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Lake Eye delivers clear close-up vision to the first Raindrop® recipients in Lake County.
Over time, the lens of the eye loses moisture, making the lens less flexible and creating blurred close-up vision, a condition called presbyopia. Presbyopia occurs in everyone eventually, which is why reading glasses are so common among people 40 and older.
For many people, the constant on-off relationship with reading glasses becomes an inconvenient annoyance – for others, it negatively impacts how they perform. “As a nurse, I have to walk and read at multiple distances at the same time – all the prescriptions, forms, charts, etc. created a constant on-off, on-off with my reading glasses,” says Lake County’s very first Raindrop® patient, 39-year-old Dana Gallo. “I tried bifocals but found them to be a challenge with my fast-paced job. Then I heard about Raindrop.”
The FDA-approved Raindrop® vision inlay is a tiny transparent implant about the size of a pinhead that is fitted just beneath the surface of the eye, delivering moisture and nutrients to the lens so it is more flexible and responsive. Composed of about 80% water, the Raindrop® gently reshapes the cornea so it can more easily transition between distances and help restore close-up vision. Lake Eye Board Certified ophthalmologist Dr. Scott Wehrly is the first eye surgeon in Lake County to perform the Raindrop® procedure, and he along with his colleagues, Dr. Scot Holman and Dr. Vinay Gutti, compose the first team in the region qualified to provide it. “This procedure is an amazing advance in the treatment of presbyopia,” says Dr. Wehrly. “This outpatient procedure takes only about 10 minutes and is indicated for people who have adequate distance vision and good overall eye health. For many, it can reduce or eliminate the need for reading glasses.”
Says patient Dana Gallo, “When I heard about the Raindrop procedure, I researched it thoroughly and thought it sounded perfect for me. I saw Dr. Wehrly and he said the overall health of my eyes and good distance vision made me an ideal candidate. I said, ‘Let’s do this!’ The procedure itself was quick. My eyes were photographed and there was some minor prep, and then Dr. Wehrly implanted the Raindrop, which took less than 10 minutes. It was totally painless and I noticed improvement in my close-up vision immediately. The following day I was able to read all the lines on the eye chart. I had surgery on Wednesday and was back to work on Friday.
“As the days passed, my vision kept improving until I was able to reduce the font on my phone to the smallest size. I can read even tiny print now and have stopped using reading glasses altogether. Raindrop has been life-changing!”
Lake Eye not only served Lake County’s first Raindrop® patient, but also its second, Kelly Dennis. “I’m an anesthesia billing consultant, and all the coding and auditing requires that I do a lot of reading. Since I also engage in public speaking, I looked into ways to improve my close-up vision and none, including contact lenses, worked well for me. I researched the Raindrop and this procedure appealed to me, as it is implanted in only one eye, so my distance vision could remain intact. The fact that it’s 80% water and smaller than the eye of a needle made it seem safer than LASIK. And it is easily removed if I don’t like it – that was important to me.
“I met with Dr. Wehrly, who said I was a good candidate for the procedure. Within hours of getting the Raindrop, I could see my Fitbit and read text on my smartphone without glasses. My ability to see details now is just incredible!”
If you have good eye health and clear, uncorrected distance vision, talk to your Lake Eye doctor about whether the Raindrop® vision inlay might be right for you. It may put an end to your on-off relationship with glasses for good.
Lake Eye
352-750-2020
