Eye Diseases and Disorders Resource Site

Patchless Cataract Surgery :Dapremont Eye Doctor in Gulfport and Biloxi

2008-03-05T14:19:00.001-08:00

Patchless Cataract Surgery :Dapremont Eye Doctor in Gulfport and Biloxi
Cataracts Cannot Grow Back
http://dapremonteyespecialists.blogspot.com/

One of the common misconceptions I hear in my office is the concern by a patient who has previously had cataracts removed that their cataract has grown back. First of all we are all born with lenses in our eyes if we are normal. These lenses are anatomically located in our eyes behind the iris or colored part of our eye inside the eye.The natural lens of the eye is indeed a true lens with a lot of power that allows us to focus our eyes. This lens is made up of tissue which ages as we age much like our hair and our skin. The 60 year old doesn't have hair or skin like a 5 year old because of age. The hair may be gray or non existent in the 60 year old and the skin probably has wrinkles. The lens of the eye develops opacities and becomes discolored with aging changes and these changes are cataract changes by definition and so we say the patient has cataracts. The vision is affected and the patient complains that they don't see as well and that makes sense because the lens they were born with has become cloudy. It is basically the same thing as your windshield on your car getting very dirty and you complain you can't see as well. We go to the car wash and clean our windshield to solve the problem but the cataract has to be removed.So the cataract is a natural normal aging change in most people and we do surgery to remove them.The most common method to remove cataracts is called phacoemulsification. We do not put people to sleep and we use only local IV sedation. We do not use shots in the eye but we only use eye drops for anesthesia. We do not have to put sutures in the eye and the term No Stitch has been commonly used to describe the procedure. We generally never use patches after surgery and the patient goes home without glasses. We do remove the lens of the eye which you were born with and which has become cloudy and which we now call a cataract. The cataract will never grow back because it is gone completely. We do leave a thin membrane in place after cataract removal and this may wrinkle and become cloudy but it is not the cataract. The cloudy thin membrane can be quickly opened with a laser without repeating cataract surgery and this is called a YAG laser. The thin membrane clouds up in about 70% of people at varying times over a five year period.The artificial lens we use to replace the power of the natural lens or cataract that we took out is called an intraocular lens and I will deal with that issue and others in future articles.The cataract is not removed with a laser and it cannot grow back.
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Gulfport Biloxi Eye Doctor-World Glaucoma Day

2008-03-04T03:38:00.001-08:00

Gulfport Biloxi Eye Doctor-World Glaucoma Day
World Glaucoma Day Nationwide March 6

The World Glaucoma Association and the World Glaucoma Patient Association
Is launching the first ever World Glaucoma Day as a joint initiative.
Glaucoma is a progressive chronic disease causing irreversible visual loss in an estimated 4.5 million people globally. The disease is in large part treatable and blindness is preventable or can be controlled in the majority of patients if detected early. The key to prevention of blindness is awareness and that is the goal of this World Glaucoma Day.
Glaucoma is the damage that occurs to the optic nerve at the point it leaves the eye to carry the message to the brain. It is estimated that 50% of people don’t know they have glaucoma and that it is why it is called “sneak thief of sight”.
If patients get their eyes examined on a regular basis and Glaucoma is detected, they can live their lives with all of their vision intact.
There are multiple factors which influence whether or not you get glaucoma including family history, certain diseases, and race sometimes increases ones chances of getting this blinding disease.
The most insidious type of glaucoma is adult-onset or Primary Open Angle Glaucoma which occurs most commonly in people over 40 but can develop at an earlier age especially when certain higher risk factors exist especially family history.
The intraocular pressure in the eye becomes elevated and causes the slow damage to the optic nerve if it is not detected and brought under control. This type of glaucoma does not cause pain and you do not usually know you have it until it has caused significant irreversible damage.
Eye doctors such as Dr. Dapremont at Dapremont Eye Specialists can detect glaucoma at its earliest stage but only if patients come in and get routine eye exams.
Contact your doctor for your eye exam if you have not had one in at least two years. People at risk should have their eyes examined much more frequently.
428 Courthouse Road Gulfport, Ms. 228-896-8050
http://www.dapremont.com

http://www.wgday.net/index.php

Eye Myths Revealed by the Eye Doctor; Dapremont in Gulfport and Biloxi Mississippi

