Our comprehensive eye examinations are a whole lot more than just a patient's prescription for glasses. Many aspects of the visual system are evaluated, and each patient is treated with his or her individual vision needs in mind. Equally important, our annual eye examinations also include a thorough evaluation of the ocular health. This part of the eye examination is important even if the patient does not need glasses or contact lenses. Many eye conditions such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy often do not have obvious early warning symptoms to those affected but may be detected by an eye doctor during a thorough comprehensive eye examination. Early detection, treatment, and education is the key to preventing visual loss from these conditions.
We believe that the eyes are a window to a person's overall health. Oftentimes, early warning signs of systemic health diseases show up first in the eyes. Therefore, we feel that it is very important to have a thorough eye examination at least once a year. Dr. Kao and Dr. Park will work with and assist the patient's primary care physician as needed in the treatment and management of his/her overall systemic health.
Contact lenses are medical devices that need to be fitted by a qualified eye care practitioner and subsequently evaluated or refitted at least once a year in order to ensure proper lens wear and care. With the heavy marketing of specific contact lens brands recently, it is easy to forget this simple fact and improperly begin to view contact lenses as non-medical commodities such as fashion sneakers. Unfortunately, we have noticed that many eye care providers have fallen into this trap as well, and this has caused the quality of contact lens care to suffer.
With their broad experience, Dr. Kao and Dr. Park are wise enough to remember that providing the highest level of patient care to contact lens wearers begins with the doctor and the patient respecting contact lenses as the medical devices that they are. When fitted, evaluated, and cared for properly, contact lenses could provide years and years of healthy, comfortable, and clear vision. Our office handles most contact lens types including soft, gas-permeable, toric/astigmatic, bifocal, and monovision lenses. We work with a variety of contact lens manufacturers and materials in order to achieve the best care.
It is estimated that nearly 80% of what a child learns in school is presented visually. Therefore, good vision is essential to ensuring good learning. According to The American Optometric Association, 25% of all school-aged children have vision problems. The National Institutes of Health estimates that up to 60% of vision problems could potentially be missed during a vision "screening." We therefore feel it is very important to have a yearly comprehensive pediatric eye examination by an eye care practitioner. Our office is equipped to examine children as young as four years old.
Dr. Kao and Dr. Park are both medically trained and very experienced in diagnosing, treating, and managing diseases of the eye. This includes treating eye infections, inflammations, and allergies of the eye with pharmaceutical agents. Our doctors also manage diabetic complications of the eye, cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, corneal disease, and retinal disease. As primary care Optometric physicians, Dr. Kao and Dr. Park maintain a close network of top specialists in the area if the need arises for a referral which involves a case that is outside of the scope of primary eye care. We believe that certain specific eye conditions require the expertise of a specialist in the field, and we will make sure that each patient receives the best care whether it be through our office or through a specialist that we co-manage a case with.
For patients aged 25 to 60 in the United States, diabetes is the leading cause of blindness. However, diabetes-related blindness is often preventable when there is proper care involving our office and your primary care physician.
Freedom from glasses and contact lenses could often be achieved through laser in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK.) This involves the use of a laser which reshapes the cornea permanently. LASIK is usually a quick and often painless procedure, and only about <1% of all LASIK patients experience any complications.
Dr. Kao and Dr. Park work closely with the best LASIK surgeons in the area to provide excellent care prior to and after the procedure is completed. Currently both doctors are affiliates of the TLC Laser Eye Center of Reston, Virginia, and are co-managing patients with Dr. Mark Whitten (personal surgeon to Tiger Woods) and Dr. Edward Perraut.
Dry Eye Syndrome is an extremely common eye condition with approximately 60 million Americans thought to be suffering from it. There are many factors thought to cause and exacerbate dry eye symptoms, which tend to be a persistent and ongoing problem. Our doctors can perform specific medical eye tests to help determine the cause in each particular patient. Some potential causes of dry eye include the following: shortage of actual tears produced, excess drainage of tears from the eye, tears evaporating too quickly, decreased quality of tears, inflammation of the eyes, side effects of certain medications, secondary to systemic disease, or a combination of several factors. Although Dry Eye Syndrome cannot be cured, many options do exist that could significantly improve symptoms, provide longstanding relief, and improve quality of life. After proper dry eye evaluation, Dr. Kao and Dr. Park would initiate the appropriate treatment, whether it be a specific formulation of artificial tears (not all artificial tears are created equally), Tear Savers, pharmaceutical agents, lifestyle adjustments, or a combination of therapies.