Q) I had collagen crosslinking treatments for my keratoconus a couple years ago. Can I still get laser vision correction surgery?

Corneal collagen cross-linking is a technique that was first used in 1998 to treat patients with a disease called keratoconus. In keratoconus, the cornea (the front clear window of the eye) becomes weak, thin, and irregularly shaped. Collagen cross-linking is now being performed for patients with this condition in approximately 400 centers throughout the world. Through a research study, ClearView Eye & Laser Medical Center, A P.C. is now able to provide this investigational treatment to our patients using this technology.

The Visian Staar ICL, a tiny implantable contact lens, is gaining popularity among soldiers in the military searching for a safe and permanent solution to rid them of a dependence on a contact lens or glasses to see in extreme battlefield conditions. These myopic soldiers have a unique set of visual needs that the Visian ICL has managed to meet and exceed their expectations especially concerning achieving optimum night vision.

This is sci-fi. A new study reported by the Associated Press shows early promise for the first bio-artificial cornea created out of collagen the same tissue that makes up the eye’s natural cornea.

As back school nears, we’re trying to get our children prepared physically and emotionally for the new challenges they will face in the classroom and on the playground. Some of the rough, new bumps in the road we can foresee and help smooth out. But others, those that have to do with discrimination on the playground we may not be aware of, yet the psychological ramifications could be detrimental to our children’s social and emotional development.

As summer fun reaches its heights and back to school is around the corner, we find ourselves spending more time soaking in the sun on the beach and playing on the ocean. All the fun in the sun means protecting your eyes with as much vigilance as you protect your skin.

Recent findings by the National Eye Institute's Age-Related Eye Disease Study identified certain foods and supplements that may help slow the progression of Age-Related Macular Degeneration and support general eye health as well.Foods that are high in vitamins C and E along with lutein, zeaxanthin, zinc and Omega-3 fatty acids are recommended. So consider adding citrus fruits, nuts, salmon, mackerel, whole grains, dark leafy greens and vegetable oils to your diet for better eye health and overall health.

All this month, ClearView Eye and Laser Medical Center has been letting people know that March is Age-Related Macular Degeneration Awareness Month. We have joined with the American Society of Retina Specialists, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Retina Society and the Macula Society in encouraging all adults to be tested for this serious eye disease.

Some ten million Americans are diagnosed with Age-Related Macular Degeneration annually. The eye disease continues to be one of the leading causes of vision loss for people 65 and older in the US. As researchers continue to search for the cure for macular degeneration, they have found that what we eat can help keep our eyes healthy, slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration or even reduce the risk of having this serious eye condition.