by Dr. M | Jan 30, 2018 | Cataracts, Education, Exam, Experience, Floaters, Glasses, Glaucoma, LASIK, Mark Moran, Medical Eye Care, Office, Patient Care, Surgery
Dr. Moran explains about dry eye and tear film.
New Patient Education Screens in the Exam Rooms.
Dr. Moran knows that an informed patient makes the best health care choices, which is why we take the time to make sure that you have all the information you need to make the right choices for you and your family.
As part of our commitment to patient education, we have recently installed education screens in our exam rooms. Dr. Moran’s goal has always been to give patients the information they need to maintain healthy vision. The addition of these screens takes us to the next level in increasing patient understanding.
Patient education at our fingertips!
It’s best to Show & Tell!
Now during your exam, not only can we explain what is happening with your vision, we can show you too! We can choose images and videos to help better explain treatment options. The best part is that these boards are interactive! Dr. Moran can draw and write notes on them to help you better understand your eye health and safety.
Educational topics include:
- Dry Eye
- LASIK & PRK
- Cataracts
- Glaucoma
- Macular Degeneration
- Understanding Vision: Myopia, Hyperopia, Astigmatism & Presbyopia.
And we are doing our part to save trees, too!
With this new technology, we can take the information from the screen and email it directly to you! We also have the ability to print directly from the screen as well.
As always, if you have any questions about caring for your eyes, please ask our staff. We are happy that we can now SHOW & Tell! To schedule your next appointment call or text 610-628-2022.
by Dr. M | Jan 15, 2018 | Education, LASIK, Medical Eye Care, Patient Care, Procedure, Surgery
To help maintain your great vision after LASIK, the use of eye drops is key. A patient recently shared a smartphone alarm app with us that reminds you to use your eye drops regularly!
LASIK surgery is a high-tech procedure that improves your vision in about 20 minutes. The laser application itself takes just seconds.
The Eye Drop Alarm keeps you on track with your medications.
But LASIK is much more than just a quick LASER treatment to the eye. Pre-Operatively, there are multiple exams, measurements, interviews, and calculations.
The Post-Operative period is also important to a successful, stable outcome. We consider the postoperative period to be ONE YEAR.
During this year, Dr. Moran highly recommends that patients use a rigorous schedule of artificial tears. Patients who follow this post-op protocol, do better, heal faster, and have less chance of their vision changing for the worse.
Using eye drops after surgery does a number of things:
- Prevents Infection
- Decreases Inflammation
- Provides Added Moisture
- Aids in Healing
Remembering to take your drops the first week is easy.
Seeing without glasses or contacts is an amazing change. Patients are enthusiastic and stay on top of their drop schedule. As more time passes, patients may not think about their new vision as much. Although the newness of the better vision wears off, the need for drops doesn’t!
Studies have shone that your eyes may need supplemental moisture for more than three months after the surgery. Even though the eyes don’t feel dry, they need the added moisture to maintain quality tear film and to provide the best visual result.
The Eye Drop Alarm smartphone app is a great way to help you keep up with your drop schedule:
Eye Drop Alarm
A patient recently showed us an iPhone app he downloaded (iPhone only at this point, sorry Android users.) The app is free for download, well written, easy to use and comprehensive.
The full description can be found at http://www.eyedropalarm.com/ The app is free and requires no login or personal information. It has a full database of eye drops, even those used for other eye problems like glaucoma.
Special instructions too!
The features are useful and extensive. As seen in the illustration, this app also indicates if the drops need any special instructions, for example, the FML should be shaken before use. Using multiple drops requires you to wait five minutes between each different drop so that the eye can absorb each medicine…the app automatically schedules each drop 5 minutes apart!
If you have an iPhone and have to take drops, we highly recommend EyeDropAlarm. You can download the app by scanning this QR code or through iTunes.
by Dr. M | Jan 8, 2018 | Cost, Education, Exam, LASIK, Mark Moran, Medical Eye Care, Patient Care, Surgery
Dr. Mark Moran has been doing LASIK for almost 20 Years.
