Brandon clinic offers cutting-edge eye surgery
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 25/03/2017 (3298 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Eye surgery has come along way in recent years, and Brandon ophthalmologist Dr. Guillermo Rocha wants people to know what their options are.
Rocha is hosting a public information seminar at Clarion Hotel & Suites, at 3130 Victoria Ave., on Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
While some people’s perceptions about dry eye, laser surgery, refractive surgery or cataract surgery might have been correct 25 or 30 years ago, options have improved, he said.
Cutting-edge technology is available in Brandon, he said,
noting that his downtown clinic at 144 Sixth St. has the only laser-assisted cataract surgery in a public system in Canada.
Since Rocha’s Ocular Microsurgery & Laser Centre clinic got the laser assist in September 2015, they have undertaken about 1,500 cataract surgeries with the device.
This is only one option available to those with eye-related issues, with technological advancements coming in on a constant basis.
In short, there are an ever-growing list of options available to people, Rocha said.
Even those who are incomparable for laser eye surgery might find a means of saying goodbye to eye glasses and contact lenses, he said.
Intra-ocular contact lenses can be implanted within the eye itself, Rocha said, adding that they can remain in place permanently.
His clinic’s Dry Eye Centre of Excellence offers patients different options to deal with dry eye other than visiting one’s pharmacy and testing different over-the-counter treatment options.
Once there, people can “go to the core of the problem, identify it and properly diagnose it,” he said. “We educate our patients so they can help themselves, and then treat it with something that can be cost-effective but evidence-based in science.”
Like there are many different causes and solutions for dry eye, there are many options and solutions for those with imperfect eyesight.
Not everything works for all people, but it’s best that people know their options, Rocha said.
Educated in Montreal and Florida, Rocha has been a practising ophthalmologist in Brandon since 1998, after being recruited by the local health region.
Although it’s already a busy enough practice, he said that next week’s information seminar remains important as a means of battling misconceptions.
If the seminar proves popular, he plans on hosting more in the future.
Attendance is free, but with limited seating Rocha encourages people
to secure a spot by emailing torreyw@grmc.ca or calling 204-727-1954.
» tclarke@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB