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JORDAN PYSZ / iFoundMyDoctor.com
Ellen spends most of her time taking care of her grandchildren, gardening, bicycling and traveling. And she can now see clearly while doing so after cataract surgery and the implantation of replacement lenses that were fine-tuned with ultraviolet light.
When Ellen Bernal enrolled at Florida State University, she planned to major in social welfare. But somewhere along the line, an interest in health care was sparked, so she instead pursued a nursing degree at the University of South Florida.
“After graduation, I earned a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham,” Ellen recounts. “I’d been a nurse for years, and certain changes within the profession made it very attractive for me to advance my nursing. I took courses at the University of Tampa and earned a license to be a nurse practitioner.”
Ellen’s career spanned 50 years, including more than 20 as a nurse practitioner. She began with a cardiology practice but later worked for a lung specialist she was well- acquainted with.
“The opportunity came up to work in a pulmonary practice with my husband, who is a pulmonologist,” Ellen reminisces. “We treated people with all kinds of lung disorders, but most of our patients had asthma or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).
“As a nurse practitioner, I routinely saw patients and managed their conditions. I also performed physical exams and prescribed medication, but mostly I did a lot of counseling, and I loved my job.
“I loved taking care of people. I loved spending time with them, teaching them and helping them find new ways to perform their activities of daily living with compromised lung function. It was a very fulfilling job.”
Now retired, Ellen spends most of her time caring for her grandchildren, gardening, bicycling and traveling. But in 2022, her eyesight began showing symptoms of cataracts, a clouding of the lenses that typically results in blurred vision, an increase in the eye’s sensitivity to light and a reduction in the vibrancy of colors.
The result of a breakdown of lens fibers, a clumping of proteins or both, cataracts are treated only through surgical removal of the affected lenses, which are typically replaced with synthetic intraocular lenses (IOLs).
Cataract removal is generally performed on an outpatient basis on one eye at a time, with a week or two between procedures. However, the way Ellen learned this did not sit well with her.
“When I visited the doctor recommended by my ophthalmologist, he immediately started telling me the date for the surgery and how it was going to go,” Ellen says. “He then gave me a prescription for eyedrops to take in the days leading up to the procedure and left the room. I was shocked because there was no real dialogue.
“So, I called my previous ophthalmologist, who had retired, and asked who she would recommend for the surgery. She said I should go to Dr. Berger.”
Replacement Lenses
Craig E. Berger, MD, is a board-certified, fellowship-trained ophthalmic surgeon at Bay Area Eye Institute and a former adjunct assistant professor of ophthalmology at the USF Eye Institute.
“Cataracts develop as part of the aging process,” he informs. “Typically, they become a problem later in life, but they actually begin forming around age 40 and progress at different rates in different people.”
Studies show that more than half of Americans will develop cataracts by age 80, but factors such as diabetes, sun exposure, smoking and family history may accelerate the clouding.
Dr. Berger, who has extensive skill and experience in treating cataracts, notes that IOLs “come in many sizes with a variety of features and benefits.” Primarily they are made to correct refractive issues and produce the best vision possible for patients.
Standard replacement lenses correct distance vision, but patients can also opt for multifocal IOLs that correct distance and either reading or intermediate vision.
Another option is trifocal IOLs. These advanced lenses are designed to improve distance, reading and intermediate vision.
“I also look for astigmatism, which is an imperfection in the cornea that leads to blurry vision,” Dr. Berger points out. “A special IOL called a toric lens is used to correct astigmatism.”
Before recommending an IOL, Dr. Berger reviews the advantages and disadvantages of each option with the patient. He also reviews the patient’s lifestyle to determine the best lens matches.
“I always consider the patient’s activities and hobbies, their type of work and visual requirements,” he maintains. “I encourage patients to take their time and gain a clear understanding of the benefits of each intraocular lens before making a choice. No one lens is ideal for everyone.”
After performing a thorough examination that included looking at the tear film, retina and optic nerve, Dr. Berger recommended the RxSight® Light Adjustable Lens™ for Ellen.
“The unique feature of the RxSight lens is that its shape and focusing characteristics can be adjusted after implantation using an office-based ultraviolet light source,” the doctor explains. “The resulting changes create a highly predictable alteration in the curvature of the lens. The new shape matches the patient’s vision prescription, which is determined before surgery.
“The RxSight can be adjusted up to three times to fine-tune the patient’s distance, intermediate and reading vision. In most cases, patients who receive the RxSight lens become glasses-free after cataract surgery and the adjustments that follow.”
“Amazing” Vision
Dr. Berger performed cataract surgeries on Ellen in December 2022, and she was impressed by the simplicity of the process.
“The surgery was so easy, it was unbelievable,” she enthuses. “It was almost uneventful. I checked in and, before I knew it, I was leaving.
“Dr. Berger gave me specific but very easy instructions after the surgery. Everything went perfectly fine.
“The lens adjustments with the UV light also went very well. It’s amazing how they do that. All I had to do was sit there for a minute or two. It was amazing how easy it was.”
The improvements in Ellen’s eyesight did prove eventful.
“Today, my vision is great,” she delights. “The blurriness is gone, and colors are brilliant. I see really well. It’s amazing.”
-Ellen
Ellen says there is a world of difference between Dr. Berger and the surgeon she went to see initially.
“Dr. Berger is slow, methodical and conscientious,” Ellen reports. “He detected a problem with my eyes that needed to be corrected before surgery – I had very dry eyes. Dr. Berger took time getting my eyes into shape prior to surgery. I initially visited him in August, and my cataract surgery wasn’t until December.
“The first time I met Dr. Berger I felt very confident that he knew what he was doing and was going to make sure that everything was done correctly.
“He’s very knowledgeable, as well as calm and professional. My husband went with me to my appointments, and as a physician he was very impressed by Dr. Berger.
“The entire staff at Bay Area Eye Institute is professional as well. I absolutely recommend Dr. Berger and have already done so to several people.”
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