At Evergreen Eye Center, we are fully dedicated to preserving and improving sight. We go well beyond vision correction surgery, offering comprehensive vision care for almost any disease or disorder of the eye. We put special emphasis on bringing our patients the most advanced devices, software, and medications. With constant advances in technology, we seek out only the safest and proven effective new eye care equipment. And with both corneal and retinal specialists on our team, we can bring you complete eye care service under one roof. Please read below for more information on the specialized care available at Evergreen Eye Center.
Glaucoma
Did you know that glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world, according to the World Health Organization? In America, this potentially devastating disease affects nearly three million people. Glaucoma is the general term for a group of various eye conditions that can steal your sight, often with no symptoms to warn you. It occurs when a combination of factors, including improper levels of pressure in the eye, cause damage to the optic nerve (the main channel of communication between the eye and the brain) Left untreated, glaucoma can lead to vision impairment and even blindness. While glaucoma can affect anyone at any time, additional risk factors include being over age 35, having diabetes, being of African descent, being nearsighted, using oral or inhaled steroids for other medical conditions, or having other family members with glaucoma. The eye care professionals at Evergreen Eye Center recommend annual vision checkups for all people age 40 and over, even if you are seeing clearly, to catch glaucoma in its earliest stages and offer the best chance for maintaining your vision.
If you are concerned about your glaucoma risk, Evergreen Eye Center offers state-of-the-art detection and management of the disease and a variety of advanced treatments that can halt its progression. During a glaucoma exam, our eye care professionals may employ different kinds of tests to understand how your eye is functioning. We use the computerized GDx test to analyze the nerve fibers of the eye. We may also use the Humphry visual field analyzer device, which enables us to understand how well your peripheral vision is working. These glaucoma tests are quick and painless, and do not require your eyes to be dilated.
Should we discover the signs of early or advanced glaucoma, treatment is needed to halt the disease and prevent further vision loss. Usually, the first treatment option for glaucoma is eye drops that lower fluid production in the eye; however, if you have a lung or heart condition, these drops may not be an option for you. Some cases of glaucoma may require surgical treatment such as selective laser trabeculoplasty, or SLT. At Evergreen Eye Center, our eye surgeons are trained experts in this advanced procedure which uses laser light to improve the flow of fluid in the eye and reduce intraocular pressure.
There are a number of different types of glaucoma, some of which show no signs until the advanced stages. The most common type of the disease is open-angle glaucoma, which causes the peripheral vision to slowly deteriorate. Many patients with this type of glaucoma don’t even realize that their vision is changing, but as time passes, the peripheral vision may be reduced to the point where the patient can only see what is straight ahead. Another type of glaucoma is closed-angle, which can present itself with sudden, noticeable symptoms such as headaches, eye pain, and nausea. These attacks can last for several hours, then recede, only to be repeated again. Immediate medical care is needed to prevent irreversible damage to the eye.
To learn more about glaucoma and its detection and treatment, or to schedule a vision exam, please contact Evergreen Eye Center today.
Diabetes & Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetes is an increasingly common disease that can trigger a number of debilitating responses throughout the body, including the eyes. If you are diabetic or pre-diabetic, your pancreas has difficulty producing the insulin that is needed to regulate your blood sugar. Uncontrolled blood sugar levels can damage the blood vessels in they eyes, causing vision loss and eventual blindness. Diabetic retinopathy is a term that encompasses the effect of diabetes on the eyes, which can be divided into two main types: background and proliferative.
Background diabetic retinopathy may occur after several years of being diabetic. Many patients with this type of diabetic retinopathy do not report any visual abnormalities, although some experience symptoms such as floaters, double vision, or blurring. With or without symptoms, however, the disease causes the eye’s retina to become spotted with tiny blood leaks and dilated vessels. This blood and fluid can escape into the main portion of retina and cause swelling. If the swelling remains untreated, further damage to the eye is probable and may even lead to vision loss.
Proliferative diabetic retinopathy is rarer than background retinopathy and can cause a greater degree of vision loss. This condition causes a network of blood vessels to grow over the retina. These vessels tend to bleed easily, damaging the eye tissue and sometimes causing sudden loss of vision, and may even cause the retina to pull away from the eye, a condition called retinal detachment.
The medical team at Evergreen Eye Center offers comprehensive care for both types of diabetic retinopathy. To help diagnose diabetic retinopathy, we use a common procedure called fluorescein angiography, where a harmless dye is injected into the body. Normal blood flow will eventually cause the dye to reach the retina. At this point, we will use a special device called a digital fundus camera to take a high-resolution photograph of the retina and understand if or how any blood leakage caused by diabetic retinopathy is occurring.
