What we treat

Amblyopia is a decreased vision in one or both eyes due to abnormal development of vision in infancy or childhood. In amblyopia, there may not be an obvious problem of the eye. Vision loss occurs because nerve pathways between the brain and the eye aren’t properly stimulated. The brain “learns” to see only blurry images with the amblyopic eye even when glasses are used. As a result, the brain favors one eye, usually due to poor vision in the other eye. Another word for amblyopia is often “lazy eye.” It is the leading cause of vision loss amongst children.

A cataract is any cloudiness or opacity of the natural lens of the eye, which is normally crystal clear. There are many types of cataracts. Some cataracts are small and do not interfere with vision. Other cataracts are large and cause severe vision loss.

Conjunctivitis or “pink eye” is an inflammation of the conjunctiva or outer lining of the eyeball.  The healthy conjunctiva is white. When the conjunctiva is inflamed, the eyes look pink or red.  Often, there is discharge, which can be watery, or thick and green. Other symptoms may include burning, itching, irritation, or crusting of the eyelashes.

A corneal abrasion is a scratch on the outermost layer of the cornea. The cornea is the clear, dome-shaped part of the front of the eye. You can see the colored part of the eye (iris) and the pupil through the cornea.

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a potentially blinding disease caused by abnormal development of retinal blood vessels in premature infants. The retina is the inner layer of the eye that receives light and turns it into visual messages that are sent to the brain. When a baby is born prematurely, the retinal blood vessels can grow abnormally. Most ROP resolves without causing damage to the retina. When ROP is severe, it can cause the retina to pull away or detach from the wall of the eye and possibly cause blindness. Babies 1250 grams or less and are born before 31 weeks gestation are at highest risk.

Strabismus is any misalignment of the eyes. It is estimated that 4% of the U.S. population has strabismus.

A chalazion (stye) is a localized bump in the eyelid of varying sizes. More than one chalazion can occur in an eyelid at the same time, and both upper and lower eyelids may be affected. A chalazion can occur on one or both eyes.