We changed the way we send out our birthday wishes. Unfortunately, you won’t be receiving our videos any longer but we will be texting you on your birthday. In place, hopefully this cute card will suffice! (credit TokyoMilk) #SiennaEyeDoc
Almost there! The millwork has started to come in! Winter Cabinets (Scott Winter) is responsible for them and Claypoole Group (Chase Claypoole) is responsible for the overall construction. The design group Twenty20Studio (Ramon Gisbert) is responsible for the creative design. #SiennaEyeDoc #WeAreMoving #8800Hwy6 #FlooringNext
I received a pretty interesting email this weekend regarding an online contact lens company that many of you have probably seen pop up on your Facebook feed (according to their email you will soon see them in mainstream media as well) they are called Hubble. I found it interesting and I thought I would share with you my email (the sender’s name has been blacked out) because I need my patients to know and be aware of what these schemes are all about. See the email below:
hubble-would-like-to-refer-our-missouri-city-patients-to-your-office
A snippet from the email is shown below. This is being completely transparent with you and how much these lenses could potentially cost you and how much we could make off selling them. WE are, however, concentrated on the health of the eyes that have been entrusted to us–not making a buck here.
At face value, one might look at this and say, “Wow that’s a cheaper lens,” not me! Immediately, I recognized the material, being that I have been prescribing contact lenses for 15+ years it rang a bell that I decided to dig a little deeper. Check out the facts below (credit http://www.CooperVision.com):
And then a simple Google search of “Vertex Contact Lenses” found:
So, what is the deal here? I’m not going to sit here and implicate but I am going to state facts. It was well known and documented by doctors that private label contact lenses exist. Many lenses are the same and relabeled due to negotiations from corporate buying groups and such. The best thing to ever happen to contact lenses is UPP which stands for Universal Pricing Policy and most contact lens manufacturers are going toward that. What UPP has done is bring everything to same price point and protect patients from getting unauthorized, uncertified contact lenses for the sake of saving a few dollars. On the flip side, some of these online retailers are not obtaining their lenses from the manufacturer and you could be receiving rebranded, inaccurate contact lenses. Contact lens manufacturers like Alcon are now providing a Gold Seal of Authenticity to assure you are receiving the correct lenses for an authorized source.
If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to us!
#SiennaEyeDoc
As promised here are some progress photos of the new space. We anticipate paint and flooring to be going in soon. Things point to being completed around mid-February but the lease isn’t up at the existing space until July. We look forward to providing you better parking at our new place!
#SiennaEyeDoc
This was the before
And now we started to tear up a few things!
We are in the final phases of completion!
This is a common question that I have been asked throughout my entire 15 year career when it comes to dilating the pupil during my examinations. I even created a link on our website long ago (Why Dilate My Eyes) and we have our after dark, late night appointments readily available for patients. Although technologies like the OptoMap have been available as long as I’ve been in practice it does not suffice as a substitute to a dilated eye exam, it is even defined in Texas Optometry Board Law (see (B.) the 4th line) as not even qualifying as part of a complete eye examination. I have become aware that some practices in the area are saying otherwise and also charging additional for this testing. I thought I would post an article from Review of Optometry. This is “doctor talk” and I thought I would highlight a few things for you all to read.
Additionally, dilation of a child is usually one of the most accurate ways to determine their prescription to rule out an latent hyperopia (farsightedness) or over-focusing. As always, I strive to take care of your eyes and ocular health in the most comprehensive way.
the-dilation-dilemma (Steen, J; Review of Optometry; June 2016)
#SiennaEyeDoc
This is an early entry to the blog, as far as mornings go, but fresh on my mind and near to my heart I thought I would share a quick note/experience from last night’s patient care. This is why I do what I do, who could ever orchestrate the events that I detail following?
