Services provided at our office include:
	Comprehensive Eye Examinations		Contact Lenses
	Optical Dispensing		Laser Vision Correction
	Surgery Co-Management		Eye Infections, Eye Injuries, Dry Eyes
	Eye Diseases; Cataracts, Glaucoma, Diabetes		Vision Therapy
	Your Infant's Visual Development		Children's Eye Exams
	Types of Payment Accepted		Insurance Plans
	Facilities and Equipment		Languages Spoken

When we do eye exams, we refuse to cut corners. We always schedule ample time so you will never feel rushed. We provide complete eye care for both adults and children. Our comprehensive eye examinations check your eyes inside and out for glaucoma, cataracts and all other eye diseases as well as high blood pressure, diabetes and other systemic diseases. Your visual skills and abilities are carefully evaluated and we pride ourselves on the accuracy of our eyeglass prescriptions. In spite of our track record for highly accurate prescriptions, there are eyes that can be unstable for reasons ranging from medications to illness. In these rare cases, we will gladly re-examine the patient and remake the glasses.

Technology is rapidly changing the eye care industry. We utilize the latest in diagnostic equipment and are committed to keeping up with whatever advances will come next.

We have been fitting specialty contact lenses for years and have seen some incredible changes in that time. By far the most exciting changes have occurred in the last few years. Although rigid contact lenses are a shrinking segment of the industry, we still have a large number of patients who wear them.

The gas-permeable lens materials available today far surpass those available just a few years ago in terms of eye health and comfort.

Allergies can be particularly annoying to contact lens wearers. In the past many people had to quit wearing their lenses for a month or two during the allergy season. New lens materials and allergy medications have made it possible for these people to eliminate itchy eyes. These medications such as Patanol and Alocril are amazingly effective and safe even in children as young as three.

Our optical laboratory has the latest in equipment to not only fabricate your glasses, but to maintain and repair them should they become broken or damaged. We are able to tint, coat, harden and edge spectacle lenses. We are able to provide you with any frame or lens design available. Our highly qualified optician and staff are able to adjust and fit your glasses to you for extended comfort and vision.

Everyone is talking about LASIK. Here is a brief description of the procedure;

A flap is cut in the cornea and then the flap is gently folded back. An Excimer Laser is used to reshape the cornea, much like a contact lens forms a new shape on the cornea, only the laser is permanent. The flap is then put back in place, acting like a natural bandage.

The "Wow!" effect of Lasik is the very rapid recovery of vision and the decreased level of discomfort post-operatively. You hear from people that they did not feel anything, and could see well the very first day. Most people have functional vision in 24-48 hours. Although this is true in some cases, it must be noted that each person will heal at a different rate. Vision, although greatly improved immediately after surgery, continues to improve for some weeks, even months.

Everyones eyes are different. Even though you may have had a friend who has had LASIK, it does not mean it is right for you. If you are interested in laser vision correction, we will be happy to guide you in picking the right surgeon, procedure and laser appropriate for you. For many of you who are long-term contact lens wearers my pre-operative input can make the difference between an excellent result and a mediocre one.

Post-operatively we can monitor your eyes, and taper medications to arrive at the best possible result. After all, no one knows your eyes better than your optometrist.

Our office provides many of the surgical services such as Cataract surgery, Laser surgery, Refractive surgery and Strabismic surgery. We offer this in conjunction with the hospital and local eye surgeons.

Additionally, we have working arrangements established with other specialized eye care doctors to manage such things are retinal detachments, retinal tears and hemmorhages.

Our office provides emergency services for eye infections and eye injuries. Please call our office at 406-259-2567 during office hours or our emergency number 406-855-7357 after hours or on weekends. Our staff will work with you to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. State of the art microscopes allow us to examine the front surface of the eye and facial areas around the eye for infection or injury. After assessing the extent of the injury or infection a treatment plan will be formulated and explained to you. Treatment may include medications and supportive care. Follow-up visits to monitor your recovery will be scheduled as needed.

Dry Eyes: Symptoms include scratchy eyes, burning, mild redness and gritty feeling eyes. Oral medications, reading, computer tasks and dry environments may aggravate marginally dry eyes. Dry eyes can be diagnosed by using dyes to observe tear patterns, evaluation of the amount of tears on the front of the eye and from review of your symptoms. Treatment may include artificial tears; eye drops for treating allergies; and/or punctal plugs inserted in the tear drainage canals.

Cataracts: The natural lens in the eye gradually becomes less clear as we get older. When opacities develop in the lens and the lens gets too hazy, vision will be impaired. Our office can diagnose and manage cataract care. When the cataract affects the vision to the extent that you cannot read or see distant objects comfortably, we will recommend cataract surgery. Our office co-manages with cataract specialists that are proven experts in cataract surgery. Cataract surgery can provide you with a bright new world of vision.

Glaucoma: Glaucoma gradually destroys the optic nerve tissue in the back of the eye. The greatest danger of glaucoma stems from the fact that the disease is painless and without obvious symptoms until significant damage has occurred. The most common cause is from pressure being too high inside the eye, but vascular disease and other diseases can also cause glaucoma. We always monitor for glaucoma during routine eye examinations. Tests include checking the pressure of the eye, screening for peripheral vision defects and analyzing the appearance of the optic nerve. If you are diagnosed with glaucoma, we typically prescribe medications that lower the eye pressure. Most forms of glaucoma are successfully treated with eye drops. Laser treatments and eye surgery are secondary treatments that offer alternative ways to treat more advanced glaucoma.

