Devin Prabhakar

Why Divya Prabha!

2012-01-24T00:13:00.000-08:00

Divya Prabha Eye Hospital was founded in 1998 by Prof. Dr. Suseela Prabhakaran and is now an established centre of excellence for people requiring rapid access to ophthalmic treatment. While we offer a wide array of ophthalmic treatments, the Hospital is renowned for being a leading centre for cataract surgery in Kerala. We only do cataract one way, the way we would want it done for our own family members, many of whom we already have. We plan and perform your procedure using the best customized plans with the safest technology available anywhere worldwide to help you achieve your personal best vision.

You might get a discounted fee at some center, but only by agreeing to lesser technology, less surgeon involvement, and much less follow up care. And more importantly, in most cases, your surgeon won’t be the one doing your evaluation, the single most important step to accuracy in treatment!

Evidence shows that if you choose a hospital in which you feel comfortable and confident, you're likely to improve both the result of your treatment and your experience while you're in hospital. You should learn as much as you can about available technologies and about your surgeon in whom you place your trust to take care of your precious sight.

There are many reasons for you to prefer Divya Prabha Eye Hospital. Here are only a few examples of why discerning patients choose Divya Prabha Eye Hospital.

 As a surgeon owned and managed hospital, we are deeply invested in our patient's futures and are unrelenting in our vision to deliver the highest levels of clinical care, innovation and patient satisfaction.

 You will have a very high degree of access to your surgeon. Your surgeon will be intimately involved with your post operative care unlike in the other environments where volume demands require that operating surgeons are almost always operating.

 Our cataract success rates are are higher than the national UK average. Our cataract complication rates are significantly lower than the national average for NHS in UK .

 Previous surveys have shown 1 in 350 cases of endophthalmitis (a serious infection in the eye following surgery) within the NHS in UK; there have been no cases in Divya Prabha Eye Hospital.

 Waiting times with prior appointment is fifteen minutes

 Clinical results comparable to UK and USA

Apart from cataract surgery, we offer a comprehensive range of treatments for eye conditions and are continually introducing new services bringing best practice from around the world.

Divya Prabha Eye Hospital's mission is to make people happy by restoring vision. We will strive to provide a single high standard of eye care consistent with our tradition of excellence. The hospital is dedicated to the protection, preservation and restoration of vision. For children, who have a world to discover and explore, and for adults, who desire to live independently and with dignity, at any age.

LASIK

2011-12-20T05:22:00.000-08:00

What is LASIK:

LASIK (laser in situ keratomileusis) is a relatively safe and effective outpatient laser surgery used to treat short sight, long sight and astigmatism. With LASIK, the ophthalmologist uses a laser to permanently reshape the cornea, the transparent front layer of the eye. This improves the way the eye focuses light rays onto the retina, the light sensitive layer at the back of the eye. LASIK is a quick and often painless procedure, and for the majority of patients, the surgery improves vision and reduces the need for corrective eyewear.

How does LASIK work?

LASIK works by altering the curvature of the cornea. In long sight, the goal of LASIK is to flatten the too-steep cornea; in short sight, a steeper cornea is desired. LASIK can also correct astigmatism by smoothing an irregular cornea into a more regular shape.

Who Is a Good Candidate:

People who can see well with corrective spectacles and whose eyes are otherwise healthy may benefit from LASIK. LASIK allows people to perform most of their everyday tasks without corrective lenses. However, people looking for perfect vision without glasses or contacts run the risk of being disappointed.
Over 90% of people who have LASIK achieve somewhere between 20/20 and 20/40 vision without glasses or contact lenses. A second surgery maybe required for perfect vision. Some people may need to wear glasses for certain activities, such as reading or driving at night.

Individuals that are not deemed good candidates given today’s technology may be able to have the surgery in the future, as technology advances and new techniques are refined.