Treatment options for diabetic retinopathy can include laser surgery to regress or ablate leaking vessels. For more advanced cases where vessel rupture has occurred, surgical blood removal and repair of the retina may also be necessary to prepare the eye for a laser procedure called pan-retinal photocoagulation, which seals the retina and stops vessels from growing and leaking.
Diabetic retinopathy is a serious medical condition that requires comprehensive, specialized treatment by a trained eye care professional. You can trust the dedicated team at Evergreen Eye Center to help you keep your eyes healthy and safe.
Macular Degeneration
Macular degeneration is typically an age-related disease affecting millions of people age 65 or older. As the body ages, the structures within the eye are less able to respond to changes in the visual environment. When these changes occur to the macula – the portion of the retina that produces sharp, clear vision – macular degeneration may occur, and the patient begins to notice a loss of central vision.
Two subcategories of macular degeneration are wet and dry. Dry macular degeneration, the more common form, is the early stage of the disease where the thinning and aging of the macula lead to excess pigment formation that leaves tiny deposits, called drusen, in the tissues of the eye. If dry macular degeneration is undiagnosed and untreated, wet macular degeneration may subsequently develop. It occurs as the body responds to the dry macular degeneration by forming a new network of blood vessels in the eyes. As these vessels grow, blood and fluid may leak out into the eye and damage the retinal cells that respond to light. As these cells become damaged and eventually die, the patient notices blind spots in the central vision.
Because the progression of macular degeneration is usually slow, and noticeable symptoms may not occur until the later stages, regular vision exams are the best way to detect the disease. To better serve our patients, Evergreen Eye Center has a retina and macular degeneration specialist, Dr. Linda Day, on our eye care team. While there is currently no cure for this disease, Dr. Day and the other experienced members of our team use the most innovative and advanced technologies to manage the condition and delay any further vision loss.
Evergreen Eye Center offers fluorescein angiography and digital photography of the fundus (the back of the eye), which aids in the diagnosis of the disease and helps us understand its progression over time. If dry macular degeneration does progress to wet macular degeneration, our team can implement a number of effective treatments to stop the abnormal growth of blood vessels. We may recommend treatment with FDA-approved medications such as Macugen®, or a procedure called photodynamic therapy, or PDT. PDT combines photosensitive dye with a low-intensity laser, which precisely treats the damaged areas without harming the adjoining healthy tissue.
Today, there are many specialized treatments available for macular degeneration. Early diagnosis can help you keep your vision longer than ever before. Please contact us today for more information, or to schedule an evaluation with our skilled and knowledgeable retinal specialist, Dr. Linda Day.
Corneal Transplants
At Evergreen Eye Center, we strive to combine the latest in innovative technology with thorough, compassionate care. If you are suffering from vision loss due to injury, infection, scarring, congenital defect, including conditions such as keratoconus or Fuchs’ dystrophy, a corneal transplant may help to restore your sight – and your quality of life.
We are proud to have Dr. Gary W. Chung, a renowned corneal specialist, on staff at Evergreen Eye Center. Dr. Chung is an expert in the field of cornea transplants, with a superior level of experience and expertise in this extremely specialized procedure.
Corneal transplantation is a surgical procedure that replaces a damaged or malfunctioning cornea with a healthy one provided by an organ donor. A portion of the patient’s existing cornea is removed to prepare a “bed” for the new tissue, which is held in place with tiny, super-fine stitches. A cornea transplant may be combined with other eye procedures such as cataract removal with intraocular lenses.
Before undergoing a cornea transplant, every attempt will be made to ensure that the other structures of the eye are functioning properly so that visual improvement is likely after surgery. Because there is no blood flow to the cornea, healing and vision improvement after surgery can take several months.
Corneal transplantation can be an outstanding and life-altering procedure. If you are suffering from cornea-related vision loss, please contact Evergreen Eye Center today for a consultation with Dr. Chung.
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Federal Way Office
34719 6th Avenue South
Federal Way, Washington 98003
Ph: (206) 212-2100 (Seattle)
Ph: (253) 927-5646 (Tacoma)
Fx: (206) 212-2175
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Auburn Office
1101 Harvey Road
Auburn, Washington 98002
Ph: (253) 833-3000
Fx: (253) 833-0212
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Burien location:
14031 Ambaum Blvd SW
Burien, Washington 98166
Ph: (206) 244-2398
Fx: (206) 244-4550
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Enumclaw Office
2820 Griffin Avenue Suite 101
Enumclaw, Washington 98022
Ph: (253) 927-5646
Fx: (206) 212-2175
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