2008-02-27T07:59:00.000-08:00

A patient asked a question today that I hear very commonly. He was 45 years old and is beginning to notice the reading problem called presbyopia that we all experience around that age. He said that he goes to the drugstore and gets him some “cheaters” and he can see fine with them. His question was “If he gets the wrong readers will they cause damage to his eyes?”
Your eyes cannot be damaged by wearing the wrong glasses. You may get a very severe headache but that is completely different from damage your eyes. Generally with over the counter reading glasses, if you can see with them then they are ok for you. Reading glass strength can be estimated according to age but the working distance for each individual can vary tremendously, so sometimes age won’t get it correct. The increase use of computers in the workplace and at home has contributed to the need for reading glasses by more people than ever before. The computer is always blamed for making people’s eyes go bad but that is not the case at all. If you have a sore foot and wear slippers all the time you might never realize you have a problem. The minute you put on regular shoes your foot begins to hurt because the shoe is putting more pressure on the sore foot. The shoe only made you aware of a problem that was already there. The shoe was not the cause of your sore foot.
The computer only makes it more difficult to read comfortably so it makes you aware of the problem but it did not cause damage to your eyes or make you need glasses.
If you never used the computer you wouldn’t know you needed the glasses.
The regular eye exam is important to check for eye disease and problems that might exist that you are not aware of, especially for people over forty.
So get your eyes examined on a regular basis, but in the meantime if you can read okay with those drugstore glasses and you don’t get headaches you are safe.
The wrong glasses will not damage your eyes but do get your regular eye exams.

Nearsighted - No You Are Not Going Blind

2008-02-21T17:49:00.001-08:00

This just means you need glasses or contacts to see clearly in the distance because of the normal shape of your eye. Some people are nearsighted and some people are farsighted and some of both have astigmatism as well. Most of these need corrective lenses to see clearly. All of these people are as normal as the people who do not need glasses at all.
I am over 6 feet 6 inches tall and my older brother is only 5 feet 11 inches tall and my wife is 5 feet 2 inches tall and of course we are all normal.
You can become more nearsighted and need stronger glasses or contacts but when you get the new glasses or contacts you will see just as well as you did with the old pair.
A typical office visit would involve me telling the patient that they are a little more nearsighted than they were on the last visit a year ago. They will say oh no! Is that bad. I tell them getting more nearsighted is perfectly normal and I can see them relax immediately and I realize these people really were worried that something was wrong.
How many people really worry about their childs' shoe size? Not many!
They just go and get some more shoes. Relax and enjoy life.
NO! YOU ARE NOT GOING BLIND! DO GET YOUR REGULAR EYE EXAMS!
Astigmatism Can contacts correct astigmatism?
Only when you are wearing the contacts just like when you are wearing your glasses.
The most important thing to remember is that astigmatism is not an eye disease. Astigmatism is part of your eyeglass or contact prescription. Astigmatism means the front surface of your eye is shaped like a football and is longer in length than in width. The person who does not have astigmatism has an eye shaped like a basketball or a soccer ball and is equal in all dimensions. The football shaped eye changes the shape of what you see and that is why we correct it with glasses or contacts.
Astigmatism and nearsightedness can only be fixed permanently by surgery. Your contacts or glasses will not stop your eyes from changing as you grow. If you wear cement shoes your foot is still going to grow. Every body knows that their childs' feet will get bigger. They just go buy larger size shoes. The only thing they worry about is how much it will cost. Astigmatism and other eyeglass problems are going to change in most children and you just have to go get regular checkups to keep up with the changes.
NO! YOU ARE NOT GOING BLIND! DO GET YOUR REGULAR EYE EXAMS!

