At Montreal Eye Care Associates, our doctors and staff are fully committed to providing you with quality and personalized care at every stage of your time with us. We appreciate that you will have questions about what will happen before, during and after your surgery, you may view our FAQ section to find answers to the most commonly asked questions.
REFRACTION (CHECKING FOR GLASSES)
We have a certified optometrist who can check to see if you need glasses or if the glasses you are wearing are accurate. We do not sell glasses, so you will be free to go to the optician of your choice with the prescription that you are given.
LASIK
Many people are keen to “get rid” of their glasses and are very interested in having a laser refractive operation (LASIK). Not everyone is able to safely have LASIK.
Dr. Cheema is a fellowship trained cornea specialist who specializes in LASIK. He will analyze your cornea to see if you can safely have LASIK, will advise you as to the best approach and will be the one who performs the laser surgery. In addition, if there are any concerns that you have after the LASIK, Dr. Cheema will continue to follow you. This one on one approach is greatly appreciated by our patients.
GLAUCOMA
Glaucoma is a silent eye disease that can slowly cause you to lose your “side” vision (peripheral vision) if it is not diagnosed and treated. You may have this disease and not even know about it. We will check your eye pressures and your optic nerves to see if you need more tests or if we need to treat you for glaucoma.
Some patients have a type of glaucoma in which the part of the eye that controls the pressure is too narrow to drain out the fluid that the eye forms. We check this part of the eye (the angle) to make sure that it is open enough and to verify if it needs laser surgery. If your angle is too narrow your clinician will schedule you for glaucoma laser surgery.
PUNCTAL PLUGS
Unfortunately for some patients with dry eyes, drops are not enough. If this is the case, our clinicians are able to insert “punctal plugs” which temporarily block your tear duct so your own natural tears stay in your eyes longer. This insertion is performed in the office.
CROSS LINKING FOR CORNEAL DISEASES
There are certain corneal diseases (e.g. keratoconus) that can be managed with a new treatment called corneal cross linking. Dr. Cheema, a fellowship trained corneal specialist, will analyze your cornea to see if you are a candidate for this new treatment. Dr. Cheema can also perform the necessary treatment, which is carried out at the hospital.
CHECKING FOR DIABETES
All of our clinicians check the retinas of our diabetic patients to make sure that there are no vision threatening problems developing. If you are a diabetic and feel that your vision is fine, you may still have a retina problem and not even know it. If this is left untreated it could lead to loss of vision. Therefore all diabetic patients should have their retinas checked annually and more often if a problem develops.
REGULAR EYE EXAMS
All of our clinicians are concerned about the health of your eyes. During your first appointment, your clinician will check if you have an eye problem, determine if you need extra tests or begin treatment (eye drops) if necessary.
CATARACTS AND PREPARING FOR CATARACT SURGERY
Just about everyone over the age of 45 will develop a cataract. However not everyone with a cataract needs surgery. During your examination interview we will check how much your cataract is bothering you, grade your cataract and if necessary schedule you for cataract surgery. If surgery is necessary your surgeon will advise you on the approach to your surgery and on choosing the lens implant that is best or you. All surgery is performed in a McGill affiliated hospital operating room.
MACULAR DEGENERATION
Age-related macular degeneration is a very common disease that causes you to lose the ability to read, drive or see things in the center of your vision. It can either be in the “wet” form or the “dry” form. Your clinician will examine your retina to see if there are any signs of this problem. If macular degeneration is recognized you will either be followed, scheduled for more tests to grade the degeneration or referred to a retinal specialist for treatment.
TEARING
Some patients notice that they do not drain their tears quickly enough and their tears run over their lids. This can result from problems with your eyelids, tear ducts, cornea (front of the eye), etc. Your clinician will analyze why you tear and will direct you to the best treatment.
SECOND OPINIONS FOR LASIK AND CATARACT SURGERY
There are many fine eye care clinicians in our area. However, sometimes when you are faced with having eye surgery, you just want to have a second opinion for reassurance. We welcome you to make an appointment and review your LASIK or cataract surgery with us.
DRY EYES
Many patients who are over the age of 45 notice that their eyes feel dry, scratchy and/or itchy. This can be due to many reasons that range from your eyelid to your cornea (the front of your eye). It may also be due to an allergy. We will look at your eyelids, your tears and your cornea to see what is causing the feeling of dry eyes and prescribe the treatment that is most appropriate for you.
