Resources for Seniors in Michigan

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Resources for Seniors

Navigating resources for seniors and insurance options can be both confusing and stressful. There are many different medicare options available to you when you turn 65 years old.   You want to ensure that you have the best insurance coverage possible both for medical needs and prescription drugs that you are prescribed. The best options can vary depending on your healthcare needs and medications that you take.  The doctors at Eye Surgery Institute including Dr. Stanley Grandon, Dr. Cindy Wang and Dr. Alaina Kronenberg participate in most medicare plans inclulding advantage plans.

Many aging adults are unaware of the available care options and programs that can help them maintain their independence and quality of life.  This is a free resource that provides comprehensive information on Medicare Advantage options in Michigan. The following below is a summary of some of the options available.  These were compiled by a senior advocate.  Hopefully, a better understanding of options can help reduce stress and anxiety regarding insurance options.  If you have any questions regarding your insurance and eye care our staff at Eye Surgery Institute is available to answer your questions.  Eye Surgery Institute is a comprehensive ophthalmology practice that cares for patients of all ages.  We perform comprehensive eye examinations to ensure you maintain the best vision possible during your lifetime.  Some of the diseases we care for include cataracts, diabetes, macular degeneration, dry eyes, ocular allergies, glasses, contact lenses and glaucoma  Dr. Alaina Kronenberg performs cataract and glaucoma surgery at the Dearborn Surgical Center.  Our office has a full service optical department for glasses and contact lenses.  We are accepting new patients and accept same day appointments for all emergencies.  Please cal 313 582 8856 to schedule an appointment!

Resources Available

Alaina Kronenberg MD
Eye Surgery Institute
15212 Michigan Ave
Dearborn, MI 48126

Reopening with Covid

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Reopening

Eye Surgery Institute has reopened !  We are open  to serve you for all of your ophthalmology and optical needs and see patients of all ages including children.  Dr. Stanley Grandon,  Dr. Cindy Wang and I are now available for appointments.   Eye Surgery institute is a full service ophthalmology practice caring for patients with many eye diseases.  Some of the diseases we care for include cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetes, red eye, dry eyes, irritated eyes and vision problems.  We can prescribe both glasses and contact lenses and we also have a full service optical department for you to order your glasses and contact lenses.   Cataract surgery  and glaucoma surgery is performed by Dr. Alaina Kronenberg at the Dearborn Surgical Center.  Same day emergencies are accepted even for new patients.

Safety with CovidEye Surgery Institute| Alaina Kronenberg MD

Your safety and the safety of our staff is of upmost importance!  New protocols for cleaning and disinfecting our office have been implemented.  Our office is large and this allows for proper social distancing.  All staff and patients are screened for covid symptoms.  Appointments are spaced to avoid crowding in our waiting room.  We are ensuring patients stay properly spaced and cleaning each room and the equipment between patients.

A staff member will screen you before your appointment on the phone for symptoms of Covid and check your temperature when you arrive.  A mask must be worn over your nose and mouth.  We request that only the patient comes into the office if possible.  Exceptions to this policy will be made for translation, children and some patients who require a family member due to other medical conditions such as memory problems.

Exam rooms are cleaned thoroughly between patients.  Our staff will be wearing masks and washing our hands before and after each patient encounter.

Resuming care

Many eye disease can potentially lead to blindness.  It is important that you maintain eye care to ensure all conditions are properly diagnosed and treated.  Call our office at 313 582-8856 for an appointment!

Flashes of Light

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Flashes of Light

Do you experience flashes of light in or vision?  Are they new or have they been there for a long time?  What is the cause of them?

Flashes may be described as a lightning streak or the sensation of seeing a shooting star in your vision. They usually only last a few seconds.

Causes

Most of the time, the flashes of light are from changes in the vitreous jelly.  This is the viscous gel that fills the back of your eye.  As you age, it will liquify. Flashes of light may be associated with new floaters in your vision.  Flashes of light can also be caused from trauma.  For example if you are hit in your eye you may see flashes.  Migraine headaches can also cause a patient to experience flashes either before, during, or after the migraine.  Sometimes you can have the visual symptoms of a migraine without the headache!  This is called an ocular migraine.

