Houston LASIK surgery is an outpatient surgical procedure that improves vision for patients who wear corrective lenses. The procedure, which takes only a few minutes to complete, has become very effective in treating nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism and continues to grow in popularity.

One of the foremost questions for many patients is, what are the various circumstances in which this type of procedure will be covered by insurance? In short, the procedure is not covered by medical insurance because it is not considered to be medically necessary. However, some vision plans may offer a small discount on LASIK. You can also pay for LASIK through a Flex Spending Account in which you can save your money tax-free for various medical expenses.

What makes LASIK surgery an elective surgery?

The rationale is that if the patient is able to wear corrective lenses to improve their vision, the Houston LASIK surgery should be paid for out-of-pocket.

How do I know if I have a vision plan?

If you are not sure whether you have a vision plan as a part of your medical insurance, call your medical insurance carrier and ask.

How do I know whether part of the procedure is covered under my vision plan?

There are several ways one can go about verifying coverage for this procedure. The person can inquire directly with the vision plan and ask about coverage. Conducting a policy review with Benefits Coordinator of an employer is another way to research the specifics of a plan. At your free LASIK consultation, you can also ask the refractive counselor whether your vision plan offers any discount on your LASIK procedure.

What if I don’t have a vision plan or my vision plan does not offer a discount on LASIK?

Whether or not you have a vision plan that provides a discount on LASIK, Berkeley Eye Center offers a variety of payment options that can help make this procedure an easy-to-afford option for you. Financing is available for 24 months with no interest through Care Credit and Berkeley Eye Center.

Through an employer, a person may also have access to a flexible spending account that would allow one to set aside pre-tax dollars each pay period to pay for various medical expenses, including LASIK. Many patients choose to pay for their LASIK through their Flex account to take advantage of the tax-savings.

Berkeley Eye Center also accepts major credit cards. If you pay by cash, check or money order, you will receive a 5% discount.

Call 713-526-3937 today to schedule a free LASIK consultation or request an appointment online!

Since 1999, the doctors of the Berkeley Caplan Laser Center have enjoyed improving the vision of Corpus Christi area residents through laser vision correction. Over the years, many of our patients have communicated to us the hope that we would provide additional eye care services.

We are excited to announce that Berkeley Eye and Laser Center, Corpus Christi (formerly Berkeley Caplan Laser Center) expanded to become a full service ophthalmology clinic on May 1, 2012.

We can now provide for your entire family’s medical eye care needs. The ophthalmology clinic is conveniently located within our current laser center location at 5350 South Staples, Suite 318, and is equipped with the latest in diagnostic equipment.

Corpus Christi Native Dr. Adam Spengler Returns Home

We are also excited to welcome Adam L. Spengler, M.D., a Corpus Christi native, as the primary ophthalmologist/surgeon at Berkeley Eye and Laser Center, Corpus Christi.

The expanded clinic will offer a full compliment of ophthalmology services including medical, glaucoma, cataract, and diabetic eye exams. Dr. Spengler performs cataract surgery, lens implant surgery, implantable contact lens (ICL) procedures, as well as LASIK laser vision correction.

We accept most insurances. To schedule an appointment at Berkeley Eye and Laser Center, Corpus Christi, please call 361-992-1060 or request an appointment online. We look forward to providing for all your eye care needs at the new Berkeley Eye and Laser Center, Corpus Christi!

April is National Youth Sports Safety Month, a time to spotlight the importance of keeping our children safe while they pursue fun and healthy physical activities. While this may bring to mind avoiding broken bones and pulled muscles, eye injuries are also a common and preventable part of youth sports.

Consider these facts about eye injuries among children playing sports:

• There are more than 100,000 sports-related eye injuries each year.
• Eye injuries are the leading cause of blindness in children.
• Children younger than 15 years old account for 43 percent of ALL sports and recreational eye injuries.

And, perhaps the most important fact of all: 90 percent of sports-related injuries can be prevented by using protective eyewear.

Contact the Houston optical leaders at Berkeley Eye Center today to schedule an eye exam and find the right protective eyewear for your child.  Click here to find a location near you!

The term “cataract” refers to a condition in which the naturally clear lens of the eye gradually becomes clouded and opaque. Proteins in the eye’s natural lens clump together to form these cloudy areas, which interfere with light passing through the eye’s lens to the retina.

Cataracts usually occur in both eyes, but they often form at different rates. Common symptoms may include light sensitivity, blurred or fuzzy vision and poor contrast. Patients with progressed cataracts often describe the condition as if they’re looking through a waterfall or a piece of wax paper.

Patients with Houston cataracts should know that cataracts can lead to major vision loss if left untreated. Cataract surgery, which is performed more than two million times each year, is necessary for patients who have experienced loss of vision as a direct result of cataract development. Cataracts can affect people of all ages, although they occur the most often in people aged 65 and up.

There are a number of possible causes of this condition, including the following:

• Age
• Eye trauma
• Heredity
• Diabetes
• Some medications including long-term use of oral steroids
• Ultraviolet radiation
• Smoking
• Glaucoma
• Certain metabolic conditions

Age a Leading Factor In Cataracts

Age is the most common cause of cataract development. In fact, 50 percent of people over the age of 60 suffer from cataract development, and almost everyone will develop cataracts at some point as they age. The possible underlying causes of age-related cataracts that researchers are studying include the presence of oxygen-free radicals, a decrease in glutathione, UVA and UVB radiation, electromagnetic waves and radiation treatments. Exposure to UVB radiation over a long period of time can change the lens of the eye and cause cataracts, and UVA radiation has been linked to increased oxidation.

Chemotherapy and other radiation treatments used for cancer may also contribute to the development of cataracts. Exposure to low radiation levels from computer screens has not been shown to cause cataracts, but scientists recommend sitting about 1 foot away from them.

Some Medications Can Cause Cataracts

The use of oral corticosteroids, such as prednisone, for a prolonged period of time has been known to cause cataracts. Other medications may also contribute to the development of cataracts. On the contrary, the use of statin drugs to treat high cholesterol has actually been associated with a lower risk of developing certain types of cataracts.

Diseases and Injuries Can Be A Factor

Certain systemic diseases can lead to an increased risk of cataract formation. People seeking help for Houston cataracts should keep these underlying causes in mind. People who suffer from a condition known as uveitis, or chronic eye inflammation, also face a much higher risk for developing cataracts. Uveitis usually occurs in people with autoimmune disorders. Diabetics and patients with glaucoma are also much more likely to develop cataracts.

Another contributing factor is trauma to the eye due to injuries. Previous trauma or injuries can cause cataracts in some cases up to 20 years after the event.

If you think you might be suffering from cataracts, the experienced Houston cataract surgeons at Berkeley Eye Center can help. Listen and watch the cataract testimonials from some of our happy patients. Call 713-526-1600 today to schedule your cataract evaluation at Berkeley Eye Center today.

LASIK surgery is a revolutionary procedure that allows people to see clearly without glasses or contacts. After a simple procedure that typically only takes a few minutes to perform, many patients are able to see with stunning clarity. However, LASIK surgery is not for everyone as it cannot cure all vision problems.

Common Vision Problems That Can Be Improved with LASIK

In Houston LASIK procedures are most often performed on individuals who are either nearsighted, farsighted and/or have astigmatism. A person suffering from nearsightedness can commonly see close objects clearly, but requires vision correction for distance. This is the person who can ordinarily read a book or work on a computer without glasses, but is required to have some kind of vision correction when driving a car. When a person is nearsighted, light is not properly reflected off of the retina, causing blurry vision. Some people are nearsighted as a result of eyeballs that are unusually long or a cornea that sits at too steep of an angle. LASIK surgery for such a condition focuses on reshaping the cornea to change the way that light reflects in the eye.

Farsightedness is another common condition for which people may have a LASIK procedure performed. When a person is farsighted, they may have excellent distance vision, but have difficulty trying to read a map in the car or a menu at a restaurant. The culprit in this condition is the shape of the cornea, which causes light to refract improperly. Again, LASIK surgery works to change the shape of the cornea, improving appropriate light refraction.

People whose cornea is shaped more oval than round generally suffer from a condition known as astigmatism. Astigmatism can cause a comprehensive blurriness of vision, but many people who have this condition are also either nearsighted or farsighted. In Houston LASIK procedures can treat both astigmatism and another vision problem in just one procedure.