No You Are Not Going Blind!

2008-02-21T17:48:00.001-08:00

Everyone's Guide to stop worrying so much about your vision changes.
After 30 years of practicing Ophthalmology, I have noticed some common fears and misconceptions that parents have about their children's eyes and also about their own eyes that cause many hours of real anxiety when they should not. These patients come to their exams and make comments like I know I am going blind or my child is going blind.
It took me a few years to realize that these patients really did believe to some extent they were going blind. If you think you are going blind, that is a terrifying thought. If I were going blind, I would be anxious as well. As an ophthalmologist, I know what real blindness is and it is quite serious and can be devastating if that is really what is happening. Fortunately, the patients I will talk about are NOT GOING BLIND. Parents being parents naturally want to fix the problem so their children won't go blind. These problems will not make children go blind. The rare cases where these problems need medical attention are few and far between. Children need regular annual eye exams to identify the need for glasses or corrective lenses. Failure to correct these problems early in life can cause children to have poor vision and so the eye exams performed in schools for screening are very important. The follow-up with your eye specialist is equally important.
Get the regular eye exams to identify real diseases and to identify those children who need glasses. Once children have the glasses or contacts, regular exams are absolutely necessary. The eyes are going to change and the glasses or contacts will change but the change is normal and do not result in blindness. The change in itself will not make you go blind. Always get your regular eye exams but don't fear the fact that these changes will occur. I emphasize to parents that you can't stop the eyeglass or contact lens changes and those things on their own are not going to cause blindness. Eventually most eyes stop changing. You can't predict accurately when that is going to happen so stop trying. If parents realize the change is not going to hurt their children and they can't control it anymore than they can control shoe size or height, then they can relax a little and each regular eye exam will not cause so much anxiety. The anxiety doesn't come as much from the cost of the glasses or contacts as much as it does from the fear that their child or in a lot of cases the adult patients themselves are going blind. NO! YOU ARE NOT GOING BLIND! DO GET YOUR REGULAR EYE EXAMS!
Contacts are safe and necessary for people who don't want to wear glasses. I will be writing more articles covering these fears that have been carried down for generations.

A Good Gumbo Recipe

2008-02-21T16:52:00.000-08:00

I am going to give you my gumbo recipe. I learned to cook from my mother and grandmother who were born and raised in New Orleans and really knew how to cook. Most of the time, you could not get them to write down their recipes because they used a "pinch" of this and "just enough of that" and "two fingers of water" and so on. This recipe is a combination of both of their recipes which I have added to over the years. My brother cooks his gumbo a little different than mine and like all good cooks; he will tell you his is better.

You need a large pot. I like to use Magnalite brand pots which are what my mother always used for everything. I have cooked gumbo in other types of pots and it still tastes good. The magic of any good Creole dish is the "roux". This is flour which is browned to a rich mahogany color. A lot of people try making the roux while they are cooking the vegetables in the bacon grease. My mother taught me to brown the flour first and then you can add it as you cook your gumbo. The advantage is you don't have to worry about burning all your seasonings and you don't have to watch everything as closely.

She would take a five pound bag of flour and brown it in a flat pan in the oven. This is only good for people who do a lot of cooking and even I don't cook that much. I take a large Teflon frying pan and put in a cup or two of flour and under a medium to high heat slowly brown the flour. I constantly stir the four with a spoon or spatula and it will brown quite nicely in a matter of ten minutes or less. You can get it as brown as you want and if it burns, you have not wasted all your seasoning. Actually there are a lot of gravy and roux mixes on the market now and they work quite well as a roux so you can substitute that if you like. A brand named Tony Chacherie's is a good choice. I buy a large container of gravy mix at Sam's when I am feeling lazy. This would not meet with my mother or grandmother's approval however.

Here is the recipe and Bon Apetit. Creole Gumbo

Recipe shared by Edgar M. Dapremont Jr.

