Category Archives: Retina

Doc, What Do Floaters Look Like

Posted on October 17, 2011 by | 3 Comments

Today was floater day in the office. The most common questions today were all about floaters. The questions were centered around what do they look like, how do they start and what causes them. Not long ago I published in The Eye Doc blog an article about floaters but sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. While researching for a future article I came across a very realistic video that does a good job simulating what floaters look like. By the way, most people have some floaters but not everyone has seen their floaters (and some people wish they had never seen their floaters).

If you want to see your floaters look up at the sky on an overcast day or at an evenly illuminated wall and you will most likely see those wispy cobwebs float by your vision. Check out the video below for a good representation of what a floater looks like. Most people don’t have as many floaters as is shown in the video but you’ll get the idea. If you want to learn more about floaters check out these articles I’ve written about them.

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Posted in Retina, video

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Retinal Photos May Aid in Detection of Alzheimer’s Disease

Posted on July 18, 2011 by | 3 Comments

It is often said that the eye is the window to one’s soul, early data suggests that retinal photos may become that window used as an early detector of Alzheimer’s disease. The preliminary results of an Australian pilot study were unveiled in Paris yesterday at the International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease. Not many details were released however it appears that retinal photographs were used to determine the ratio of the diameter of the retinal arteries to the retinal veins (called the A/V ratio). The investigators then found a positive correlation between the A/V ratio and the amount of beta amyloid deposits in the brain. Beta amyloid deposit or plaques are known to exist in higher concentrations in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

If further study of this correlation confirms the author’s findings then this could lead to an inexpensive and relatively easy way of giving patients and doctors  an early indicator of which patients are more likely to later develop Alzheimer’s Disease.

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Posted in Retina

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Total Eye Care to Conduct CCSVI Study

Posted on May 27, 2011 by | 1 Comment

We are very pleased to announce that Total Eye Care will start its first clinical study next month. The title of the study is Vascular Fundus Changes in Patients With High Probability of Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency (CCSVI). Check out the video below for more information. We are recruiting patients with either Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome or Multiple Sclerosis so please spread the word. The video has a lot of good information on the study so please do check it out.

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Posted in Ehlers-Danlos, Eye Care, press release, Retina

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Scanning Laser Technology Available for Patients With Glaucoma & Macular Degeneration

Posted on November 26, 2010 by | 3 Comments

New technology now available at Total Eye Care allows us to scan a patient’s retina for glaucoma and macular degeneration, and the best part ….. it does it  WITHOUT DILATION! This new instrument is called the Zeiss Cirrus OCT and it is truly state of the art.

The Zeiss OCT uses infra-red light from a scanning laser to make a very high resolution, 3D image of the inside of your eye, much like that of an MRI. We can now identify retinal objects as small as 4 microns. So how small is 4 microns? A single sheet of 20 lb copy paper is 100 microns thick. This new technology allows us to detect glaucoma and macular degeneration much earlier as well as allowing us to detect and track subtle retinal changes.

Who is a candidate for this new technology? Anyone with a family or personal history of glaucoma, glaucoma suspect or macular degeneration should take advantage of this technology.

Call the Colleyville office at 817.416.0333 and let Rona or Kelsey know that you would like to take advantage of the new scanning laser technology right away.

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Posted in Glaucoma, Macular Degeneration, Optic Nerve, Retina, Technology

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Pilot Study* Indicates Targeted Ophthalmoscopy With the Optomap® Retinal Exam Increases Ocular Disease Detection

Posted on February 18, 2010 by | Leave a comment

Results from a pilot study conducted by doctors at the New England College of Optometry were recently presented at Optometry’s Meeting and the American Academy of Optometry.  In the study, subjects were examined using the methods of traditional ophthalmoscopy and optomap® assisted ophthalmoscopy, where an ultra-widefield retinal image from the Optos P200C guides the BIO fundus examination.

