By Jennifer Lawinski Apr 30th 2010
A ground-breaking, non-surgical procedure has been shown to restore sight to people with certain degenerative eye conditions.
It even restored the sight of an Olympic gold medalist.
Olympian Steve Holcomb, whose four-man bobsled team -- nicknamed "Night Train" -- broke the U.S. team's 62-year gold medal dry spell, may be the only American Olympian in history to have a medical procedure named for him.
And it was that very procedure -- used to treat a condition called keratoconus, which weakens the cornea -- which gave Holcomb the ability to compete in the first place.
Holcomb officially retired from the U.S. Bobsled Team in June 2007 when his vision deteriorated to the point of virtual blindness, and he didn't want to risk the team's safety by continuing to compete.
The team, however, wanted Holcomb back.
Cornea transplants would have been out of the question if Holcomb were to return to the team. The surgery requires too much recovery time and the transplant would have been too delicate to allow Holcomb to return to the bumpy bobsled track.
That's when the team found Beverly Hills eye surgeon Brian Boxer Wachler, M.D., of the Boxer Wachler Vision Institute.
"They wanted to do what they could and see if there were any options to help restore his vision so that he could continue driving again," Boxer Wachler told AOL Health. "His team doctor had researched alternative treatments all over the world and ... that was how they found me in December of 2007."
Boxer Wachler had developed a procedure he called C-3R, a non-invasive treatment using vitamin applications and light to strengthen the cornea. Three months after the C-3R procedure Boxer Wachler also implanted insertable contact lenses in Holcomb's eyes to correct nearsightedness and further improve his vision.
After one C-3R treatment 99 percent of patients have restored vision, Boxer Wachler said. For that 1 percent, a second procedure often does the trick.
Holcomb's story -- and the positive response from people around the world -- led Boxer Wachler to rename the procedure the Holcomb C-3R in honor of the Olympian.
"We each, during and after the Olympics, have literally received thousands of emails and cards and Facebook messages from people all over the world telling us how inspired they are, how moved they are, hearing about this. It seems like a miracle to a lot of people," Boxer Wachler said.
For example, in the days after the Olympics, an article on Holcomb and his vision posted by the Dallas Morning News drew comments from readers who were grateful to learn of the procedure.
"Thank you for this article ... it may be an answer for my sister who is trying to save her eye sight as she has the same condition," wrote Margie McKinley.
"It's been very humbling for both Steve and me to know that our story has had such an effect on people around the world. I think its not just about bobsledding, it's about people who have challenges in life and showing they can be overcome."
Related:
Vision Problems: Sidestepping Some Common Conditions
Low Vision Evaluation
ONLINE
Showing posts with label vision. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vision. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Friday, February 13, 2009
How To Remove Scratches from Your Glasses
No matter how careful you are with your glasses, you are
probably going to deal with a scratch or two over their
lifetime. While some scratches may not bother you, as they
are out of your line of sight, others create problems with
your vision when they are directly where you need to look.
If you are suffering from scratched lenses, you may be able
to remove them with just items you have around your own
home.
Plastic Versus Glass
One variable to consider when looking for a scratch repair
option is whether your glasses are glass or plastic. Many of
today's lenses are made out of metal plastics, such as
polycarbonate, in order to reduce the risk of breaking.
These lenses also weigh far less than traditional glass
lenses. Many of the scratch repair options work only on
plastic lenses, so if you have glass ones you are going to
struggle to repair the scratch.
For instance, many solutions you can buy to repair scratched
glasses are polymer-based solutions. Polymers and plastics
are both made from carbon, so when you bring them together
they bond with one another, and this can effectively fill in
a crack. These do not work well on glass at all. In fact,
the only likely option you will find to repair a glass lens
that has been scratched is to have it professionally
restored, and the price of purchasing a new lens for your
frames is typically more affordable.
The Toothpaste Method
One way to remove scratches from plastic designer lenses is
to use toothpaste and a soft, non-abrasive cloth. Get a
regular toothpaste, not one with whitening and other fancy
aspects to it, and then rub it on the lens in small circles
using the soft cloth. Spend about 10 seconds rubbing the
toothpaste on the scratched lens. Then, use water and a new
soft cloth to remove the toothpaste.