I’ve been doing LASIK surgery since the turn of this century, so I keep up on LASIK news. I hadn’t seen deeply discounted LASIK at unbelievable prices in quite a while. But recently, I have started to get emails offering me LASIK at $299 per eye.
As a physician practicing in today’s environment, I have a responsibility to ensure my patients are getting a fair price. When an EpiPen can cost $500, and drug prices can increase from $7.50 to $750 overnight, I must make sure that I consider price options when making recommendations for my patients.
In the past, knowing what it costs to operate a LASER and the cost of performing a safe and accurate LASIK procedure, it was evident that there weren’t many LASIK surgeries being performed at the advertised price of $299. It costs far more than $299 for the doctor to perform LASIK, not to mention the equipment costs for accurate testing and measurements.
I had been told by patients who had investigated the $299 LASIK offer, that the $299 LASIK wasn’t available for them. It seems as though $299 was just the starting price. The cost escalated soon after the consult started. This was second-hand information so I never really got the specific facts until now…
Recently I got an email offer which finally included the “fine print.” I’m going to break it down.
Following is a breakdown of the disclaimer on their low-cost offer:
“Prices based on prescription: up to -1.00 $299,”
The first phrase in the disclaimer is the main reason why so few $299 LASIK procedures are done. A -1.00 prescription is probably about 20/40 vision. You would still be able to drive an automobile both during the day and night. (There are stronger restrictions for nighttime driving.)
The pricing detail continues:
“…-1.25 to -2.0: $1099;
…-2.25 and up as well as all hyperopic and/or greater than -0.50 diopter of astigmatism: $1799.”
Then the other shoe drops. If you have a half of diopter of astigmatism that raises the price to $1799, which is now approaching a reasonable price for a standard LASIK procedure. Seventy percent of all prescriptions written in America have some astigmatism. Which means if there if there is a significant enough prescription that needs correction and one is given, three-quarters of the time it’s going to have astigmatism. The price has now hit the $1800 per eye mark.
“Individual results will vary.”
I got a chuckle from this portion of the disclaimer. Pretty obvious observation.
“Candidacy determined by an independent doctor located within or adjacent to the LASIK Vision Institute’s (LVI) facility. All procedures performed by an independent surgeon. Punctal plugs, assurance plans and other technologies available at additional cost. This offer may not be combined with other offers. Other conditions may apply.”
And then there’s the “additional cost” disclaimer. So even with the maximum quoted price of $1799 there are still add-on charges to consider.
The take-home message: you’re not likely to get LASIK (or do you need LASIK) at $299. There may be small variations in price for LASIK surgery by area doctors, but the costs for procedure tend to be similar.
The smart consumer considering LASIK surgery should be looking for other factors in making their decision. Choose your surgeon based on:
- Level of Experience,
- Successful Patient Outcomes,
- Equipment and Technology Used,
- Patient Satisfaction & Reviews,
- Overall Quality of Care.
caveat emptor.
by Dr. M | Aug 23, 2017 | Cataracts, Exam, Experience, Eye Protection, Eye Safety, Glaucoma, LASIK, Macula, Medical Eye Care, Patient Care, Sun Damage, Surgery, Uncategorized
Ask the expert!
…or as we like to call it, ask our expert, “ASK DR. MORAN”!
Dr. Mark Moran will be featured on 100.7 WLEV’s Morning Show with Selena & Crockett each Thursday on 100.7 WLEV. He is the medical expert on the panel of Lehigh Valley professionals.
Dr. Moran was selected to be a part of “Ask the Experts,” a drive-time feature aired between 8-8:15 am weekdays. Dr. Moran will provide medical expertise on the Thursday edition of this program. He will answer questions about keeping your eyes healthy and getting the most from your vision. The Morning Show’s Kevin Crockett will ask Dr. Moran questions sent in by morning show listeners.