When Should I Worry?flashes of light | Alaina Kronenberg MD

You should worry about flashes if they are new.  If you suddenly see flashes of light in your vision, you should call our office for an appointment.  It is also important to call our office if you notice new floaters in your vision or feel like there is a curtain or portion of your vision missing.  It is also important to have an eye examination if you have sustained trauma to your eye. Dr. Stanley Grandon, Dr. Cindy Wang or I will perform a comprehensive eye examination which will include dilating your pupils.

What Could it Mean?

If you are experiencing new flashes or floaters, we need to check your retina for a possible detached or torn retina.  You should call our office to be see as an urgent patient.   All urgent issues will be seen on the same day.

Alaina Kronenberg MD
Eye Surgery Institute
15212 Michigan Ave
Dearborn, MI 48126

Looking For a New Eye Doctor?

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Are You Looking For a New Eye Doctor?

The Eye Surgery Institute has been serving the Dearborn community for over 60 years.  We are a full service eye care office offering the most up to date, quality eye care.   Our office has a full service optical department with both glasses and contact lenses.  Most medical and insurance plans are accepted.  Our eye doctors have early morning hours available and always will accept same day emergency appointments.  You can book an appointment by either calling our office at 313 582-8856 or online at www.eyesurgeryinstitute.com.  You can also book online at www.zocdoc.com.

Our Doctorseye examinations

Dr. Stanley Grandon and Dr. Alaina Kronenberg are both board certified ophthalmologists.  We perform comprehensive eye examinations and will examine you for all eye diseases as well as check you for new glasses.  We perform surgery of the eye if necessary including lasik, cataract surgery, glaucoma surgery and glaucoma lasers.

Dr. Cindy Wang is an optometrist who specializes in fitting glasses and contact lenses. Dr. Wang has much success in fitting patients who were unable to be properly fit elsewhere.  She enjoys fitting specialty fit contact lenses for patients that have particular eye conditions such as keratoconus and prior RK eye surgery.  These are difficult to fit patients.  She also provides low vision examinations for patients who require additional magnification due to vision loss.

All of our doctors will thoroughly explain everything and ensure that all of your questions are answered.  We will address all of your concerns before you leave the office.  Our practice understands that your time is valuable and we try to run on time and minimize wait times.  For your convenience, we also provide same day testing for conditions like glaucoma and macular degeneration.  Call our office for an appointment!

 

Alaina Kronenberg MD
Eye Surgery Institute
15212 Michigan Ave
Dearborn, MI 48126

How Do I Know if I Have a Cataract?

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How Do I Know if I Have a Cataract?

Cataracts are best diagnosed with a comprehensive eye examination.  Dr. Stanley Grandon, Dr. Cindy Wang and I will ask you questions about the quality of your vision and your ability to perform normal daily tasks.  We will then perform an examination which will include checking your visual acuity, checking your glasses prescription and performing a slit lamp examination and a dilated fundus examination.  It is important to check for all possible eye conditions.

Most people develop  cataracts as they get older.  You do not need surgery until it is interfering with your day to day vision.  Surgery is recommended when the cataract is interfering with your day to day activities. You may experience difficulty driving especially at night or in the rain and bright sunlight.

What is Cataract Surgery?Cataract | Alaina Kronenberg MD | Eye Surgery Institute

Cataract surgery is an outpatient operation that removes the cloudy lens inside the eye and replaces it with a lens implant. The purpose of cataract surgery is to improve your overall vision.

Cataract surgery is a pain free procedure and usually takes about 15 minutes.  You will need to be at the surgical center for a few hours for the surgery.  In general, cataract surgery is a low risk operation with regards to your overall health.  There are risks of cataract surgery that I will discuss with you at the time of your evaluation.  You can expect to use drops in the eye for approximately 3 days prior and 1 month after the operation.  I perform cataract surgery on only one eye at a time.

At the time of your evaluation, I will discuss the various options for lens implants.  There are many choices of implants on the market and the best choice of an implant is different for each patient.

Alaina Kronenberg MD
Eye Surgery Institute
15212 Michigan Ave
Dearborn, MI 48126

Diabetic Eye Exams

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Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic disease in which your body’s ability to either produce or respond to the hormone insulin is impaired.  This causes abnormal metabolism of carbohydrates and elevated levels of glucose (sugar) in both the blood and urine.

More than 100 million adults in the USA have either diabetes or pre diabetes.  Over 30 million Americans or 9.4% of the population have diabetes.  Many people are not aware that they have diabetes.