Less Common Vision Impairments that May Be Treated by LASIK

Presbyopia affects everyone as they age. The eyes’ lenses lose their elasticity over the years. As a result, most adults over the age of 45 experience some degree of this malady. Presbyopia is the reason that so many people must use reading glasses as they get older. Essentially, this condition makes it difficult to focus on objects that are close at hand. Some doctors who specialize in LASIK surgery are developing treatments for presbyopia in which one eye is corrected for close up vision and the other eye is corrected for distance vision. LASIK treatments for this condition are not as common as those for nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism, but as technology improves, it is likely that these procedures will become more prevalent.

Successful LASIK surgery can significantly change the patient’s life. For most patients, after just one procedure, they are able to read, drive, go to movies, play golf, swim and exercise without having to worry about wearing glasses or contacts. Most see improvement directly after the surgery is performed and experience only a minimum of downtime. Because LASIK surgical procedures have been utilized successfully on people with common vision impairments like nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism, it is one of the most well known and respected eye care treatments available.

To find out more about LASIK surgery, schedule a consultation with the experienced surgeons at Berkeley Eye Center today.

According to Prevent Blindness America and the National Eye Institute, more than 3.6 million Americans age 40 and older suffer from visual impairment, including blindness, and 2.3 million of these are women.

Berkeley Eye Center would like to come alongside these two organizations this month to help encourage women to care for the health of their eyes.

As always, we want to encourage women (and men, as well!) to make it a priority to have an annual eye exam. A dilated exam is essential in maintaining the health of your eyes. So in honor of Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month, schedule a routine eye exam if it’s been more than a year and encourage the women in your life to do the same.

March is Save Your Vision Month! Save Your Vision Month is promoted by the American Optometric Association in order to provide awareness of the importance of regular eye exams and maintaining eye health.

Many of us tend to take our good vision for granted and often fail to be proactive about caring for the health of our eyes. Until our vision starts to fade or bother us, it’s easy to put our annual eye exam off another year or fail to be mindful of our eye health altogether.

In honor of Save Your Vision Month, Berkeley Eye Center would like to remind all our readers of the importance of having an annual eye exam in which the doctor not only checks your vision and prescription but also checks the health of your eyes.

We’ll also be sharing a few tips to maintain your eye health and Save Your Vision!

Sun Protection

While many of us wear sunscreen to protect our skin, we often fail to recognize the importance of protecting our eyes.

UV radiation from the sun can damage not only the skin of your eyelids, but also the clear outer parts of the eye-the cornea and conjunctiva. Exposure to UV rays also contribute to certain types of cataracts. Berkeley Eye Center encourages Houstonians to protect their eyes both from sunlight and computer screens. We offer solutions for all your sunglasses needs.

Choosing Sunglasses

Look for sunglasses that block 99% of UVB rays and at least 95% UVA rays. Select a sunglass that sits close to your face and hugs it. This will provide maximum protection from damage that can occur from all angles. A dark lens does not mean the lenses have ultraviolet protection. Look on the label to ensure that your sunglasses provide this protection before making a purchase.

Protect your eyes from glare. Whether you’re behind the wheel, swinging a golf club or riding a bike, glare can interfere with your vision and cause eyestrain. Even while wearing a hat you are at risk of ultraviolet radiation reflected off buildings, roadways, water and other surfaces. It is important to wear sunglasses anytime you may be exposed to UV rays or glare.

Computer Eye Wear

How many hours a day do you spend on a computer? Staring at a computer screen for long periods of time may result in a visual stress condition.

If you are suffering from blurry vision, tired eyes, eyestrain, headaches or dry eyes, you may be experiencing Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). CVS is a repetitive visual stress condition recognized by the American Optometric Association. According to the AOA, an estimated 125 million Americans suffer from symptoms related to CVS, and the National Safety Management Society reports that seven out of 10 Americans will experience negative effects related to CVS.

Solutions to CVS

• GUNNAR digital performance eyewear. Specialized tint and coating minimize screen glare and reduce high energy visible light found in typical computing environments to speed visual recovery.

• Essilor Anti-Fatigue Lenses & Essilor Computer Lenses.

• Frequent breaks. Every 20 minutes stare off in the distance 20 feet for 20 seconds.

• Proper lighting to minimize glare and reflections on the monitor.

Visit Berkeley Eye Center to learn about all your sunglass and computer eyewear options. We offer a large selection of prescription and non-prescription eyewear. Call 713-526-1600 to schedule an eye exam or schedule online.

