LTF Eye Clinics

Cataracts

Cataract is the clouding of the natural lens in our eye that can occur for a variety of reasons including age, exposure to sun light, medications, radiation and various other diseases. To some extent cataracts affect all of us as time goes on. Our doctors are experts at diagnosing cataracts and our ophthalmologists are expert surgeons very experienced in the treatment of cataracts. Cataract surgery has advanced greatly in recent decades and we utilize cutting-edge modern techniques with rapid visual recovery and rehabilitation. This also includes the use of sophisticated implants which can correct astigmatism and multifocal implants which can correct both distance and close vision.

Video: Cataracts

Contact Lenses

Our goal is to provide you with your best possible vision in comfortable contact lenses. We also want you to be skilled in insertion and removal of your lenses—and well-informed in the care and handling of your contact lenses. Contact lenses are prescribed by your eye doctor after a careful evaluation. This procedure is called a contact lens evaluation or fitting. (There is a separate charge for this service, in addition to your regular exam fee.) Just like any prescription, your contact lens prescription may be refilled for a limited period of time. In Indiana, by state law, your contact lens prescription expires in one year. For turnkey service, we invite you to work with the eyewear experts in our Optical Shops to fill your prescription. You can select from a broad range of contact lens offerings that may be right for you, and enjoy expert service and education to help you ensure a comfortable and successful contact lens experience.

Corneal Transplants

The cornea is the front clear surface of our eye similar to the window of our eye and it may need to be transplanted or replaced for a variety of reasons; these include an aging or dysfunction of the cells on the back of the cornea, also called Fuch's dystrophy or corneal decompensation, corneal scarring from previous infections, a mis-shapened cornea or keratoconus, and other reasons. Dr. Myron Lewyckyj, our Corneal Transplant specialist, is happy to offer a full range of options for corneal transplantation. I have been fortunate enough to perform over 1,000 transplantation procedures over the years and am happy to be able to offer my patients a procedure with which I have had excellent success.

Diabetes Services

Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in the United States. Every person suffering from diabetes should have an annual eye examination which includes dilation and careful evaluation of their retina for disorders that can occur due to diabetic blood vessel damage. In some instances, it may be necessary for diabetic patients to have laser treatments on their retina, which when applied in a timely fashion can be vision saving. Our doctors are experts at performing diabetic retinopathy examinations. Our opthmalogists are also well qualified to administer laser treatments for diabetic retinopathy. If somebody in your family has diabetes make sure they have their annual eye examinations. Most blindness due to diabetes can be avoided with early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of diabetic retinopathy.

Dry Eyes

Dry eyes are a very common problem that affects many of us in various age groups. Younger people wearing contact lens need a higher level of lubrication in order to comfortably wear their contacts. We all have a decrease in our tear production as time goes on. In addition, we live and work in environments that have a humidity that is less than optimal for the comfort of our eye surfaces. Because of all these reasons, it is very often necessary for people to receive treatments for dry eyes. These treatments can range from the use of artificial lubricating drops, to more sophisticated complex treatments that might involve the utilization of special medications that cause us to produce more tears. Surgical procedures that reposition the eyelids and office procedures where plugs are placed in the puncta (or the opening of the tear drainage ducts) are sometimes needed. Our doctors are well versed in diagnosing and treating dry eye problems and can help you deal with this common but sometimes very difficult condition.

Dry Eye

Dry eyes are a very common problem that affects many of us in various age groups. Younger people wearing contact lens need a higher level of lubrication in order to comfortably wear their contacts. We all have a decrease in our tear production as time goes on. In addition, we live and work in environments that have a humidity that is less than optimal for the comfort of our eye surfaces. Because of all these reasons, it is very often necessary for people to receive treatments for dry eyes. These treatments can range from the use of artificial lubricating drops, to more sophisticated complex treatments that might involve the utilization of special medications that cause us to produce more tears. Surgical procedures that reposition the eyelids and office procedures where plugs are placed in the puncta (or the opening of the tear drainage ducts) are sometimes needed. Our doctors are well versed in diagnosing and treating dry eye problems and can help you deal with this common but sometimes very difficult condition.

Eye Surgery

Our board-certified ophthalmologists apply their broad training and skills to your precise needs. Our eye doctors bring you not only the full expertise you expect from board-certified specialists, but also specialized experience in areas such as corneal transplantation, treatment of glaucoma, cataract surgery, and LASIK vision correction.

