FAQ

During your eye exam, we will assess your medical history, current eye health, and vision goals. The comprehensive examination includes testing for eye diseases like glaucoma and macular degeneration, as well as screening for systemic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.

You can call or text us at (303) 772-3300 or schedule an appointment through our website.

We accept most insurance, call to verify eligibility.

Cataract is detected through a comprehensive eye exam that includes:

• Visual acuity test to measure how well you see at various distances.
• Dilated eye exam to examine your retina and optic nerve for signs of damage and other eye problems.

Cataract removal is one of the most common operations performed in the United States. It also is one of the safest and most effective types of surgery. In about 90 percent of cases, people who have cataract surgery have better vision afterward.

Potential risks include: infection, bleeding, inflammation (pain, redness, swelling), loss of vision, double vision, and high or low eye pressure. With prompt medical attention, these problems can usually be treated successfully.

Your doctor will provide a protective eye shield to wear the day of your procedure as well as while sleeping for the first few days. You will be given prescription eye drops to use for a month following the procedure. For the first week after surgery avoid strenuous activity, swimming, or anything that exposes your eye to dust or dirt. Also, avoid eye makeup for three days prior and one week after surgery. Many patients experience vision improvement the day after cataract surgery; however, it may take a month or so for the full effect of improved vision. If you still require glasses after surgery, your eyeglass prescription may need to be updated.

You must wear UV-protective glasses from the time of lens implantation until after the last light treatment is complete. Until the LAL is locked in, exposing the lens to UV light sources (including the sun) could potentially modify the prescription.

UV light treatments will be delivered by your doctor at Eye Care Center of Northern Colorado after your eye has healed.

The typical light treatment schedule would begin approximately 2-3 weeks after surgery. Additional light treatments (if desired) will occur approximately 3 days after each prior light treatment. There are two required lock-in treatments that take place approximately 3 days after each prior light treatment.

There are two major categories of glaucoma; open-angle glaucoma and narrow angle glaucoma. The “angle” refers to the drainage angle inside the eye that controls the outflow of the watery fluid (aqueous) which is continually being produced inside the eye. If the fluid can access the drainage angle, the glaucoma is known as open angle glaucoma. If the drainage angle is blocked and the fluid cannot reach it, the glaucoma is known as narrow angle glaucoma. Depending on the type that you have, the symptoms can vary:

 Open-angle glaucoma:

• Patchy blind spots in your side (peripheral) or central vision, frequently in both eyes
• Tunnel vision in the advanced stages

Narrow angle glaucoma:

• This type of glaucoma is a medical emergency and if not treated immediately, blindness could occur in one to two days. See a doctor immediately if you are experiencing these symptoms.

1. 1. 1. Severe headache
      2. Eye pain
      3. Nausea and vomiting
      4. Blurred vision
      5. Halos around lights
      6. Eye redness

Normal-tension glaucoma:

• In normal-tension glaucoma, your optic nerve becomes damaged even though your eye pressure is within the normal range. No one knows the exact reason for this. You may have a sensitive optic nerve or you may have less blood being supplied to your optic nerve. This limited blood flow could be caused by atherosclerosis — the buildup of fatty deposits (plaque) in the arteries — or other conditions that impair circulation.

Pediatric glaucoma:

• It’s possible for infants and children to have glaucoma. It may be present from birth or develop in the first few years of life. The optic nerve damage may be caused by drainage blockages or an underlying medical condition.

Pigmentary glaucoma:

• In pigmentary glaucoma, pigment granules from your iris build up in the drainage channels, slowing or blocking fluid exiting your eye. Activities like jogging can stir up the pigment granules, depositing them on the trabecular meshwork and causing pressure to intermittently rise.

Glaucoma is detected through a comprehensive eye exam that includes:

• An ophthalmic technician gathering baseline information, including personal history, vision, pressure, visual field examination, optic nerve photos, and OCT nerve imaging.
• Next, you will either have a gonioscopy exam or have your eyes dilated in order to properly diagnose your glaucoma.
• In some cases, you will return for additional testing.

Treatment depends on the kind of glaucoma, the stage of the disease, and the patient’s lifestyle. In many cases, we begin medical therapy with eye drops. We monitor the responsiveness and make changes depending on eye pressure and visual field changes. We can also offer laser treatments to lower eye pressure. When medications and/or laser trabeculoplasty are unable to reduce the eye pressure enough, the best choice is to surgically make a new drain for the eye to allow the fluid that cannot get out through the natural drain and decrease the eye pressure.

