Sarasota Retina Institute Pa

A Neuro-Ophthalmologist is a physician who is trained in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders that involve the eyes and the brain. This includes problems with the muscles of the eye, the optic nerve and its connections to the brain, and the areas of the brain that receive and process visual information.

As Neuro-Ophthalmologists we are often asked to see patients for Double Diplopia (aka vision). The patient can complain of constant or intermittent double vision. It is important to be seen as soon as the Diplopia is noticed since this can be a sign of a medical emergency. It is also important to make sure a trained eye care professional (often a Neuro-Ophthalmologist) evaluates the eyes and to determine the needed workup.

The macula is the central part of the retina, directly in the back of the eye. Light from images are focused on the area, and because of its unique structure, a sharp image is relayed to the brain. Any damage to the macula will result in decreased vision, and one of these conditions is a macular hole.

Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is the most common cause of blindness in the United States of adults, particularly those approaching the age of retirement. Until relatively recently, the cause of ARMD was not entirely known, and it still is not fully understood. However, we now know much more, and understand that the condition is multifactorial, with both environmental and hereditary/genetic components.