Eyelid Surgery

Eyelid surgery or lid lifting procedures can take a variety of different forms. The most common is lifting of the lids to counteract ptosis (eyelid drooping) and dermatochalasis (excessive skin draping over the lids). This can be done for cosmetic improvement or sometimes for medical visual purposes when the eyelids are interfering with peripheral vision. The lower eyelids can also sometimes require adjustment either for the purpose of improving appearance or because the lids are not in good apposition to the surface of the eye, which can cause irritation, dryness, watering and other similar problems. This would include conditions called entropion and ectropion. For more information on how each of our doctors treats these eyelid difficulties you can continue on to read a description of their approach.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in the United States. But the loss of sight from glaucoma is preventable if you get treatment early enough. Glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve. The optic nerve carries the images we see to the brain. Many people know that glaucoma has something to do with pressure inside the eye. The higher the pressure inside the eye, the greater the chance of damage to the optic nerve. The optic nerve is like an electric cable containing a huge number of wires. Glaucoma can damage nerve fiber, causing blind spots to develop. Often, people don't notice these blind areas until much optic nerve damage has already occurred. Early detection and treatment by your ophthalmologist are the keys to preventing optic nerve damage and blindness from glaucoma.

LASIK

LASIK (Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis) is an FDA-approved surgical procedure intended to reduce a person's dependency on glasses or contact lenses. It permanently changes the shape of the cornea, the clear covering of the front of the eye, using a specialized laser. When you trust your eyes to us, we take your trust seriously, dedicating ourselves to your comfort and well-being. Drawing on years of experience from the earliest days of LASIK techniques—and literally thousands of successful LASIK procedures—our board-certified ophthalmologists apply their broad training and skills to your precise needs. Not sure if LASIK is for you? We invite you to try a free LASIK screening to help you decide. There is no exam involved in this preliminary step. We answer your questions and help you become acquainted with the LASIK procedure. Then, if you decide to proceed in determining whether this treatment is right for you, you'll schedule a full exam.

Low Vision

When a patient has lost vision that cannot be restored and their lifestyle is affected by that vision loss, the patient may benefit from vision rehabilitation. This may be a vision loss from 20/50 or worse in the better eye, to being legally blind (20/200 or worse in the better eye or a peripheral loss to less than 20 degrees). If there is still some vision left, either centrally or in the periphery (side vision) the patient can be helped to restore some of their lifestyle with low vision devices. Vision rehabilitation does not restore lost vision. We train the patient to best utilize their remaining vision. Many of the devices used for rehabilitation are for close work. These may include stronger than normal reading glasses or bifocals, hand and stand magnifiers, or electronic devices that magnify print so the patient can read. E readers (Kindle, iPad, Nook, and others) are extremely helpful in this. They can magnify print large enough for the patient to read and can also control the brightness and contrast. The state of Indiana has a bioptic driving law. A bioptic is a telescope that the driver uses to spot objects and read signs that they cannot see with their normal vision. There are specific requirements and training involved, and many patients with vision loss may not qualify for bioptic driving. The requirements are: Patient must have 20/200 or better vision in one eye and be able to see 20/40 with the glasses mounted telescope. The telescope cannot be stronger than 4X. The patient must have side vision that is no less than 120 degrees of visual field, and they must have adequate color vision to see traffic signals.

Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration is a very common eye disease, as we age. It is due to a thinning of some of the layers of our retinal tissues and in some cases can cause visual loss. The most common type of macular degeneration is dry macular degeneration and requires only supportive care with vitamin supplements, and periodic monitoring. Dry macular degeneration can transition into wet degeneration where blood vessels leak underneath the retina and it is imperative to identify these changes rapidly because treatments exist that can reverse this wet degeneration. Our doctors are experts at diagnosing macular degeneration, including using sophisticated diagnostic tools to detect early changes in the type of degeneration. Everybody with macular degeneration should be monitored periodically to assist in preserving their vision.