1c. Chopped celery 1 large onion, chopped 1 large green bell pepper, chopped 4 tsp. File (if you can't get this, it will still be a very good gumbo) 2 toes minced or chopped garlic 1 cup of all purpose flour 3/4 cup bacon grease 1 lb. Andouille sausage (a Cajun sausage) - if you can't get this use a good smoked sausage 1 tbsp. Sugar 1/8 cc Tabasco 1/2 teaspoon Tony Chachere's seasoning 3 Qt. Water 6 beef bouillon cubes 4 bay leaves 1/2 tsp. Dried leaf thyme 1(14 1/2-oz.) can stewed tomatoes 1 small can tomato sauce 2 (10oz.) Frozen cut okra, thawed 2 tblsp. White vinegar 1 or 2 lbs. of lump crabmeat 3 lbs. shrimp 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

ROUX: Add flour to 3/4 cup melted bacon grease in large heavy skillet and stir well to blend. Cook this over low medium heat stirring constantly until it becomes a dark mahogany rich brown color. This will take 20 to 30 minutes and it must be watched continuously and you must continue to stir until finished or flour will burn.

Alternate method of preparing Roux: I take the flour and brown it on a high fire while stirring constantly until it is a rich brown. I make the roux by then adding the brown flour to the bacon grease and then I just add the processed vegetables. I use brown flour a lot in gravies and soups so I have a big container of brown flour always available. (My mother browns 5 lbs. of flour in advance in her oven and then keeps it in the freezer for whenever she needs it. Both methods of making a roux work well but you just have to make sure it is good and rich brown.

VEGETABLES: Process the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic in a food processor. Add sausage and the processed ingredients to the roux and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring constantly to saute the vegetables. Set this aside.

BOIL WATER: While preparing the roux and vegetables start the 3 quarts water to boiling in a large Dutch oven or Gumbo pot at least 6 Qt. Size. Add beef bouillon to boiling water to create a beef broth. Combine roux mixture to boiling broth and stir. Reduce heat and add bay leaves, thyme, tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar, salt, Tony's seasoning, and Tabasco to boiling mixture. Simmer on low heat for 1 hour. At the 45 minute mark, add 2 teaspoons file to gumbo and stir.

OKRA: While the gumbo is cooking, cook the okra in a large frying pan with the 2-tablespoon of vinegar for about 15 or 20 minutes. Drain the fat off the okra and set aside.

CRABMEAT, SHRIMP, OKRA: After the gumbo has been cooking for about 1 hour, add crabmeat, shrimp, okra, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for about 45 minutes more after adding these last ingredients. At the end add 2 more teaspoons of file.

Serve over rice.

Comments from Edgar: The gumbo can be frozen or refrigerated and many people like it better the next day. Bon Apetit!

I am a Board Certified Ophthalmologist who has been in practice for 30 years.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Edgar_Dapremont

Contact lenses that change your eye color

2008-02-21T16:51:00.000-08:00

Contact lenses that change your eye color and make a fashion statement are very popular now. Some doctors do not like to recommend them.

Like anything else if you follow safe guidelines you will be ok. I am not a fan of motorcycles and I would not ride one but they are safe when used properly. Wild and crazy contact lenses are okay also but you would never see me wearing them.

The problem is that many people do not use common sense whether it is wearing contacts or riding motorcycles. If you get your regular eye exam and make sure your eyes are healthy it is ok to wear colored and decorative contacts. Children certainly need to have the permission of their parent. These contacts are not to be worn when you are sleeping. If your eye hurts with the contact in, do not wear them because something is wrong. All of this is common sense but unfortunately people who do not use common sense get into problems all the time.

Blindness can result from improper use of contacts. If you have a red eye from a contact then take it out immediately and go see you eye doctor. I have seen some wild and crazy contacts and they are popular among teenagers and some adults. Buying them online is also popular and I am not sure all companies follow the FDA guidelines.