Diabetes: Diabetic patients should have a dilated retinal examination each year. Laser treatments have proven to slow the progression of retinal eye disease for many patients. Diabetes often stimulates the growth of new blood vessels in the back of the eye, which ultimately leak and damage the retina. If this condition is discovered early, laser treatment can destroy these vessels. We have the latest instruments used to detect changes in the back of the eye. If we discover advancing diabetic eye disease that can be treated or needs further evaluation, we will refer you for consultation and further testing to a board certified retinal specialist.

Seeing clearly is not enough. For many people, reading and hand-eye coordination tasks can be very difficult. The act of sight not only includes ones eyes, but it also includes the neurological activity that processes the visual information. Throwing a ball or skiing down a hill, is a learned activity; to do either well takes practice. Those who do it best are those who started learning at the earliest age. Sight plays an important role in the learning of these activities. Sight is the steering mechanism; it is the main activity that provides feedback regarding what really is happening. We provide Vision Therapy to help individuals learn how to process visual information and develop better hand-eye coordination skills.

Your baby has a whole lifetime to see and learn. But, did you know your baby also has to learn to see? As a parent, there are many things that you can do to help your baby's vision develop. First, proper prenatal care and nutrition can help your baby's eyes develop even before birth. At birth, your baby's eyes should be examined for signs of congenital eye problems. These are rare, but early diagnosis and treatment are important to your child's development.

At about age six months, you should take your baby to an eye doctor for his or her first thorough eye examination. Things that an eye doctor will test for include excessive or unequal amounts of nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism and eye movement ability as well as eye health problems. These problems are not common, but it is important to identify children who have them at this stage. Vision development and eye health problems can be more easily corrected if treatment is begun early.

Unless you notice a need, or your doctor advises you otherwise, your child's next examination should be around age three, and then again before he or she enters school.

Between birth and age three, when many of your baby's vision skills will develop, there are ways that you can help.

First Four Months

Your baby should begin to follow moving objects with his or her eyes and reach for things, first by chance and later more accurately, as hand-eye coordination and depth perception begin to develop:

* Use a nightlight or other dim lamp in your baby's room

* Change the crib's position frequently and your child's position in it

* Keep reach-and-touch toys within your baby's focus, about eight to 12 inches

* Talk to your baby as you walk around the room

* Alternate right and left sides with each feeding

* Hang a mobile above and outside the crib.

Eight to Twelve Months

Your baby should be mobile, crawling and pulling himself or herself up. He or she will begin to use both eyes together and judge distances and grasp and throw objects with greater precision. To support development:

* Don't encourage early walking - crawling is important in developing eye-hand-foot-body coordination

* Give your baby stacking and take-apart toys

* Provide objects your baby can touch, hold and see at the same time.

One to two years

Your child's eye-hand coordination and depth perception will continue to develop and he or she will begin to understand abstract terms. Things you can do:

* Encourage walking

* Provide building blocks, simple puzzles and balls

* Provide opportunities to climb and explore indoors and out.

There are many other affectionate and loving ways in which you can aid your baby's vision development. Use your creativity and imagination. Ask your eye doctor to suggest other specific activities.

When should you have your child's eyes checked?

Ask Wendy Marsh-Tootle, O.D., of the University of Alabama, Birmingham (UAB), and she'll tell you it's never too early for an eye exam -- especially if you suspect that your child has an eye or vision problem.

"Eye doctors can conduct an eye exam long before a child can talk, so get your baby's eyes checked early if you suspect an eye or vision problem," says Dr. Marsh-Tootle, an associate professor and director of pediatric services for UAB's School of Optometry.

Ideally, all children should have their eyes examined by an eye doctor at least by the time they enter school. In fact, the American Optometric Association suggests that children should have their first regular eye exam at 6 months. Follow-up exams should occur at age 3 and again just prior to starting school. If a problem is found, more frequent care may be necessary.

For young children without obvious signs of an eye or vision problem, Dr. Marsh-Tootle says eye doctors rely on pediatricians to screen for some important problems at key ages. "A baby's visual system is very immature at birth and develops very rapidly, so newborn screenings by the pediatrician are very important," she points out. "For example, rare problems such as cataracts must be treated within the first few weeks of life or normal vision will never develop."

So what's a parent to do? Keep a watchful eye, so to speak, on your child's eyesight from infancy through adolescence.

"After the first few weeks of life, your baby should seem to look at you," Dr. Marsh-Tootle says. "After a few months, he or she should use the eyes together more and more. If your baby does not appear to use his or her eyes together normally by the sixth month, get a checkup from an eye doctor."

Once children reach preschool age, it's important to have them checked for "lazy eye," as well as for risk factors including high refractive error or strabismus. Treatment of these conditions before the child enters school is easier on everyone.

Finally, once your child starts school, be sure to have his or her eyes checked for focusing problems and for nearsightedness. "Both are common conditions that develop during school years, so it's a good idea to get a checkup periodically, particularly if your child is struggling with school work," says Dr. Marsh-Tootle. "Most eye problems are easily treated once the problem is diagnosed."

According to Wendy Marsh-Tootle, O.D., infants should visit an eye doctor if they have:

* Poor focus on objects after 3 months of age.

* Eyes that are not straight.

* An eyelid that is droopy.

* A family history of serious eye problems.

* A watery eye with overflow tearing.

Children should have an eye examination if they:

* Have a red eye with or without discharge.

* Squint their eyes to read or see small objects.

* Complain of blurred distant vision

* Blink their eyes excessively.

* Complain of headaches or double vision.

We accept cash, personal checks, American Express®, MasterCard®, Visa®, and Discover®.

We participate with VSP, Medicare, Medicaid, Wausau, EBMS, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Cigna, Aetna, Preferred One, and and most vision/medical insurance plans..

Visual fields testing for glaucoma treatment and management.

Our staff speaks English and Spanish.