Most cases of type 2 diabetes can be prevented.  Lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise can reduce your chances of becoming a diabetic.  Complications can include blindness, non-traumatic amputations, loss of sensation in your hands or feet and problems with your kidneys requiring dialysis.  You are more likely to have type 2 diabetes  if you are overweight.

Diabetic Eye ExamsDiabetes

If you are a diabetic you should have a yearly dilated eye examination.  Many people may be reluctant to come to an ophthalmologist because they think their medical insurance will not pay for the examination.  Medical insurance will cover the eye examination, in fact they encourage it.

If we see changes in your eye from diabetes, Dr. Cindy Wang and I may recommend special photographs of the back of the eye to determine the extent of the changes.  We will also recommend more frequent eye examinations to monitor the diabetic eye changes.  It is important to maintain regular follow up care.  Controlling your blood sugar can reduce your chances of diabetic related complications.

Treatment

If your diabetic eye disease progresses, you may need treatments to help maintain your vision.  Treatment may be indicated if you have swelling in the center of the vision (diabetic macular edema) or if you have blood vessels growing that are not supposed to be there (proliferative diabetic retinopathy).  Treatment options may include injections of medications into the eye and/or laser eye treatments.  The purpose of the treatments are to help you maintain your vision. If your diabetic retinopathy is not adequately treated, you could lose your vision.  It can cause permanent blindness.  It is important to come in for regularly scheduled appointments to reduce the chances of vision loss.

 

Alaina Kronenberg, M.D.
Cataract Specialist
Comprehensive Ophthalmologist
Dearborn, Michigan 48126

Ultraviolet Light and the Eyes

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What are the Effects of Ultraviolet (UV) Light and the Eyes?

Ultraviolet light has been linked to the progression of several eye conditions.  The most common conditions are the development of macular degeneration and cataracts.  Both of these conditions can affect the quality of your vision.  Ultraviolet light rays can also cause ptergium (fleshy growths on the eye surface that grow onto the cornea) and eye cancers such as melanoma and basal cell carcinoma.

Macular degeneration can potentially lead to irreversible blindness.  Cataract development can affect the quality of your vision and sometimes require surgery to improve the vision.  Although most people develop cataracts as they age, cataracts can develop quicker due to ultraviolet light.

Ultraviolet Light Protection for the EyesUltraviolet light | Alaina Kronenberg MD | Eye Surgery Institute

When you purchase sunglasses, you want to look for ones that eliminate 100% of UV A and UV B rays.  The glasses do not necessarily need to be expensive.  The darkness of the lens is not as important. Most lenses will state the amount of UVA and UVB protection that they provide.

Lenses that wrap around the side of your face provide more protection than regular sunglasses.  Wearing a hat with a large rim can also be helpful.  Although some contact lenses do offer some UV protection, it is important to also wear sunglasses if you are a contact lens wearer to protect your eyes.

Detecting Eye Problems

Dr. Stanley Grandon, Dr. Cindy Wang and I can perform a comprehensive eye examination to detect eye conditions.  If a problem does develop, it is often better to diagnose and offer potential treatments early.  We can perform a dilated eye exam and check for problems.  The Eye Surgery Institute also sells good quality sunglasses that can help to protect your eyes from sun damage.

 

Alaina Kronenberg, M.D.
Cataract Specialist
Comprehensive Ophthalmologist
Dearborn, Michigan 48126

Eye Health

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Eye Health

Eye health is an important part of your overall health.  It is important to have a comprehensive eye exam to ensure that your eyes are healthy.  Dr. Stanley Grandon, Dr. Cindy Wang and I can ensure you are seeing properly and ensure that no eye diseases are present.

You may assume that your eyes are healthy if you have no difficulty with your vision.  Sometimes, we can determine that a glasses prescription can allow even better vision.  Common eye diseases such as glaucoma, age related macular degeneration (ARMD), diabetic eye disease and early cataracts often have no symptoms at the early or even moderate stages.  Early diagnosis and treatment can be very important.

Our goal at the Eye Surgery Institute is to allow you to keep optimal vision your entire life.  Many diseases require diagnosis and treatment at early stages to help prevent vision loss in the future.

Family Historyeye health Alaina Kronenberg MD | Eye Surgery Institute

Many eye diseases can run in your family.  It is important to know your family history of eye diseases.  If you have a strong family history of eye problems, it is important to have more frequent eye examinations especially as you age.