This does not always work the first time. If you still
notice the scratch, repeat the process again. Keep in mind
that glasses that have a coating on them will be harder to
treat in this manner. You will have to use the toothpaste to
rub off all of the coating, so you may wish to bypass this
option on your next pair of glasses, as they also will
likely get scratched.
Using Jewelers Rouge
Jewelers rouge is another product you might be able to use
to remove scratches from your glasses. Choose a low abrasive
jewelers rouge. Then, make a mix using two ounces of ammonia
and two quarts of water. This is more of the mixture than
you will need, but these measurements ensure that you get
the right ratio. Use a polishing cloth to first apply the
jewelers rouge to the scratch in a circular motion. Buff the
glasses for a while until the scratch becomes less visible.
Then, don some protective glasses and rubber gloves, and use
the ammonia mixture to clean the glass using a soft sponge.
When you are done, dry the lens completely using a
lint-free, scratch-free cloth.
Final Considerations
While your designer glasses may have been expensive, part of
this expense goes towards the purchase of the frames and
having the glasses fitted. You may find that simply
replacing the scratched lens is more affordable than you
think.
If you attempt to use any of these methods to repair your
scratched lens, you need to know that they could end up
damaging your lens if you do them improperly, so do so at
your own risk. Often lenses are coated for various reasons,
including glare reduction and scratch protection, and
attempting to fix a scratch will almost always damage this
coating. However, if the cost of replacing your lens is out
of reach, you may wish to try to repair the scratch
yourself, but understand the risk if you do.
probably going to deal with a scratch or two over their
lifetime. While some scratches may not bother you, as they
are out of your line of sight, others create problems with
your vision when they are directly where you need to look.
If you are suffering from scratched lenses, you may be able
to remove them with just items you have around your own
home.
Plastic Versus Glass
One variable to consider when looking for a scratch repair
option is whether your glasses are glass or plastic. Many of
today's lenses are made out of metal plastics, such as
polycarbonate, in order to reduce the risk of breaking.
These lenses also weigh far less than traditional glass
lenses. Many of the scratch repair options work only on
plastic lenses, so if you have glass ones you are going to
struggle to repair the scratch.
For instance, many solutions you can buy to repair scratched
glasses are polymer-based solutions. Polymers and plastics
are both made from carbon, so when you bring them together
they bond with one another, and this can effectively fill in
a crack. These do not work well on glass at all. In fact,
the only likely option you will find to repair a glass lens
that has been scratched is to have it professionally
restored, and the price of purchasing a new lens for your
frames is typically more affordable.
The Toothpaste Method
One way to remove scratches from plastic designer lenses is
to use toothpaste and a soft, non-abrasive cloth. Get a
regular toothpaste, not one with whitening and other fancy
aspects to it, and then rub it on the lens in small circles
using the soft cloth. Spend about 10 seconds rubbing the
toothpaste on the scratched lens. Then, use water and a new
soft cloth to remove the toothpaste.
This does not always work the first time. If you still
notice the scratch, repeat the process again. Keep in mind
that glasses that have a coating on them will be harder to
treat in this manner. You will have to use the toothpaste to
rub off all of the coating, so you may wish to bypass this
option on your next pair of glasses, as they also will
likely get scratched.
Using Jewelers Rouge
Jewelers rouge is another product you might be able to use
to remove scratches from your glasses. Choose a low abrasive
jewelers rouge. Then, make a mix using two ounces of ammonia
and two quarts of water. This is more of the mixture than
you will need, but these measurements ensure that you get
the right ratio. Use a polishing cloth to first apply the
jewelers rouge to the scratch in a circular motion. Buff the
glasses for a while until the scratch becomes less visible.
Then, don some protective glasses and rubber gloves, and use
the ammonia mixture to clean the glass using a soft sponge.
When you are done, dry the lens completely using a
lint-free, scratch-free cloth.
Final Considerations
While your designer glasses may have been expensive, part of
this expense goes towards the purchase of the frames and
having the glasses fitted. You may find that simply
replacing the scratched lens is more affordable than you
think.
If you attempt to use any of these methods to repair your
scratched lens, you need to know that they could end up
damaging your lens if you do them improperly, so do so at
your own risk. Often lenses are coated for various reasons,
including glare reduction and scratch protection, and
attempting to fix a scratch will almost always damage this
coating. However, if the cost of replacing your lens is out
of reach, you may wish to try to repair the scratch
yourself, but understand the risk if you do.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