Check out Berkeley Eye Center’s latest video featuring former Marine Sergeant John Boerstler. John contacted Berkeley Eye Center and requested a meeting to present an award to Berkeley Eye Center and Dr. Michael Caplan to thank him for the PRK vision correction procedure he performed on him before being deployed to Afghanistan for Operation Iraqi Freedom.

See below to read the full transcript. View his story here:

Former Marine Sergeant, John Boerstler, credits Dr. Michael Caplan and Berkeley Eye Center for saving his vision.

John underwent PRK vision correction surgery at Berkeley Eye Center in anticipation of being deployed overseas in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. While deployed to Afghanistan, John’s vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device or roadside bomb, severely injuring his right eye. After being medically evacuated and treated, John was able to return to full duty.

Upon his return to the states, John contacted Berkeley Eye Center about presenting an award from the Wounded Warrior Project to Dr. Caplan for not only correcting his vision, but choosing the safest vision correction procedure that was specific to his needs as a marine.

Here is his story…

John: My name is John Boerstler. I served in the marine corp from 1999 to 2007, and I just came back to say “Thank you” to Dr. Caplan and the Berkeley Eye Center for treating me with the PRK surgery in 2004 before I deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom where I was seriously injured in my right eye.

Dr. Caplan: Every patient who comes in wanting refractive surgery is unique and the decision about whether to do surgery and what type of surgery is really specific to their needs. In John’s case, he was about to be deployed and obviously at risk for having some injury to the eyes so it was elected to do a treatment with PRK as opposed to LASIK in case. In case that happened, it would probably be safer for John, and that’s the way it turned out, that he did have an injury, and it ended up being the right decision.

Dr. Caplan: Compared to what John has done the last five or six years my job is actually pretty easy. But you know it does make you feel good to understand that the decisions that we make every single day impact people’s lives, not only right after they have the procedure, but also for years to come, and so it gives you a good feeling to know that the work that we’re doing is really helping change people’s lives.

John: Thank you sir.

Dr. Caplan: Thank you John. Ok, appreciate it.

Thank you, John.

Berkeley Eye Center

Contact Berkeley Eye Center today to discus your laser vision correction options!

February is National AMD (Age-Related Macular Degeneration) /Low Vision Month. Are you familiar with AMD, its symptoms and effects?

In support of this awareness month, we’ll be shedding a little light on Age-Related Macular Degeneration to keep you informed and help you stay healthy.

What is Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)?

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of legal blindness in the United States among people over the age of 65. AMD is the degeneration of the eye’s macula. The macula is the area of the retina responsible for central vision and seeing fine details.

AMD is usually characterized by a slow loss of central vision. People with AMD often first experience a haziness or blurring of their central vision and a decrease in the intensity and clarity of fine detail.

While a person with AMD may not become completely blind, they may experience a gradually increased blurriness or blind spot in their central vision. This may impair their ability to perform everyday activities such as reading or driving.

Dry AMD is the most common form of AMD and is found in approximately 80% of AMD patients. Wet AMD is found in about 20% of AMD patients.

Who is Most at Risk?

Age-Related Macular Degeneration most commonly occurs among people over the age of 60. AMD is more common in females than males and more common among Caucasians than any other race.

Certain factors may increase your chance of developing AMD. These include a family history of macular degeneration, obesity, high blood pressure, smoking cigarettes, high cholesterol, and eating few fruits or vegetables.

If you have a family history of AMD or if you are concerned that you may have AMD, call 713-526-1600 to schedule an appointment at Berkeley Eye Center or schedule online.  Early detection is the key!

Follow the link for  more information on Age-Related Macular Degeneration and preventative measures you can take now.

Looking for the perfect gift this Valentine’s Day? What better gift to give that special someone than the gift of sight? For a limited time only, Berkeley Eye Center is offering LASIK Gift Certificates online for Valentines Day at a discounted price!

Take advantage of our special online offer and simply purchase the surgery online through PayPal for $2,095 per eye plus $100 exam and testing fee. That’s $295 off our current promotional price!

After you purchase the gift certificate through PayPal, you will receive the gift certificate in the mail. If for any reason your loved one is not a candidate for LASIK, we will initiate a refund of your purchase.

Why wait? There’s never been a better time or way to give the gift of sight than by giving your loved one LASIK at Berkeley Eye Center. Click here to purchase your LASIK Gift Certificate now!

Happy Valentine’s Day from Berkeley Eye Center!