucoma, Dr. Sumner will prescribe medications that lower the eye pressure and increase blood flow to the optic nerves. Most forms of glaucoma are successfully treated with prescription eye drops. Laser treatments and eye surgery are secondary treatments that offer alternative ways to treat more advanced glaucoma.

Diabetes: Diabetic patients should have a dilated retinal examination each year. Laser treatments have proven to slow the progression of retinal eye disease for many patients. Diabetes often stimulates the growth of new blood vessels in the back of the eye, which ultimately leak and damage the retina. If this condition is discovered early, laser treatment can destroy these vessels. We have the latest instruments used to detect changes in the back of the eye. If we discover advancing diabetic eye disease that can be treated or needs further evaluation, we will refer you for consultation and further testing to a board certified retinal specialist at Omni Eye Specialists.

Seeing clearly is not enough. For many people, reading and hand-eye coordination tasks can be very difficult. The act of sight not only includes ones eyes, but it also includes the neurological activity that processes the visual information. Throwing a ball or skiing down a hill, is a learned activity; to do either well takes practice. Those who do it best are those who started learning at the earliest age. Sight plays an important role in the learning of these activities. Sight is the steering mechanism; it is the main activity that provides feedback regarding what really is happening. We provide Vision Therapy to help individuals learn how to process visual information and develop better hand-eye coordination skills.

We accept cash, American Express®, MasterCard®, Visa®, and Discover®.

We participate with VSP, Medicare, Eye Med, United, Cigna, Aetna, Humana, Mountain Medical Associates, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and Tri-care and others.

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