Our expert will answer questions about: 
- LASIK Surgery
- Dry Eyes
- Screen Time Solutions
- Your Risk factors for Eye Diseases
- Your Eyes as You Get Older – Cataracts
Patient education has always been a priority at Moran Eye Associates because Dr. Moran knows that an informed patient makes the best healthcare decisions. We invite you to listen in every Thursday for great advice on eye care.
Have a question?
If you have a question for Dr. Moran, you can send a message to the Morning Show, or email us directly with your question. Of course, we will reply to the emails sent to [email protected]. We will also pass along your inquiry to WLEV, where Crockett might read it on the air!
Mark your calendars, and be sure to listen in to Ask the Experts with Dr. Mark Moran Thursdays at 8 am!
by Dr. M | Jun 20, 2017 | Cataracts, Exam, Medical Eye Care, Patient Care, Surgery
What is a cataract?
Most people over the age of 50 will develop cataracts at some time in their lives.
The good news is that cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure that takes just minutes to perform with a quick recovery time.
How would I know if I have a cataract? A cataract develops gradually, so you may not notice a big change in your vision from one day to the next. A cataract can easily be detected during a routine eye exam. If you are starting to notice any of the following issues, you should make an appointment with Dr. Moran.
- Glare or Halos
- Poor Night Vision
- Cloudy or Blurry Vision –
- Colors Look Faded
- Double Vision in One Eye
Many patients say that after cataract surgery they have the best vision of their lives.
During your cataract surgery, Dr. Moran will remove the cloudy lens of the eye, and replace it with a clear intraocular lens (IOL). When we take your surgery measurements you will have some choices when it comes to the type of lens implant you will have.
An Intraocular Lens is Inserted during cataract surgery to improve your vision.
You can choose:
- A Mono-focal IOL will provide you with one point of focus (like regular eyeglasses)
- A Toric IOL provides one point of focus and corrects your astigmatism.
- A Multi-focal IOL (ReSTOR) allows for a full range of vision – near, intermediate and distance – greatly reducing your need for glasses.
- A Multi-focal IOL (ReSTOR/TORIC) which allows for a full range of vision – near intermediate and distance & corrects your astigmatism.
We will talk to you about your daily life and your visual needs before we schedule your surgery. We will review your lens choice options so that you get the right lens for you. Dr. Moran will use his expertise to help you get the best outcome.
If you have questions about cataracts, contact our office for an appointment. When you are ready for cataract surgery, we will make sure that you have all the information that you need to make the best decisions for you, 610-628-2022.
To learn more go to Cataracts
by Dr. M | Jun 10, 2017 | Donate, Exam, LASIK, Medical Eye Care, Procedure, Surgery
Make a $250 Donation – Get a $1,000 LASIK Credit with our Great Vision – Great Cause program!
Logan’s Heroes Animal Rescue
Dr. Moran is an expert LASIK surgeon who has been improving vision for 20 years. Through the Moran Eye Associates’ Great Vision-Great Cause program, he has found a way to use his surgical skill to benefit both his patients and the community.
Logan’s Heroes supports Veterans
The healing ability of the human-animal relationship is a key focus of this rescue. Logan’s Heroes also focuses on helping local veterans by providing dogs to assist those vets suffering from PTSD. This unique, paired focus provides healing benefits for both the animals and their human companions.
How to start the LASIK process (and benefit Logan’s Heroes Animal Rescue too!):
- Call for a free LASIK consult 610-628-2022.
- If you are a candidate for this procedure, you can save on LASIK with our Great Vision – Great Cause
- Make your tax-deductible $250 donation to Logan’s Heroes.
- You will receive a $1,000 credit* toward LASIK with Dr. Moran.
- Schedule your surgery and apply the savings!
- Receive a thank you and a receipt for your tax-deductible donation.
Adopt Brittany and her friends!
Want to learn more about Logan’s Heroes? Visit their website www.lharinc.com
*Limit one credit per patient. Valid on LASIK procedures scheduled between June 1 and September 30, 2017.
Schedule your FREE LASIK appointment today! Click to Request an Appointment or call us at 610-628-2022.