If you common sense and see your eye doctor, you can enjoy those wild and crazy contact lenses.

I am a Board Certified Ophthalmologist who has been in practice for 30 years.

http://www.eyedoctornewsletter.com/page25.html

Explaining Cataracts: A Simple Guide to this Vision Problem

2008-02-21T16:46:00.000-08:00

First, let me explain what a cataract is not. A cataract is not a growth in the sense that most people understand it. It does not get ripe. The ophthalmologist is not going to decide you should have surgery without some input from you. We can't predict 100 percent what your vision is by simply looking at your cataract.Some look pretty bad but the patient actually has good vision. On the other hand, some cataracts look like they really should not be causing problems when in fact the vision is bad. Assuming you have healthy eyes and were not born with a congenital defect or have not had serious eye injuries, it is simply the lens in your eye that you were born with.The natural lens is made up of tissue basically similar to hair and skin. Just as your hair and skin ages and turns gray or wrinkles, your lens changes with age. The change is a discoloration or opacity that causes the lens to get cloudier and more difficult to see through. It is not a growth but rather a natural change in the material that makes up the lens. Just as with hair or skin, this can occur at different ages in different people. Some young people can have cataracts, just like some people prematurely gray.
When is it time to remove your cataract? It needs to be removed when you feel it is affecting your vision and lifestyle and glasses cannot make you see well. It is not "ready" just because it is "ripe" or some doctor says it is ready. If someone tells you to have surgery and you don't feel your vision is that bad, it won't hurt to get a second opinion. If you have a cataract, you will have some complaint about your vision. Remember that a cataract is a normal aging process and you do not need surgery just because you have a cataract. Also, a cataract will not destroy your eye if you don't have surgery immediately. Surgery is an elective procedure and you should decide with help from your ophthalmologist when it is time. If you wait to have your cataract removed, your vision will probably get worse with time. Sometimes your vision doesn't get worse. No one can predict how fast your vision will get worse. Understand however, that the worsening vision is reversible in 99% of people once you get around to having surgery and the cataract is finally removed. Don't rush into surgery because of fear or misconceptions. Ask questions and if you don't get satisfactory answers then I repeat get a second opinion.In future articles, I will talk about the surgery for them. You can also go to my website and find more information about cataracts and your eyes.I am a Board Certified Ophthalmologist who has been in practice for 30 years. You are welcome to visit my website. If you have any problems finding what you are looking for, please use my Site Search.

http://www.eyedoctornewsletter.com

Clearing Up Misconceptions About Vision Problems

2008-02-21T16:44:00.000-08:00

Everyone's Guide to stop worrying so much about your vision changes.After 30 years of practicing Ophthalmology, I have noticed some common fears and misconceptions that parents have about their children's eyes and also about their own eyes that cause many hours of real anxiety when they should not. These patients come to their exams and make comments like I know I am going blind or my child is going blind.It took me a few years to realize that these patients really did believe to some extent they were going blind. If you think you are going blind, that is a terrifying thought. If I were going blind, I would be anxious as well. As an ophthalmologist, I know what real blindness is and it is quite serious and can be devastating if that is really what is happening. Fortunately, the patients I will talk about are NOT GOING BLIND. Parents being parents naturally want to fix the problem so their children won't go blind. These problems will not make children go blind. The rare cases where these problems need medical attention are few and far between. Children need regular annual eye exams to identify the need for glasses or corrective lenses. Failure to correct these problems early in life can cause children to have poor vision and so the eye exams performed in schools for screening are very important. The follow-up with your eye specialist is equally important.Get the regular eye exams to identify real diseases and to identify those children who need glasses. Once children have the glasses or contacts, regular exams are absolutely necessary. The eyes are going to change and the glasses or contacts will change but the change is normal and do not result in blindness. The change in itself will not make you go blind. Always get your regular eye exams but don't fear the fact that these changes will occur. I emphasize to parents that you can't stop the eyeglass or contact lens changes and those things on their own are not going to cause blindness. Eventually most eyes stop changing. You can't predict accurately when that is going to happen so stop trying. If parents realize the change is not going to hurt their children and they can't control it anymore than they can control shoe size or height, then they can relax a little and each regular eye exam will not cause so much anxiety. The anxiety doesn't come as much from the cost of the glasses or contacts as much as it does from the fear that their child or in a lot of cases the adult patients themselves are going blind. NO! YOU ARE NOT GOING BLIND! DO GET YOUR REGULAR EYE EXAMS!Contacts are safe and necessary for people who don't want to wear glasses. I will be writing more articles covering these fears that have been carried down for generations.

