Dry eye can be treated in several different ways, from artificial tears to minor surgery to close the system which drains the tears away from the eyes. The causes of dry eye can be anything from environmental issues (low humidity or dust) to serious diseases such as Rheumatoid arthritis or Sjogren’s syndrome.
Family Practice
Dr. McCanna was born and raised in Appleton, Wisconsin. He received a bachelor in science with a chemistry degree from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana and then attended medical school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Following a year of internship at St. Joseph’s Hospital/Marshfield Clinic in Marshfield, he completed his residency in ophthalmology at Wills Eye Hospital/Thomas Jefferson University in the heart of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. McCanna joined the Chippewa Valley Eye Clinic in Chippewa in 1995 and continues as an assistant clinical professor for the family practice residents of the Prevea Health Family Medicine/University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
Glaucoma is a disease that damages the optic nerve and causes vision loss. The tricky part of glaucoma is that it is sneaky and most patients don’t know they have it. Hence, regular eye exams are needed to detect this “silent” disease. Damage to the optic nerve can occur when the intraocular pressure of the eye increases. The elevated eye pressure almost always goes unnoticed by the patient, because there is no pain until the eye pressure is very, very high. Unlike blood pressure, patients can’t check their eye pressure at home. An elevated eye pressure usually occurs due to a build-up of aqueous fluid inside the eye because of a problem with the internal drainage canal (outflow of excess fluid from inside the eye). The elevation of pressure may lead to damage to the optic nerve, and then to the development of blind spots in the field of vision. Blind spots in the field of vision usually go undetected by the individual until the optic nerve is significantly damaged.
Ophthalmology
John Moffitt, MD joined the practice in the winter of 2021. He is a Board Certified Ophthalmologist and a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Dr. Moffitt received his BS in Mechanical Engineering (Automotive) from the United States Military Academy at West Point in New York. He served abroad as an officer in the Military Marine Corps and later as a Flight Surgeon. He completed his Medical Doctorate at the Uniformed Services University of Health Science in Bethesda, MD, then an internship at the Madigan Army Medical Center in Ft Lewis, WA. He completed his ophthalmology training with his ophthalmology residency at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD.
Macular Degeneration
The macula is the center and most important part of the retina for seeing details. In age related macular degeneration (AMD) there is disease of the central retina and underlying pigmented cells needed for vision. The pigmented cells accumulate waste products, clump together, and lose the ability to keep the retina healthy and working. The retina and underlying tissue can become thin. This type of macular degeneration is called dry macular degeneration or non-exudative macular degeneration and makes up the majority of macular degeneration cases. With dry macular degeneration patients often describe blurry central vision, a fuzzy spot in the center of their vision, and difficulty with reading. There is no treatment for dry macular degeneration except the use of oral supplements (AREDS-2 formula vitamins). Some dry macular degeneration can become so severe so that reading becomes difficult if not impossible. Dry macular degeneration needs monitoring by doctors with the help of retina scans called optical coherence tomography (OCT) which can detect the severity of macular degeneration changes.
Laser Eye Surgery
Refractive surgery is an option for correcting or improving your vision to decrease dependency on eyeglasses or contact lenses. This surgical procedure uses a laser to adjust your eye’s focusing ability by reshaping the cornea, or front surface of your eye. The most widely performed type of refractive surgery is called LASIK.
Cataracts
A cataract is a clouding of the normally clear lens in your eye. Though painless, cataracts can blur your vision by restricting the amount of light that enters your eye. In addition to hazy vision, indications of cataracts include unusual glare, poor night vision, and a change in how your eyes perceive colors.
Cataract Surgery
Most people’s natural lenses within their eye will experience cataracts at some point as they age, although some younger people can develop cataracts for various reasons. Sometimes cataracts are minor and don’t require surgery. However, when your ability to drive at night, read, sew, see smaller words on television, or do other everyday tasks is impaired, cataract surgery will likely be the best solution to achieve improved vision.
Eye Exam
An eye exam by one of our eye MDs will determine your need for vision correction or a change in your correction. If your vision blurs when you are looking at objects near or far, you should get an eye exam. The process of having a patient look through lenses of progressively stronger or weaker power is called refraction.
High blood sugar levels can cause abnormalities in the small blood vessels in the retina, the nerve layer at the back of the eye that senses light. Normally, the blood vessels in the retina do not leak. In diabetic eye disease, the retinal blood vessels develop leaks, allowing fluid or blood to accumulate in the retina causing decreased vision or sometimes no symptoms at all. At this point it is called nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy or background diabetic retinopathy. Bleeding or leaking of fluid may cause retinal swelling, keeping the retina from working properly. Longstanding diabetes may also cause blockage of retinal blood vessels. Since the retina depends on blood vessels for nutrition, this blockage keeps the retina from functioning properly. The impaired retina sends out chemical signals to promote new blood vessel growth. At this point we call it proliferative diabetic retinopathy which can lead to more severe vision loss. The fragile new blood vessels easily bleed and cause scarring. Floaters, vision loss and retinal detachment may result.
There are many new ways to evaluate a patient with AMD including Fourier-Domain OCT. This is a very exquisite way to see the retina using laser directed ultrasound to produce a microscopic cross sectional and three dimensional view of the retina and macula. At the Chippewa Valley Eye Clinic, Chippewa Falls, we have the most up to date OCT instrument available.
He treats glaucoma with medications, laser, and minimally invasive surgery. In addition, Dr. Moffitt can treat macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy as well as other retinal diseases.