Eye Safety

It is important to wear safety eye protection especially when working with tools, machines or chemicals.  This can include safety glasses, eye shields and goggles.  Many are made of polycarbonate because it is much stronger and more protective.   It is especially important to wear eye protection if you only have one eye that sees well.

Lifestyle

It can be helpful to eat a healthy diet with lots of green, leafy vegetables.  This can help prevent certain eye diseases such as macular degeneration.

It is useful to wear sunglasses when outside.  This can help prevent against cataracts and macular degeneration.  It is also helpful to not smoke.  Smoking is bad for your overall health, including your eyes.

Alaina Kronenberg, M.D.
Cataract Specialist
Comprehensive Ophthalmologist
Dearborn, Michigan

Midwest Eye Clinic

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Midwest Eye Clinic/ Midwest Medical Clinic

The Midwest Eye Clinic in Dearborn, Michigan has now closed.  It served the population of Dearborn and the surrounding communities for eye and other health care needs.  Eye Surgery Institute is accepting new patients.  The Eye Surgery Institute has been serving the Dearborn and surrounding community for over 60 years.  We are happy to welcome patients of the Midwest Clinic who are looking for health care.

Dr. Stanley Grandon, Dr. Alaina Kronenberg and Dr. Cindy Wang would like to welcome you to join our practice.  We perform comprehensive medical and surgical eye care and have a full service optical department also.  Our doctors can serve all of your eye care needs.  We accept most insurance plans.

Eye Surgery Institute/Midwest Eye ClinicMidwest Eye Clinic | Eye Surgery Institute

Dr. Stanley Grandon, Dr. Alaina Kronenberg are comprehensive board certified ophthalmologists who perform medical and surgical care of your eyes.  We strive to provide the highest quality care and pride ourselves on taking much time with each patient to ensure all your questions and concerns are addressed.  We perform a thorough, comprehensive eye examination.

Dr. Cindy Wang is an optometrist who specializes in fitting glasses and contact lenses.  She is excellent at fitting contact lenses in patients who have been difficult to fit with contacts in the past.  Dr. Wang has also been specially trained in fitting patient who have corneal conditions such as keratoconus and prior RK eye surgery.  She also specializes in low vision eye care.  She can help provide special glasses and other low vision aids to allow a better quality of life for patients with low vision.

We Hope You Join Our Practice from Midwest Eye Clinic!

If you were previously a patient at the Midwest Eye Clinic, we hope you will join us at the Eye Surgery Institute for your continued eye care needs!

Alaina Kronenberg, M.D.
Cataract Specialist
Comprehensive Ophthalmologist
Dearborn, Michigan

How Do I Get Rid of My Glasses?

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Need For Glasses

Wearing glasses can sometimes be frustrating.  You may need to wear glasses to allow you to see properly.  They are often needed when the light rays are not focused onto the retina.  Depending on the severity, you may need glasses some of the time or all of the time.  As we get into our 40’s, most of us need glasses for reading and other up close activities.

Contact LensesGlasses | Contacts | Lasik

Contact lenses are an option to reduce your need to wear glasses.  It is a lens that sits on the eye that allows you to see clearly.  Contact lenses need to be fit properly by an optometrist or an ophthalmologist.  At the Eye Surgery Institute, we provide full service optical services.

Dr. Cindy Wang, Dr. Stanley Grandon and I can perform a comprehensive eye examination and a contact lens fitting.  We can spend the proper time needed to teach you how to insert and remove the contacts and how to care for them properly.  Sometimes you may need to try different types and brands of contacts to find the ones that work best for you.

Lasik

Lasik is an elective surgical procedure and the goal is improve vision and reduce or eliminate the need for glasses.  We use a laser to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and/or astigmatism.  The purpose of Lasik is to reshape the cornea so that the light rays entering into the eye are focused onto the retina.

Determining if you are a candidate for Lasik requires a comprehensive eye examination.  Dr. Stanley Grandon, Dr. Cindy Wang and I will perform a thorough exam to determine the general health of your eye and if you are a candidate.  Dr. Stanley Grandon and I are board certified ophthalmologists and we will perform your surgery.

Alaina Kronenberg, M.D.
Cataract Specialist
Comprehensive Ophthalmologist
Dearborn, Michigan 4