Meibomianitis (Ocular Rosacea)

Meibomianitis is a very common condition that affects the function of the meibomian oil glands that line the upper and lower eyelids. It is also sometimes called ocular rosacea, although the terminology with the dermatological community has changed over the years in regards to this name. It is also closely related to a condition called "blepharitis" which involves the inflammation and infectious process that stems from tissue around the eyelashes and the superficial skin of the edges of the eyelids. The meibomian glands are designed to produce an oil that coats the surface of our eye. Our tear film has three components: a mucus protein layer, a water layer, and a thin layer of oil that coats the water on the surface. This oil comes from the meibomian glands. If it is missing or improperly formulated, our tears will evaporate very rapidly as there is nothing to prevent the water from completely drying out on the surfaces of our eyes. Meibomianitis is a condition that occurs when the oils that are produced inside our meibomian glands are too thick and over-grow with bacteria that normally reside in those oil glands in smaller numbers. When this happens, the oil glands get inflamed and create an inflammatory condition on the surface of our eyes. An allergic reaction occurs to the bacteria that are over-growing inside these oil glands and our eyes also dry out because of the improper tear film that forms as a consequence. This results in redness of the eyes, itching of the surface of the eyes and eyelid margin, swelling and redness of the eyelid edges, chronic irritation, tearing, and ocular discomfort, and the formation of styes and chalazions. It is often also associated with rosacea in other parts of the face which most commonly include the nose, forehead and cheeks which may show up as fluctuating redness and formation of small pimples in these areas of the skin.

Pediatric Eye Care

The pediatric eye exam is different from an adult eye exam. Our office is designed for children, and all of our doctors use a gentle, caring approach when examining your child. Your child will most likely receive dilating eye drops, which allow Dr. Vasamsetti to most accurately determine your child's need for glasses. These drops take approximately 30 minutes to fully dilate the pupils. Dilated pupils can make patients more sensitive to sunlight. Our office will give each patient sunglasses if you do not bring your own. Dilated pupils can also make vision blurry up close. This will last approximately 6-8 hours following the visit. Dr. Vasamsetti determines your child's prescription using retinoscopy. This involves using a light to determine the prescription power. It does not require a verbal response from patients, and it is an effective tool for preverbal and nonverbal patients.

Pink Eye Treatment

Red eyes can occur due to a variety of different causes. This can vary from something as simple as a broken blood vessel to something as serious and significant as a bacterial infection that can easily lead to blindness and permanent loss of vision. Allergic reactions, other infections, inflammatory conditions and mechanical trauma are only some of the other possible causes. Because so many different underlying causes can produce red eye it is best to seek the good consul of one of our doctors when this condition ensues. They are very adept at a determining the underlying causes and treating these conditions appropriately.

Routine Eye Care

If you wear contact lenses or glasses, your routine eye care includes an exam to check your prescription and make recommendations to help you optimize your vision. Routine eye care may also be part of your ongoing healthcare if you need to monitor conditions such as diabetes-related retinopathy, or macular degeneration, cataracts, or other conditions.

Vitreous Detachment

Our eye is similar to a hollow tennis ball, except that most of the inside of our eye is filled with thick elastic jelly called the "vitreous jelly". This jelly is very thick and elastic when we are a born, but progressively liquefies during the course of our life. At a certain point in our lives, usually sometime in our 50's, that jelly becomes liquefied enough that the entire meshwork of jelly collapses upon itself. When this occurs, we will often see floaters, little spots or strands of semi-translucent, dark shapes that float around in our vision. Because the meshwork of jelly is attached to certain points in our retina, it may tug on the retina in various areas during this process and cause us to see "flashing lights". Flashing light is a phosphene or a mechanical stimulation of the retina caused by the jelly pulling on it that gives us the illusion of seeing a light. It is the same process that occurs if we close our eye and press on the side of our eye with our finger and see a light image. The final step of vitreous detachment often occurs when we make a sudden movement or undergo a bouncing up and down or jostling of our body and this force is transmitted to our eye. Even though this may be the final event that causes the vitreous jelly to detach, it is probably something that would occur sooner or later in almost anybody anyway. When a person has symptoms of vitreous detachment, it is very important that they see their eye doctor in order to have the retina examined. Occasionally a vitreous detachment can tear a piece of the retina. This retinal tear can proceed and progress to become a retinal detachment and even cause complete loss of vision. If the retinal tear is identified, it can be sealed with a laser or treated by other means. If it has already progressed to a detachment, this can be a vision saving process. The appearance of new flashes or floaters is a good reason to come have your eyes examined.

