The Retina-Vitreous Service at the Casey Eye Institute offers all modalities for the modern diagnosis and treatment of retinal and vitreal disease. This includes age-related macular degeneration, retinal vein occlusion, diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity, pediatric retinal disease, AIDS-related retinal and choroidal infections, and ophthalmic oncology.
Contact Us
For further information, or to make an appointment please call the physician’s office directly, or the general retina office at (503) 494-7891.
Staff
All faculty members are actively engaged in ongoing clinical and laboratory research to further improve our services.
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Christina Flaxel, MD
503-418-3352
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Peter Francis, MD, PhD
503-418-1627
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Thomas Hwang, MD
503-494-0671
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Michael Klein, MD
503-494-3055
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Andreas Lauer, MD
503-494-8093
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Joe Robertson, MD
503-494-3056
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Timothy Stout, MD
503-494-2435
- Robert Watzke, MD
503-494-3073 -
David Wilson, MD
503-494-7881
Your fist visit will take at least two hours. If you need special tests or treatments, you should be prepared to spend the day in our office. To begin the examination, an ophthalmic technician will ask some basic questions, check your eye pressure, examine the front part of your eyes and dilate your pupils. It takes about 15 to 45 minutes for your pupils to completely dilate.
Next, the doctor will perform a complete evaluation and answer any questions you might have. If additional procedures are necessary, the doctor will explain them to you and answer your questions about these procedures.
Procedures
Retinal Photography, Fluorescein and Indocyanine Green Angiography
Each of these procedures helps diagnose and manage many retinal disorders. Ophthalmic photographers perform retinal photography in the suite next to the waiting room. These procedures may take up to 60 minutes. Angiography begins with the injection of a yellow or a green dye into a vein in your arm. We give you more details before we start the procedure.
Laser Therapy
Laser treatment is beneficial to many patients with retinal disorders, including macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. The treatment usually takes 30 to 45 minutes. Anesthesia eliminates or minimizes any discomfort. Under most circumstances, you will be able to leave soon afterward.
Cryopexy
Cryopexy, or "freezing therapy," treats retinal tears and other problems that could otherwise lead to hemorrhage or retinal detachment. First, you receive an anesthetic to eliminate pain. Then, a cold probe freezes part of the retinal wall, thereby producing a "seal." The treatment usually takes less than 30 minutes.
Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)
This treatment consists of injecting a light-activating drug prior to applying a special type of laser energy. The drug passes through and stays inside the abnormal vessels in the eye, absorbing the laser energy and resulting in closure of the vessels. In April 2000, the FDA approved the drug verteporfin (Visudyne) for photodynamic therapy, and it is now available for patients with wet age-related macular degeneration.
Ultrasonography
We use ultrasonography in retinal and vitreous diseases when blood or scar tissue prevents the doctor from seeing the back of the eye. We also use it to evaluate and measure eye tumors. During the procedure, we place a probe on the eyelid, and then sound echoes map out tissues inside the eye. The procedure usually takes less than 45 minutes and is painless.
Other procedures include electroretinography, which measures the performance of the retina by gauging its electrical activity; potential acuity meter determination, which estimate how much a cataract is interfering with vision; and visual field tests, which map the field of vision.
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