Medical Eyecare & Surgery

What is medical eye care?

Medical eye care provided a team of an ophthalmologist and optometrist focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management of eye diseases and complex eye conditions that affect vision and eye health. Medical eye care visits are often prompted by symptoms, abnormal findings on routine eye exams, or the need to monitor chronic eye disease, and they are typically billed through medical insurance rather than vision plans.

Common examples of medical eye conditions treated by ophthalmologists include glaucoma, macular degeneration, and cataracts. Glaucoma involves damage to the optic nerve, often related to elevated eye pressure, and requires ongoing monitoring, prescription eye drops, laser treatment, or surgery to prevent vision loss. Macular degeneration affects the central part of the retina and can impact reading and fine vision, often requiring specialized imaging, lifestyle counseling, and in some cases injectable medications. Cataracts occur when the natural lens of the eye becomes cloudy, leading to blurred or dim vision; treatment includes monitoring early changes and, when appropriate, surgical removal with lens implantation. Of course there are many other more nuanced and less common medical eye conditions that can be diagnosed and require medical management. We have a list of resources from the American Academy of Ophthalmology in the EyeWiki links and EyeSmart links in the Education menu that can be used to review the numerous conditions that can occur in and around your eyes

Medical eye care may also include advanced diagnostic testing, imaging of the retina or optic nerve, medication management, laser procedures, and surgical intervention when needed. The goal of ophthalmologic medical care is not only to address current symptoms, but to protect vision, prevent progression of disease, and preserve eye health over time through comprehensive, medically focused evaluation and treatment. We are here to help evaluate, monitor, and treat to preserve and protect your vision.