New Treatment for Macular holes
Recent approval of Jetrea (Ocriplasmin) to treat symptomatic VMA (Vitreo Macular Adhesion) has opened up a new era in non surgical management of macular holes. Previously only a hospital based surgery was able to reverse the process of macular hole development but now a new drug can be injected into the eye painlessly in the office and within a few weeks the process reverses back to more normal vision levels.... more
FDA Approves ASRS Leader's ArgusŪ II Artificial Retina
On February 14, the FDA approved the Argus II artificial retina developed by ASRS Executive Committee and Board Member Mark S. Humayun, MD, PhD.
This breakthrough technology is the first ever to offer limited vision to patients with late-stage retinitis pigmentosa (RP).
Second Sight Medical Products (Sylmar, CA) manufactures the Argus II implant, which has 60 electrodes and a tiny camera mounted on eyeglasses to capture images.
The FDA approved Argus II for adults age 25 years or older with severe to profound RP. About 10,000 to 15,000 of the 100,000 Americans with RP will qualify for Argus II. Up to 4,000 patients a year can be treated with the device.
Macular degeneration and Aspirin?
Aspirin and Macular degeneration... is there an increase in the wet form of macular degeneration in those patients taking aspirin? The wet form develops quicker than the dry form. It may only be related to the fact that you are more likely to take aspirin if you have medical problems like stroke or heart attacks in the past and these conditions are more commonly associated with wet age related macular degeneration. ... more
What to Expect
If you and your referring physician have chosen our practice to assist with your retinal care needs, we look forward to meeting with you. In order to make your initial visits as smooth as possible, we provide information below to let you, the patient, know what to expect from our practice.
Our Practice. Although we are licensed ophthalmologists, we do not perform routine eye exams or provide routine eye care. East Carolina Retina Consultants specializes in the treatment of back-of-the-eye, or retinal diseases only. This is a very thorough and time consuming task.
Prior To Your Visit.
- If your insurance plan requires an authorization number, you are responsible for getting it to us from your Primary Care physician prior to your visit. Otherwise, we may not be able to see you.
- Because your eyes will most likely be dilated, you need to bring someone to drive you home or make arrangements for transportation to and from your appointment. Please make sure to check-in and register at our front desk before your driver leaves our office as appointments may be canceled or re-arranged due to emergency cases.
- Please limit the number of people accompanying you to your appointment to one or two due to limited seating. We recommend that you bring a family member that normally assists you with your personal affairs, as you may have to make decisions concerning your treatment at our practice, and/or the hospital. Medical procedures, cost, and payment options may be discussed as well. If you are not comfortable having these matters discussed with this person in the exam room, please ask them to remain in the reception area.
Checklist: Please be sure to bring the following to your appointment.
- All of your prescription medications.
- Your most recent eye glasses or contact lenses.
- A list of all physicians currently treating you or following your care, along with their addresses and phone numbers in case we need to contact them.
- Medical Insurance Cards.
- Diabetic Patients may want to bring a snack as the length of your visit is often unpredictable due to the nature of the diseases that we treat.
- Legal papers indicating if you are a Power of Attorney for a patient, or Guardianship papers if you are accompanying a minor child to their appointment.
- If you are coming in due to a work related injury, you must bring evidence of your employer's Worker's Compensation Insurance coverage as well as your employer's name, address, and phone number.
Your Visit. The nature of vitreo-retinal diseases often requires several exams and tests, as well as an existing potential for in-patient and out-patient surgeries. Your first visit will be lengthy, and it is very difficult to predict how long a particular visit will be. Many patients come to us with emergent retinal problems that must be attended to immediately. If possible, make arrangements to be at our practice for several hours the day of your appointment and avoid scheduling other appointments that day. While we apologize in advance for the long wait times and are doing what we can to reduce them; we will not sacrifice quality of service for punctuality and feel that your eyesight is more important than time itself. If you are unable to wait, or are uncomfortable waiting, please notify our staff before your appointment date if possible so that we may refer you to another physician.
Payment of Services. All co-payments and outstanding balances for services rendered should be paid on the day of your visit. We accept Mastercard, Visa, Discover, a personal check or cash. If you are unable to pay the balance on your account, please call and ask to speak to one of our financial counselors before the day of your appointment. Our practice accepts CareCredit, a credit card that can be used to finance healthcare services and offers monthly payment plans; some payment terms are without interest. There are certain circumstances we may offer payment arrangements through our office, if patients do not qualify for CareCredit. To apply for CareCredit, visit www.CareCredit.com, click on “Apply Now,” then “Applying For CareCredit At Home.” You may also call (800) 677-0718 to apply over the phone.
Before your initial visit, be sure to complete all necessary Patient Forms. Also, please review (and print if needed) our practice’s Financial Policies and Privacy Policy.
We look forward to meeting with you!