Jana Faulkner has been coming to Ocala Eye for more than thirty years for all of her eye care needs, and she wouldn’t go anywhere else, nor does she have any plans to do so.
“I can’t say enough about the staff at Ocala Eye,” says Jana. “Everyone is professional. They treat you with the utmost respect and kindness, and it’s a pleasure to have an appointment here.”
A Lifetime of Eye Care
Ocala Eye is the only truly comprehensive eye care practice in North Central Florida where patients do not need to be referred out of town for their specialized eye care problems and the only ophthalmology practice in Marion County where an eye surgeon is always on call, 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
Jana originally came to Ocala Eye for glasses to help her see better. However, due to the natural evolution of her vision over the years, she considered if LASIK laser eye surgery might be a good option to help her restore her clarity of vision and quality of life.
What is LASIK Laser Eye Surgery?
Laser-Assisted in situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) is a procedure that reduces or eliminates the need for eyeglasses or corrective lenses by using a microkeratome blade or a femtosecond laser. It is the most common type of refractive surgery and usually takes about 10 minutes to complete.
LASIK eye surgery is designed to change the shape of the cornea allowing light rays to focus more precisely on the retina rather than at some point just beyond or short of the retina. The goal of LASIK is to produce clearer, sharper visualization by reducing the effects of nearsighted, farsighted, and astigmatism vision.
After consulting with the eye specialists at Ocala Eye and confirming that she was the right candidate for the procedure, Jana decided to go ahead with LASIK eye surgery.
“I started out coming to Ocala Eye because I needed to wear glasses and contact lenses,” says Jana. “The next treatment I had was about 15 years ago. It was LASIK surgery, and I can tell you, it’s a miracle. I highly recommend it to anyone who may need it and is a candidate for it.”
Overcoming Cataracts with Laser Vision Surgery
A cataract is the natural, age-related, clouding of the natural lens of the eye. A mature cataract causes many symptoms, such as:
- Decreased vision
- Glares and halos
- Reduced contrast
- Color vision
Symptoms may occur slowly or rapidly, depending on the progression of the cataract.
If prescription glasses can’t rectify the situation, the only effective treatment for cataracts is surgery. For Jana, when cataracts were detected, laser vision cataract surgery was recommended to help her see perfectly again.
Laser vision cataract surgery is one of the most successful surgical procedures in modern medicine. At the time of laser vision cataract surgery, the natural, cloudy lens (cataract) is removed and a new lens implanted into the eye, where it remains for life.
“Most recently, I had to have cataract surgery,” says Jana. “A lot of people said that I was too young to have cataracts, but I did. And, I can tell you, it was another miracle. I now have 20/15 vision, and it’s amazing.”
Dry Eye Treatment Completes the Continuum of Care
Dry eye is one of the most under-diagnosed ocular diseases, but the most common reason why patients visit their eye care doctor. Dry eye disease is a chronic and progressive condition where the eyes cannot produce sufficient lubrication to maintain the normal health of the ocular surface. This can be due to inadequate production of tear fluid, oil (lipids), or mucus, or a problem with the eye’s mechanical ability to blink or close.
Women are more frequently affected than men, and dry eye is often caused by hormonal changes due to aging and menopause or medical conditions.
“Just last week, I visited The Villages office and had MiBo,” says Jana. “And it was a very pleasant, almost spa-like experience.”
MiBo Thermoflo is a therapeutic medical device that provides safe, affordable, and effective therapy for patients with meibomian gland dysfunction. Continuous heat is applied to the outer skin of the eyelids by a technician using a gentle massage with a hand-held probe. The procedure takes approximately 10-12 minutes per eye.
Grateful for the comprehensive and patient-centered care she receives at Ocala Eye, Jana now looks forward to a life with 20/15 vision free from cataracts and dry eye.
“I know a lot of people like myself suffer from dry eye,” she says. “And hopefully, that’s going to make things a lot better.”