The Board Certified Eye Doctor - LASIK by Dapremont in Gulfport

2008-02-21T16:43:00.000-08:00

Edgar M. Dapremont Jr. MD, FAAO,FACS

Born and raised in New Orleans, Dr. Dapremont has practiced ophthalmology on the Mississippi Gulf Coast since 1982. He graduated as Valedictorian from St. Augustine High School in New Orleans in 1965. He attended Tulane University from 1965 to 1969 where he was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society and served as Cadet Colonel Commander of the Air Force ROTC in his senior year. He received the prestigious President's Award as the Outstanding Air Force ROTC Cadet upon graduation. He received his undergraduate degree from Tulane in 1969 as a Cum Laude graduate with a major in Biology and a minor in English. He attended Tulane Medical School from 1969 to 1973 and was a student member of the Admission Committee his Junior and Senior year. In his Senior year of Medical School, he was elected President of his senior class. Dr. Dapremont completed his residency in Ophthalmology at Walter Reed Army Medical Center from 1976 to 1979. He later was staff surgeon and Chief of Ophthalmology at Keesler USAF Medical Center in Biloxi, Ms. He is a Retired USAF Lt. Colonel.Dr. Dapremont practices general ophthalmology and specializes in refractive surgery including LASIK, cataract surgery, and anterior segment surgery. There is a full Service optical shop in the clinic at 428 Courthouse Rd in Gulfport, Ms. 228-896-8050 1 800 530 7540

.www.da premont.co m

Locate Gulfport and Biloxi Eye Doctor for Fashion Eye Glasses and Optical? Dr. Dapremont

2008-02-21T16:39:00.000-08:00

Dapremont Eye Specialists is Conveniently Located at 428 Courthouse Rd in Gulfport, Ms
http://www.dapremont.com

Dapremont Eye Specialists Optical Shop is conveniently located at 428 Courthouse Rd in Gulfport, Ms between Security Square and Courthouse Quarters. If you are familiar with S.F. Almans, we are located right next door. There is a full Service optical shop in the clinic at 428 Courthouse Rd in Gulfport, Ms. 228-896-8050 1 800 530 7540. Our optician can show you the very best in fashion eyewear. Marie is experienced and knowledgeable and will assist you in all aspects of eye wear.Dr. Dapremont is a board certified ophthalmologist and surgeon. Most insurance plans are accepted including Medicare, Medicaid, and Tricare. VSP, Davis Vision and Spectera plans are also accepted. All casino insurance plans are accepted by Dapremont Eye Specialists.Dr. Dapremont practices general ophthalmology and specializes in refractive surgery including LASIK, cataract surgery, and anterior segment surgery. Dr. Dapremont also carries a full line of Obagi skin care products and performs Botox injections.LASIK is performed in the office using the state of the art VISX laser.Dr. Dapremont performs No Stitch, Patchless cataract surgery. The practice offers comprehensive eye exams for all ages.Dr. Dapremont completed his residency in Ophthalmology at Walter Reed Army Medical Center from 1976 to 1979. He later was staff surgeon and Chief of Ophthalmology at Keesler USAF Medical Center in Biloxi, Ms. He is a Retired USAF Lt. Colonel.Our commitment is to excellence in the care of our patients, we are dedicated to caring and individual attention.

http://www.dapremont.com