The ideal candidate includes:

• Over 18 years of age
• Stable glasses or contact lens prescription for at least two years.
• Sufficient corneal thickness.
• Do not suffer from any disease, vision-related or otherwise, that may reduce the effectiveness of the surgery or the patient’s ability to heal properly and quickly.
• Fully informed individuals who have realistic expectation from the procedure.
Candidates should thoroughly discuss the pros and cons of the procedure with their physicians and understand that for most people, the goal of refractive surgery would be the reduction of dependency on glasses and contact lens, not their complete elimination.

How do you prepare for surgery?

It is important for each individual to weigh the benefits, complications, options and alternatives before deciding upon LASIK eye surgery. A good online research and knowledgeable expectations is central to ultimate satisfaction with LASIK procedure.
Patients wearing soft contact lenses are usually instructed to stop wearing them 5 to 21 days before surgery. Patients wearing hard contact lenses should stop wearing them for a minimum of six weeks plus another six weeks for every three years the hard contacts have been worn.

The Procedure

LASIK is performed as an out-patient procedure. The patient will be lying down and the eyes are numbed with a few drops of topical anesthetic. A speculum is placed between the eyelids to keep the eyes open and prevent blinking.
A suction ring is placed on the eye and this prevents the eye from moving. The patient may feel pressure from the eyelid holder and suction ring, similar to a finger pressed firmly on the eyelid. From the time the suction ring is put on the eye until it is removed, the vision will appear dim.
A microkeratome is then used to create a hinged flap of paper-thin corneal tissue. This flap is lifted and folded back. The LASIK laser is preprogrammed with measurements customized to the patient’s eye. The patient will look at a special pinpoint light called a fixation light or target light while the laser sculpts the exposed corneal tissue. After the laser has reshaped the cornea, the surgeon places the flap back into position and smoothes the edges. Within two to three minutes, the flap sticks in position. The actual LASIK surgery usually takes less than five minutes.

After the procedure

• The patient can go home soon after the procedure.
• To help protect your cornea as it heals a transparent shield maybe placed over your eye.
• Eye drops are given to help the eye to heal and to alleviate dryness.
• It may take 3-6 months for the vision to stabilize.

What are the side effects.

LASIK, like any surgery, has risks and complications that. Most complications can be treated without any loss of vision. There is a chance, though extremely small, that the vision will not be as good after the surgery as before, even with glasses or contacts.

Some people experience temporary side effects after LASIK that usually disappear over time. These side effects may include discomfort or pain, hazy or blurry vision, scratchiness, dryness, glare, halos or starbursts around lights, light sensitivity, or small pink or red patches on the white of the eye. In rare situations, these effects may be permanent.

Infection is a small possibility with any surgical procedure, including LASIK. Antibiotics can usually clear up such infections. Rarely, complications during surgery may cause irregularities in the corneal flap, requiring further treatment.

The FDA website on LASIK states: "Before undergoing a refractive procedure, you should carefully weigh the risks and benefits based on your own personal value system, and try to avoid being influenced by friends that have had the procedure or doctors encouraging you to do so."

Micro Phaco

2011-10-09T04:46:00.000-07:00

Till a few decades back cataract surgery used to mean prolonged bed rest and absence from work. Phacoemulsification made cataract surgery very safe with fast recovery. It cut short admission and enabled a day care procedure with minimum disruption in a patient’s life. With the phacomachine we are able to make a small opening of 2.8 mm to extract the 9mm cataract and implant a 6mm intraocular lens. This small opening gave the name “key hole” to the surgery.

As in many things in life, smaller is better, is the dictum in most all surgeries and especially so in eye surgeries. The search for a safer, faster and easier surgery resulted in micro phaco cataract surgery. This has been aptly nicknamed “pinhole surgery” as the incision size was further reduced by 40%.

The main advantage of the much smaller incision is the faster healing and therefore quicker rehabilitation to the patient. Smaller incision means more control to the surgeon during surgery as the wound is more stable. Thus the patients safety and the surgeons comfort level is enhanced.

The surgery is ideally suited for people wanting to start working soon after surgery. As the safety profile is higher patients with higher risk profile like diabetics and nephrology patients should ideally opt for this procedure. This would be the best option for complicated and difficult surgeries.