Retinal vascular occlusion is a condition caused by a blockage in the veins or arteries that feed the retina. Constant blood flow is essential for proper retinal function. Once blockage occurs, there is no way to reverse it. However, vision can come back. 

Our retina specialists may choose from a variety of treatment options including laser treatments and intravitreal injections.

Tumors in the eye are usually secondary tumors caused by cancers that have spread from other parts of the body, especially the breast, lung, bowel, or prostate. Two types of primary tumors arise within the eye itself and are known as retinoblastoma in children and melanoma in adults. 

There are various ways to treat eye tumors, depending on the diagnosis, size, and aggressiveness of the tumor. Certain small tumors may respond to laser treatment or freezing (cryosurgery). In some instances, it’s possible to remove a tumor surgically and still preserve vision. The retina specialists at Eye Care Center of Northern Colorado are often part of a multidisciplinary team, as many people with retinal tumors are treated by more than one specialist with more than one type of treatment.

Many retinal diseases share common symptoms and treatments, but each has unique characteristics. The goal of retinal disease treatments is to stop or slow disease progression and preserve, improve or restore vision. If you experience any of these symptoms, make an appointment immediately: 

• Flashing lights
• Floaters/spots/strands
• Shadows
• Straight lines appearing wavy
• Blurry or hazy vision
• Decreased intensity of colors
• Blind spot in your center vision
• Holes in your vision 

The Eye Care Center of Northern Colorado has a powerful combination of the best doctors and the best technology to handle any vitreo-retinal disease or emergency.

OCT Angiography (OCTA) for the Diagnosis of Retinal Vascular Disorder and Macular Degeneration is a technology that provides advanced diagnostic techniques for retinal diseases. The OCT machine takes 70,000 scans per second of the patient’s retina and uses that information to construct a 3D representation. The software then compares the 3D models created over time and pinpoints objects that are moving – these moving objects are tiny red blood cells. The computer is then able to use this knowledge of the location and movement of red blood cells to construct a model of the patient’s retinal blood vessels – all done without any injection of dye. 

This whole process takes about 3 seconds. This new tool does not replace conventional dye-based angiography, but rather compliments it; patients may still require traditional angiography in order to provide the most accurate diagnosis and treatment.

At the Eye Care Center of Northern Colorado, we offer Retinal MicroPulse Laser Therapy (MPLT) to safely and effectively treat patients with retinal disorders and open-angle glaucoma. 

This technology provides advanced treatment for retinal problems, glaucoma, and other eye disorders. Colorado residents can access this state-of-the-art eye care in our Longmont office. 

MicroPulse works by electronically “chopping” the continuous-wave laser emission used in conventional laser treatment, into trains of tiny, repetitive, low-energy pulses separated by a brief rest period in between. This “micropulsing” allows the tissue to cool between laser pulses, preventing damage.

• Physician can more precisely control the laser on targeted tissues
• Less chance of tissue burns and scarring than conventional laser treatment
• Increased patient comfort and satisfaction
• Outpatient procedure
• Painless, requiring only anesthetic eye drops
• Can be repeated as necessary without harm to the patient’s vision

Macular edema related to:

1. Vascular occlusion
2. Diabetic retinopathy
3. Central retinal vein occlusion
4. Branch retinal vein occlusion
5. Radiation retinopathy

• Central serous chorioretinopathy
  1. Open-angle glaucoma 

To learn more about Retinal MicroPulse Laser Therapy treatment, contact us today to schedule an eye exam. Our four locations throughout northern Colorafo allow you to receive convenient care close to home.

When human corneal transplantation has failed more than once, or if injury to the eye is severe enough, an artificial cornea may be the best hope for vision. Dr. Verner has experience with implanting both the Boston Corneal Prosthesis (K-Pro) and the AlphaCor artificial corneas.