Contact Lens Brands

We currently provide the following contact lenses. Others may be available; please call to find out whether we carry your brand. • Mid South Optical • Bausch & Lomb • Alcon • Cooper Vision • PBH • Vistakon • Specialty Custom

Eyewear Lines

Your options in eyewear lines include major vendors and popular designers, as well as specialty safety glasses, sports glasses, and prescription sunglasses. We also offer a tremendous selection of non-prescription sunglasses. Each of our Optical Shops has several hundred glasses frames available and can order frames from any of the lines listed below. We offer eyeglasses from Marchon, Safilo, Silhouette, Tura, Morel, Modern Optical. Individual glasses lines include: • Bebe • Brendel • Calvin Klein • Carrera • Chesterfield • Dana Buchman • Dragon • Elasta • Emozioni • Flexon • Fossil • Gunnar • Jimmy Choo • Juicy Couture • Kate Spade • Liz Claiborne • Koali • Nautica • Nike • Nine West • Salvatore • Ferragamo • Silhouettte • Silhouette Titan • Ted Baker • Tura • Tura Flex • Vera Wang • LuLu Guinness • Morel • ÖGA • Lightec • Lilly Pulitzer • Kensie

Miraflex Glasses

Miraflex Glasses creates a signature line of Italian made, flexible & safe, plastic frames with no metal parts, making it the safest option for your child’s protective eyewear. At Miraflex, there is no prodigal spending when it comes to your child’s safety. With over 20 years providing quality eyewear, their line of glasses are all BPA free, latex free & hypo-allergenic.

Contact Lense Orders

We are happy to fill your order for contact lenses by phone. We just need to have a copy of your current prescription, which may be refilled for a limited period of time, by state law.

Zeiss DriveSafe Lenses

No matter what type of driving you do, seeing clearly can be challenging for almost any driver. Driving is hazardous enough without also having to worry about your vision. Don’t compromise your safety with eyeglasses that don’t provide the best possible vision on the road. Zeiss, the leader in precision optics for over 165 years, has a new solution for you.

Video: Zeiss DriveSafe Lenses

Zeiss Progressive Precision Plus

Protect your eyes from digital eye strain, in any choice of frame. PhotoFusion by Zeiss Lenses offer excellent vision under all lighting conditions. • Relief from Digital Eye strain. • More comfortable digital device usage. • Compatible with virtually any frame shape or size. • Up to 40% wider fields of view. • Thin and lightweight for maximum comfort. You expect your eyeglass lenses to give you clear vision for every distance and every activity, in the frames you want. But your vision needs have changed - digital devices place new demands on your vision that ordinary lenses don´t account for. As a result, most people are now experiencing symptoms of Digital Eye Strain, including headaches, blurred vision, and tired eyes.

Video: Zeiss Progressive Precision Plus

Zeiss PhotoFusion

PhotoFusion self-tinting lenses darken up to 20% faster and fade back up to two times as fast as previous photochromic lenses offered by Zeiss. No matter how dark or clear they are, PhotoFusion by Zeiss Lenses always block 100% of harmful solar UV rays. Your eyes will not only be comfortable in all lighting conditions, they’ll be fully protected. Available in gray and brown tints.

Zeiss DuraVision Platinum

Zeiss anti-reflective lenses set a new standard for clarity, cleanability and toughness. Clarity in an anti-reflective (AR) lens is measured by the amount of light reflected from the lens surface. The fewer the reflections, the greater the clarity. This means your vision is sharper in high-glare conditions such as driving at night or working on your computer, and others can see your eyes more clearly. Zeiss DuraVision Platinum reduces light reflections by over 20% compared to other anti-reflective lenses¹, giving you maximum clarity, day and night. For a lens to be clear, it needs to be free of scratches. ZEISS DuraVision Platinum is three times tougher on scratches compared to conventional AR lenses, thanks to an integrated system of densely-packed coating layers on the lens surface. In laboratory testing with a dry cloth, DuraVision Platinum still looked new after 600 wipes while previous generations of AR showed significant scratching. No matter how careful you are, your lenses will inevitably be exposed to dirt and smudges. That’s why Zeiss incorporates advanced technology to keep your lenses cleaner, longer. The only thing clearer is no lens at all.

Video: Zeiss DuraVision Platinum

Zeiss DuraVision BlueProtect

Damaging blue-violet light is everywhere. The more you’re exposed to it, the greater your risk of eye damage. Increasingly, health professionals recommend that people of all ages protect their eyes from excessive blue-violet light exposure. Zeiss DuraVision BlueProtect shields your eyes from damaging blue-violet rays, indoors or out. Zeiss DuraVision BlueProtect is specially designed for people who spend a good deal of time in front of their computer, television or tablet, or are frequently exposed to LED and CFL lighting. The advanced light-filtering system of BlueProtect blocks a significant amount of the most harmful blue-violet light. Zeiss DuraVision BlueProtect gives your eyes enhanced protection from potential blue-violet light damage.

Video: Zeiss DuraVision BlueProtect