Microphaco has made the already painless and safe 15 minute phaco procedure into a much faster computer controlled ultra precision surgery. The only disadvantage of Micro Phaco is that it needs sophisticated, computerised, ultrasound machines which can give pulsed power to enable the entire lens to be pulverised and removed by a thin needle.

Though the safety profile is greatly enhanced the procedure has the same complications of phaco surgery a list of which can be found on www.divyaprabha.in

Summer Safety for Children

2011-04-25T02:49:00.001-07:00

In Summer children spend more time outdoors – trips to the beach, cricket and playing in the yard. Research shows that children's eyes can be damaged from sun exposure, just like their skin. This damage may put them at increased risk of developing debilitating eye diseases such as cataracts or macular degeneration as adults. It is important to make sure your children are wearing 100 percent UV blocking sunglasses. Whenever you are outside with children, remember to put a hat and/or sunglasses on them just as you would yourself. Children should be taught at a young age to wear sunglasses and hats to protect their eyes from the sun, so they will grow up with healthy sun protection habits. Keep children out of the sun between peak times -10 a.m. and 2 p.m.-- when the sun’s UV rays are the strongest.

Here are some summertime safety suggestions for children.

Make sure your kids wear sunglasses - Sunglasses for children may be purchased inexpensively. Check for 100 percent UV protection when buying sunglasses: Make sure your sunglasses block 100 percent of UV rays and UV-B rays. Don’t focus on the color or darkness of sunglass lenses: Select sunglasses that block UV rays. The ability to block UV light is not dependent on the price tag. Look for glasses with a polycarbonate lens; children under six may need a pair with straps to keep them in place.

Wear protective eyewear when playing sports. Tens of thousands of sports and recreation-related eye injuries occur each year. The good news is that 90 percent of serious eye injuries are preventable through use of protective eyewear. While helmets are required for many organized sports like cricket, protective eyewear unfortunately is not. For all age groups, sports-related eye injuries occur most frequently in basketball and racquet sports. Sports eye protection should meet the specific requirements of that sport; these requirements are usually established and certified by the sport's governing body and/or the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).

If sand gets in your child's eyes, no rubbing. If a child gets sand blown or thrown into his eyes, an adult should immediately take him to a sink with running water. You should restrain the child from rubbing his eyes, as this can irritate the thin corneal tissue and make symptoms worse. Encourage the child to blink; also crying will help as the tears remove eye irritants. If the child’s eye still bothers him, it is important to seek medical attention from an Eye M.D.

This article reprinted with permission from the American Academy of Ophthalmology's EyeSmart™ campaign (www.geteyesmart.org).

Knowing Your Risks Can Stop the Sneak Thief of Sight

2011-04-25T02:46:00.000-07:00

Glaucoma is a silent illness; most people have no early symptoms or warning signs as their peripheral vision diminishes or blind spots occur. It affects more than 2.3 million Americans age 40 and older. Another 2 million do not know they have the disease. March is Glaucoma Awareness Month, and Divya Prabha Eye Hospital wants to remind people that knowing your risk for the disease can save your sight. If untreated, glaucoma ultimately results in blindness.

“Glaucoma can be a ‘sneak thief’ illness, and currently there is no treatment to restore vision once it’s lost,” said Prof. Dr. Suseela Prabhakaran. “But when we catch glaucoma early and closely monitor and treat people, we can significantly slow its progression and minimize vision loss.”

Those who have a family history of the illness are four to nine times more susceptible. Other glaucoma risk factors include aging, nearsightedness, previous eye injuries, steroid use and health conditions including cardiovascular disorders, diabetes and migraine headache.

For individuals with symptoms of or at risk for eye diseases like glaucoma, the Academy recommends that they see their ophthalmologist to determine how frequently their eyes should be examined. The Academy recommends that those with no symptoms or risk factors for eye disease get a baseline screening at age 40, when the signs of disease and change in vision may start to occur.

