Photos provided New Vision Eye Center is located at 1055 37th Place in Vero Beach, across from the Indian River Medical Center.
By Fran Foster
If you are having trouble seeing the paradise that is Indian River County, New Vision Eye Center might just be able to give you a better, sharper view.
Located in the heart of Vero Beach’s medical mile on 37th Street, directly across from Indian River Medical Center, the doctors at New Vision provide a variety of different eye care services using state-of-the-art technology. They specialize in procedures for cataracts and glaucoma, and perform LASIK surgeries, to name a few of their services. The practice is devoted entirely to ophthalmology.
The Center uses the finest equipment available, starting with the femtosecond laser called the LenSx. They were the first practice in the area to begin using this technology for cataract surgery in 2012.
Dr. Paul Minotty and Dr. Stephen Tate know a thing or two about eyes. Combined, the two cataract surgeons have performed on more than 50,000 cases. And that doesn’t include Dr. David O’Brien, who has done LASIK surgery on more than 10,000 eyes.
“This is a great field to be a part of, especially with the advancements that are happening year after year,” said Tate. “We are helping more and more people. Take cataract surgery, for example: the results improve year by year. Now in 2016 we have even more advanced equipment, which wasn’t even available five years ago.”
Problem solvers
The Center has multiple units that concentrate on specific problems of the eye. The vision correction group conducts services such as cataract surgery, refractive and retina procedures. Another group focuses on conditions such as detached retinas, glaucoma or macular degeneration.
“What’s really interesting is how they cross over,” said Tate. “With the new technology, I can address the glaucoma but also provide refractive solutions. So not only does the cloudiness go away, but the patient’s eyesight is improved as well.”
When the Center added the Verion high-definition imaging system, they were the first in the state to have it. They currently are the only facility in Vero Beach with this technology.
While others have the LenSx laser for cataract surgery, they do not have the advanced imaging of the Verion system, which helps provide better sight with refraction.
Carol Craft couldn’t be more pleased about choosing New Vision Eye Center. “There are not enough words to explain how happy I am with my surgery. I was treated like a queen and my vision is perfect. I can see both close and at distances.”
Better, easier
One of the biggest headaches for patients undergoing eye surgery is the need to use antibiotic drops prior to and following cataract surgery, in addition to a topical steroid that aids healing.
“The drops can be cumbersome, having to instill two or three types of drops, four times a day, for weeks,” said Tate. “It can be difficult for any patient, young or old, to manage that regimen.”
And the expense of the drops can be just as daunting as the actual surgery, depending on a patient’s insurance coverage.
So the Center now provides “drop-less cataract surgery.” Medication is applied before the patient wakes up from the procedure. This mode of treatment works as well – if not better – than the previous drop regimen and patients don’t have to worry about getting it right.
Laser expert
O’Brien is trained in cornea and refractive surgery. He was an investigator in the studies that led to LASIK’s approval in the United States back in 1997 and has participated in studies for other laser platforms.
New Vision is currently the only practice in Vero Beach to have an excimer laser, a newer technology that has improved the safety and predictability of laser surgery.
The Center is currently rolling out a new treatment for glaucoma using the Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty, a safe and effective treatment used for open-angle glaucoma that may be used as the first line of therapy instead of eye drops or in addition to drops.
The doctors on the New Vision Eye Center team share the common goal of helping patients achieve significant improvements in their vision by providing the latest solutions in ophthalmology at an affordable price.
For more information about the New Vision Eye Center, visit their website at www.newvisioneyecenter.com or call them for an appointment or consultation at 772-257-8700.