Forty subjects underwent non-mydriatic imaging with the P200C. Subjects were then dilated and underwent traditional ophthalmoscopy and optomap® assisted ophthalmoscopy. The traditional exam consisted of BIO and slit lamp biomicrosopy with precorneal lenses. optomap® assisted ophthalmoscopy was identical to traditional, with the exception that the doctor reviewed optomap® Images before performing their BIO examination. A masked Reader graded the optomap® Images of all subjects. A retinal specialist examined 28 of the 40 subjects and served as the gold standard. Continue reading →

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Posted in Optic Nerve, Retina, Technology

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Good Video about the Optomap Technology from WFAA TV

Posted on January 11, 2010 by | Leave a comment

WFAA TV in Dallas produced a good video on the optomap® Retinal Exam technology.  WordPress won’t allow it to be embedded here, however I’ve added it to the  optomap® page on the Total Eye Care Website.  An  optomap® video from the TV show The Doctors can also be found there.

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Posted in Retina, Technology, video

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The Facts on Flashes and Floaters

Posted on January 8, 2010 by | 4 Comments

Floaters are very common and can be a very scary symptom.  Here is an article I wrote for last month for EzineArticles that answers patients’ most common questions about floaters and floaters.

Flashes and Floaters – Get the Facts on This Common Eye Condition

By Dr. Richard A. Driscoll

“Doctor I saw dark spots and flashes of light in my eyes and I thought I should come in and have you make sure everything is alright” are words commonly heard by eye doctors and as a result a common cause of urgent visits to their offices. Flashes or floaters can be the signs of serious problems and as a result they should always be investigated by your eye doctor. Merely having floaters is not generally a problem; it is the recent onset of floaters that requires attention.

Flashes and floaters are the most commonly reported symptoms of changes in the vitreous humor, a very fibrous yet clear gel that makes up the back 2/3 of the eye. Floaters occur when a bunch of these fibers clump together and cast a shadow on the retina, causing a person to see a black spot. Patients often describe these floaters as looking like a cobweb. Nearsighted people experience floaters more often. Most people have some floaters, however they are either small enough that they are not bothersome or the brain has learned to ignore them. With the right lighting conditions almost anyone can see their floaters. Looking up at an overcast sky or a large, lightly colored wall improves ones ability to see their floaters. Continue reading →

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Posted in Retina

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November is American Diabetes Month

Posted on November 3, 2009 by | Leave a comment

In recognition of American Diabetes Month and World Diabetes Day on November 14, Dr. Richard Driscoll and Dr. Alycia Green urge community members to schedule yearly eye exams.  Yearly eye exams are particularly important for people with diabetes or that are pre-disposed to diabetes. Approximately 25 million Americans have diabetes, representing 7% of the population, and 6.2 million Americans remain undiagnosed.  Read more facts about diabetes and how the optomap® Retinal Exam is an important aid in fighting diabetic retinopathy.

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Posted in Diabetes, Retina

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Gene Therapy Restores Vision

Posted on August 13, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Gene Therapy SurgeryScientists at the University of Florida Restore Some Sight to Three Adult Patients with Congenital Vision Loss

One year ago the retina of two men and one woman in their 20s were injected with a harmless virus that contained vision correcting genes.  All three patients lived with severe vision loss from a congenital problem call Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis Type 2.  A gene responsible for a necessary protein used in the visual process is defective, gene therapy fixes the failed gene.  One year after the gene therapy treatment these patients reporting being able to see light which was a significant improvement in their vision.  One of the patients reported that she was able to see her parents clock, she had never been able to do this before.  The study has two more years to run and it is likely that more patients will be added.

This is a very exciting medical development and shows that gene therapy holds great promise.  There are so many genetic conditions, not only in the eye but the entire body, that can benefit from this type of treatment.  Much research still needs to be done, however this lays the groundwork for promising future development. The exciting thing about this discovery is that it shows that it is possible to fix bad genes and improve people’s lives.

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Posted in Low Vision, Retina, Vision

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Retinal Melanoma Diagnosed with the Optomap Retinal Exam

Posted on August 7, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Here is a video where a retinal melanoma was initially diagnosed using the optomap® Retinal Exam.  The optomap® is a new generation of scanning laser ophthalmoscope that takes a series of 16 photos in 1/4 of a second and puts them together making a panoramic view of the back of a patient’s eye.  The optomap® allows us to view over 80% of the back of the eye without dilating the pupils.  The optomap® was also recently featured on the TV Show The Doctors.

The first 6 seconds of the video below is blank.

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Posted in examinations, Retina, video

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