About Glaucoma

Glaucoma damages the optic nerve, the part of the eye that carries the images we see to the brain. As glaucoma worsens, cells die in the retina — a special, light-sensitive area of the eye — reducing the optic nerve’s ability to relay visual information to the brain. In the most common form of the disease, open-angle glaucoma, peripheral vision usually narrows, then other blank spots occur in the visual field. Symptoms of the less-common but more acutely dangerous form of the disease, closed-angle glaucoma, include blurred vision, severe eye pain and headache, rainbow-colored halos around lights and nausea and vomiting. Anyone with these symptoms needs to be seen by an Eye M.D. right away.

Living with Glaucoma: It’s all in the Family

2011-04-25T02:45:00.000-07:00

Glaucoma remains a leading cause of preventable blindness. It affects more than 2.3 million Americans age 40 and older. Another 2 million do not know they have the disease. January is Glaucoma Awareness Month and knowing your risks for glaucoma can save your sight. Glaucoma can quietly damage the eye and optic nerve even before a person notices vision problems. Such damage cannot be reversed once it occurs.
Top risk factors for glaucoma are:
Age (65 years and older)
Elevated eye pressure
Family history of glaucoma
African, Asian or Latino ethnicity
Related health problems, including diabetes, low blood pressure, migraine headaches
For people of any age with symptoms or risks for eye disease, such as glaucoma, Divya Prabha Eye Hospital recommends seeing an Eye M.D. to decide on eye exam intervals and other needed care. For adults with no signs or risk factors for eye disease, a baseline screening is recommended at age 40—the time when the early stages of age-related eye disorders and vision changes may begin. Based on this screening information, the Eye M.D. will prescribe how often to return for follow-up exams.

Family support from the first diagnosis can make all the difference, as is true for many chronic illnesses. Family members can help an elder set up a medication schedule that fits his or her daily routine and help him or her learn to self-administer eye drops. Empathic listening and companionship are also important, as studies show depressed or isolated patients are less likely to adhere to treatment.

The article is by The American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Summer Safety for Children

2011-04-23T08:34:00.000-07:00

Here are some summertime safety suggestions for children.

This article reprinted with permission from the American Academy of Ophthalmology's EyeSmart™ campaign (www.geteyesmart.org).

Deepavali Fireworks

2011-04-23T08:12:00.000-07:00

Each Deepavali, thousands of people are injured from using consumer fireworks. Of the thousands of fireworks-related injuries each year, nearly half are head-related injuries, with nearly 30 percent of these injuries to the eyes. One-fourth of fireworks eye injuries result in permanent vision loss or blindness.

“Too many Deepavali celebrations are ruined because a child has to be rushed to the emergency room after a fireworks accident,” says Prof. Dr. Suseela Prabhakaran.

Children are the most common victims of firework accidents, with those 15 years old or younger accounting for half of all fireworks eye injuries. For children under the age of five, seemingly innocent sparklers account for one-third of all fireworks injuries. Sparklers can burn at nearly 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, which is hot enough to cause a third-degree burn.

“Among the most serious injuries are abrupt trauma to the eye from bottle rockets,” according to Prof. Dr. Suseela Prabhakaran. The rockets fly erratically, often injuring bystanders. Injuries from bottle rockets can include eyelid lacerations, corneal abrasions, traumatic cataract, retinal detachment, optic nerve damage, rupture of the eyeball, eye muscle damage and complete blindness.

For a safe and healthy Deepavali celebration, Divya Prabha Eye Hospital urges observance of the following tips:

Never let children play with fireworks of any type.
View fireworks from a safe distance: at least 500 feet away for best viewing.
Respect safety barriers set up to allow pyrotechnicians to do their jobs safely.
Leave the lighting of fireworks to trained professionals.
Follow directives given by event ushers or public safety personnel.
If you find unexploded fireworks remains, do not touch them. Immediately contact your local fire or police departments.
If you get an eye injury from fireworks, seek medical help immediately.