At the Eye Center, regular checkups can lead to extraordinary results.
The Eye Center at Clara Maass Medical Center (CMMC) provides care for everyone from infants to senior citizens. That means offering a full spectrum of ophthalmic care, including the most sophisticated, cutting-edge techniques. However, it’s not unusual for routine checkups and everyday interventions to make dramatic differences to patients, according to Michael Landolfi, DO, Medical Director of the Department of Ophthalmology at CMMC and Director of the Eye Center.
“I can’t stress enough how important it is to have regular comprehensive eye examinations,” he says.“For example, we saw a young boy who was having serious problems in school and had grown so withdrawn that his parents were worried,” he continues. “They brought him into the center for an eye exam, but he was so overwhelmed by the equipment that it took two or three visits before he relaxed. I had to use an eye chart that was made up of images, rather than numbers.
“Once he was finally examined, it became clear that he’d been unable to see the blackboard but hadn’t known how to verbalize this.”
The simple fact of being fitted with eyeglasses transformed the child’s life, Dr. Landolfi says.
What Eyes Reveal
Routine eye examinations can also detect serious health issues in the rest of the body, such as high blood pressure, lupus and even brain tumors, he explains. That was the case when one of Dr. Landolfi’s longtime patients recently came to the center for a routine exam.
“As we were talking, I noticed that since the last time I’d seen her, there was a slight change in her lower eyelid—a small growth,” Dr. Landolfi recalls. “While being careful not to needlessly frighten her, I recommended that she make an appointment with an ocular plastic surgeon to have it checked out.
“A few days later, she called to thank me. The surgeon had discovered that the spot was lower eyelid cancer and had already begun treating it.
“It was because she’d been seeing me for years and I know her well that I was able to detect the spot quickly. This is an excellent example of why regular eye care visits are essential,” he says.
One of the most common illnesses that can be discovered through an eye exam is diabetes.
“As part of a routine eye exam, we dilate the pupil and study the back of the eye,” Dr. Landolfi explains. “With diabetes, there is often bleeding and swelling evident in the retina. When this is discovered, I send patients to see their regular health care provider. Some patients are unaware that they have diabetes, while others are aware of their condition but don’t realize that it’s not fully under control.”
A Range of Care
As essential as routine checkups are, they are just the beginning of the care provided at the Eye Center. The Eye Center provides prevention, diagnosis and treatments for all kinds of eye problems, diseases and injuries, such as dry eye, glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic eye disease and cataracts.
All ophthalmologists and surgeons at the center are board-certified and can provide advanced treatment such as interocular lens implant; cataract, glaucoma and retina surgery; and 24-hour pediatric eye emergency trauma care.
For older adults, advances in cataract surgery have been especially meaningful, Dr. Landolfi says. Cataracts, a clouding in the lens of the eye, are the result of a buildup in protein and are a normal part of aging. Traditionally, the goal of cataract surgery was to lower the prescription of eyeglasses; it wasn’t possible to completely correct for distance, nearness or astigmatism. Now, however, with a single multifocal implant inserted during surgery, doctors can correct a patient’s vision so substantially that there is often no need for eyeglasses.
Dr. Landolfi has special memories of a particular cataract surgery. “A grandmother who spoke only Spanish came in with her daughter the day after surgery to have her eyepatch removed. As soon as I took it off, she began weeping. I thought perhaps she was in pain and asked the daughter if she would translate what the grandmother was saying and why she was crying.
“The daughter saw her mother looking out at the waiting room, where the family was waiting. With tears in her own eyes she told me, ‘It’s because this is the first time she has seen her grandchildren.’”
Eye Exams: How Often?
According to the American Optometric Association, comprehensive eye examinations should take place on the following schedule—more often if the patient is at risk for vision problems due to health-related conditions:
Birth through age 2 | At 6 to 12 months |
Ages 3 through 5 | At least once between 3 and 5 years of age |
Ages 6 through 17 | Before first grade and annually thereafter |
Ages 18 through 64 | At least every two years |
Ages 65 and older | Annually |
For more information about eye surgery at Clara Maass Medical Center, call 973-450-2000.