Popular Blog Tags

Related Posts

Need help finding something?

Office Location & Hours

903 William D. Fitch Pkwy
College Station, TX 77845
Phone Number: (979) 779-9000
Fax Number: (979) 690-1510

Get Directions

Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri:
Wednesday:

8am - 5:30pm
9am - 5:30pm

Patient Testimonials

  • Matthew G.

    Absolutely amazing facility! They helped my son and even helped watch him for a minute when my bank gave me trouble. They were very kind and understanding....

  • Rebecca K.

    I went in for vitamins and information. The young lady at recept. Desk did an awesome job with my qqq and handled the vitamin sale with more information needed for my eye condition....

  • Bernadette H.

    Had to find a new eye doctor for my family and I due to insurance changes. I was very pleased with my first experience. Staff and Dr. Dobson are very friendly and professional. Felt comfortable and welcomed to the practice. Would recommend giving...

  • Alexander M.

    I am new to the bryan college station area being a college student. I needed to find a new eye doctor. I am one of those people that, take a long time exsploring my options online. When I first started my search they were the first ones that poped onto my screen. When I looked at there website I intantly felt like this was the one...


    If you are seeing the 3 F's, you might have a retinal tear or detachment and you should have an eye exam quickly.

    The 3 F's are:

    • Flashes - flashing lights.
    • Floaters - dozens of dark spots that persist in the center of your vision.
    • Field cut – a curtain or shadow that usually starts in peripheral vision that may move to involve the center of vision.

    The retina is the nerve tissue that lines the inside back wall of the eye and if there is a break in the retina, fluid can track underneath the retina and separate it from the eye wall. Depending on the location and degree of retinal detachment, there can be very serious vision loss.

    If you have a new onset of any of the three symptoms above, you need to get in for an appointment fairly quickly (very quickly if there are two or more symptoms).

    If you have just new flashes or new floaters you should be seen in the next few days. If you have both new flashes and new floaters or any field cut, you should be seen in the next 24 hours.

    When you go to the office for an exam, your eyes will be dilated. A dilated eye exam is needed to examine the retina and the periphery. This may entail a scleral depression exam where gentle pressure is applied to the outside of the eye to examine the peripheral retina. Some people have a hard time driving after dilation--since the dilating drops may last up to 6 hours, you may want to have someone drive you to and from your appointment.

    If the exam shows a retina tear, treatment would be a laser procedure to encircle the tear.

    If a retinal tear is not treated in a timely manner, then it will progress into a retinal detachment. There are four treatment options for retinal detachment:

    • Laser.  A small retinal detachment can be walled off with a barrier laser to prevent further spread of the fluid and the retinal detachment. 
    • Pneumatic retinopexy. This is an office-based procedure that requires injecting a gas bubble inside the eye.  The patient then needs to position his or her head for the gas bubble to reposition the retina back along the inside wall of the eye. A freezing or laser procedure is then performed around the retinal break. This procedure has about 70% to 80% success rate, but not everyone is a good candidate for a pneumatic retinopexy.
    • Scleral buckle.  This is a surgery that needs to be performed in the operating room. This procedure involves placing a silicone band around the outside of the eye to bring the eye wall closer to the retina. The retinal tear is then treated with a freezing procedure. 
    • Vitrectomy. In this surgery, the gel - the vitreous inside the eye - is removed and the fluid underneath the retina is drained. The retinal tear is then treated with either a laser or freezing procedure. At the completion of the surgery, a gas bubble fills the eye to hold the retina in place.  The gas bubble will slowly dissipate over several weeks.  Sometimes a scleral buckle is combined with a vitrectomy surgery.

    Prognosis

    The final vision after retinal detachment repair is usually dependent on whether the center of the retina - called the macula - is involved. If the macula is detached, then there is usually some decrease in final vision after reattachment. Therefore, a good predictor is initial presenting vision. We recommend that anyone with symptoms of retinal detachments (flashes, floaters, or field cuts) have a dilated eye exam. The sooner the diagnosis is made, the better the treatment outcome.

    Article contributed by Dr. Jane Pan

    This blog provides general information and discussion about eye health and related subjects. The words and other content provided in this blog, and in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice. If the reader or any other person has a medical concern, he or she should consult with an appropriately licensed physician. The content of this blog cannot be reproduced or duplicated without the express written consent of Eye IQ.

    Exceptional Staff

    Exceptional Staff

    You'll be hard-pressed to find a more experienced, caring vision care team in all of Texas!

    Our History

    Our History

    Since its inception in 1983 by Dr. Sue Simpson, O.D., Eye Care Center has always been committed to quality eye wear, top-notch eye exams, and exceptional patient satisfaction.

    Common Patient Questions

    Common Patient Questions

    Odds are that someone else has asked us the very same question you're wondering about. If not, feel free to reach out to us!

    What Sets us Apart

    What Sets us Apart

    From the moment you arrive for your visit, YOU are our number one priority. Our belief is that if we truly get to know our patients and what makes them happy, we can visually accommodate them in every stage of life.

    Featured Video

    Please take a moment to browse our high definition educational animations and videos to learn about vision health. Please contact us with any questions.

    bcm_videoplayer_banner

    Office Location & Hours

    903 William D. Fitch Pkwy
    College Station, TX 77845
    Phone Number: (979) 779-9000
    Fax Number: (979) 690-1510

    Get Directions

    Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri:
    Wednesday:

    8am-5:30pm
    9am-5:30pm

    Accepted Payment Methods

    payment cashpayment checkpayment care creditpayment visaMastercardDiscoverAmerican Express