A mother set out to seek my opinion (as a second one based off a prior visit with another eye doctor) regarding her son’s vision. He plays sports and recently noticed that the vision in one of his eyes was compromised. He was evaluated by another doctor previously and we started our visit with the customary preparation of the patient, taking his vision, asking how long the vision had been like that, if he had noticed worsening with time, etc. It was during this conversation that it was revealed to me that the young man’s father was affected with a condition called keratoconus. This is a chronic, progressive deformity of the cornea that is usually passed down through generations and has some very strong hereditary connections. It is not a terribly common but also not something I would see even on a monthly basis. Upon preliminary evaluation of his visual acuities, it certainly appeared that he was not seeing well in his right eye, and with our technology the initial scan of his prescription surely pointed toward a diagnosis of keratoconus. I immediately ordered a scan of his corneal curvature, called a topography, to verify my initial suspicion. Yes, the scan came back as a classic presentation of keratoconus.
Here’s where things get very interesting. I just happened to have just finished seeing an adult patient who traveled all the way from out of state for me to evaluate his condition a few weeks back. I diagnosed him with keratoconus and suggested a treatment option for him which he accepted and we were finalizing his treatment 10 minutes before I saw the younger patient in the room next door. How does this happen? An existing patient that travels from out of state for me to take care of his condition hanging out after the visit whilst I am examining a new patient (about to deliver the news of a lifelong, progressive, chronic condition) and they happen to have the vision issues–again, how does this happen? Divine intervention? Chance? We were able to get them to connect in the office, have a conversation about the condition and bring a sense of comfort about the new diagnosis. After reflecting on it, doing what I do with passion, integrity and what I was called to do, I believe….
I am forever grateful for the opportunities that this profession has provided me. Not just to take care and spare vision for patients to but to invest and take care of people. I look forward to experiences to touch lives daily, thank you for everyone who has trusted me with their eyes and my clinical judgement.
#SiennaEyeDoc
I decided I would start 2017 off with a blog post on lash extensions only because in 2016 not a week went by without someone asking me about them. I have decided to share publicly what I have been sharing in the examination room to make everyone aware. First off, I am not one to judge, vanity or not, this post is about; 1. the question that everyone has been asking (some may be afraid to ask) and 2. my responsibility as an eye care provider to protect and maintain ocular health. With that, let’s get this started.
I predict that lash extensions are going to be the latest fad, much like tanning salons, to disappear over the next 3-4 years. I have seen the improvements made over the years, we even have one next door to us at the existing office, they look more natural, they are very becoming on most people and the adhesive being used is better than ever before. However, I have difficulty believing, mainly because I have seen it first hand, that the adhesive is coming off before a reapplication (or a fill) is being performed. As with anything that builds up over time this is not healthy. Once again, my job & responsibility is to make sure that the lashes are healthy after all is said and done and that you don’t look back in 5 years and say, “why did I ever do that, now I don’t have any lashes at all?” What I have come to see is that the adhesive (which again is very gentle & the reason why you have to go in every 6 weeks to keep up with these extensions) is not being removed prior to reapplying new extensions, which may cause you to lose your natural lashes. I have had discussions with all the surrounding lash studios about this. They have a responsibility to inspect that prior to reapplying a new “fill.”
I suggest that, for the health of your natural lashes, that a gentle procedure that I have been providing for the past 3 years called BlephEx be performed periodically to clean the lashes from the adhesive. This treatment takes about 10 minutes in the chair, you can drive home and the sensation is merely a tickle to the eyelids/eyelashes. You come away with clean lashes and lids, not like the ones pictured below, and this helps to maintain the health and integrity of them. Finally, there is a pharmaceutical agent available called Latisse that helps lashes grown longer and fuller. This also an option for most.
If you have questions, feel free to contact me at DrGee@GeeEyeCare.com or comment below. Happy New Year!
Dr. Gee
Our official move in date is still yet to be determined but we can’t wait! Please keep checking in! #SiennaEyeDoc
We are practically giving these away. Come get them at 70% off today only! #SiennaEyeDoc. *no insurance applicable* Help us make room for our move!
Yes, we will reveal the big news later today as we move onto 2017 but I should share some of the reasons why the move isn’t happening:
Hang tight for the news later today!
Happy New Year!
#SiennaEyeDoc
Best Eye Doctor in Missouri City/Sienna Plantation 