Corneal transplant procedures may restore vision to eyes blinded by certain eye diseases or injuries. There are many conditions in which corneal transplantation may be considered. Frequent indications include:

1. Fuch’s dystrophy
2. Persistent corneal edema that my follow some cataract surgeries (pseudophakic bullous keratopathy or PBK)
3. Corneal ulceration or infections including herpes simplex
4. Corneal scars from previous infections or injuries
5. Advanced keratoconus. Note that for many keratoconus patients, INTACS for keratoconus may be a better options

There are two main types of cornea transplants we perform:

1. Penetrating Keratoplasty (PKP): PKP is traditional full-thickness corneal transplant
2. Descemet’s Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSEK) & Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty (DALKP): DSEK and DALK are partial thickness “lamellar” transplants, both posterior and anterior. For patients who have Fuch’s dystrophy or bullous keratopathy a partial thickness, posterior surface transplant – DSEK – may be done. For patients with anterior scars from keratoconus or injuries, an anterior lamellar transplant – DALKP – might be best. Lamellar keratoplasties may require shorter recovery times and induce less irregular astigmatism.

We are also adept at managing existing corneal transplants, their evaluations, and medications.

Intacs® corneal implants provide an option to improve vision and postpone a corneal transplant in most patients with keratoconus. When contacts and glasses can no longer provide adequate vision, Intacs may be a great solution. 

Benefits of Intacs for Keratoconus:

1. Safe, replaceable, removable
2. Decreases nearsightedness and astigmatism associated with keratoconus
3. A more natural dome shape is restored to the cornea
4. A few days of recovery compared to months for a corneal transplant
5. May postpone the need for a corneal transplant
6. A reversible alternative to LASIK for mild myopia
7. May be used to augment previous laser vision correction
8. May be paired with the Visian ICL to provide vision correction to people who are not LASIK candidates

Laser-Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) is a surgical procedure that actually changes the shape of your cornea to correct refractive errors. Refractive errors occur when the cornea is not perfectly shaped, so light does not properly focus on the retina (the back of the eye). If you have a refractive error, you may have one or a combination of these vision conditions:

1. Myopia (nearsightedness)
2. Hyperopia (farsightedness)
3. Astigmatism (blurry vision at all distances) 

With LASIK, your eyes’ focusing power is restored, often eliminating the need for glasses and contacts.

Given the intimate relationship of the ocular surface with the lids and orbit, our treatment plans address all of the necessary surgical procedures needed for best patient care with ocular surface reconstruction. These include applications of amniotic membrane, limbal stem cell transplants, corneal gluing or conjunctival flaps for the ocular surface. Therapeutic blepharoplasty for entropion or ectropion, and lid lesion biopsies with repair as needed.

The surgeons at the Eye Care Centers of Northern Colorado are thrilled to provide this exciting innovation to our patients in Northern Colorado. If you have dreamed about throwing away your glasses or contact lenses forever, the Visian ICL just may be the answer you’ve been looking for. The advantages of this IOL are numerous and include:

1. The Visian ICL can correct a wider range of myopia than LASIK or PRK, and the IOL can be removed
2. It is invisible to you and others
3. Requires no maintenance
4. Is made from a collagen copolymer; collagen is the same naturally occurring substance present in our connective tissue and our eyes
5. Success has been great with over 3 million ICL lenses distributed worldwide.
6. The results are excellent with over 99% of patients reporting being satisfied with their vision after the Visian ICL procedure

Also, unlike other phakic IOLs, the Visian ICL is foldable, allowing surgeons to implant the lens using a smaller incision. The Visian ICL requires a 2.8 mm to 3 mm incision as opposed to the 6 mm incision required by other FDA-approved phakic IOLs. The smaller incision is obviously less invasive, does not require sutures, and is astigmatically neutral. 

Although the Visian ICL is designed to stay in the eye permanently, if overcorrection or undercorrection occurs, or if a complication develops, or if the patient’s vision changes, the ICL can be removed or exchanged by your surgeon.

Dry eye occurs when the quantity and/or quality of tears fails to keep the surface of the eye adequately lubricated. Dry eye affects millions of adults in the U.S. and an increasing number of younger patients as we blink up to 35% less frequently while looking at our computers or phones. Dry eye can occur when basal tear production decreases, evaporation increases, tear composition is imbalanced or the glands in our eyelids that produce the oily portion of our tears are compromised.

In a healthy eye, tears are responsible for the perfectly smooth ocular surface, which allows clear vision. Tears also clean and lubricate the eye. Every time we blink, a fresh layer of tears, called the tear film, spreads over the eye. The tear film is important for keeping the eye moist and comfortable. When the eye stops producing enough tears or tears evaporate too quickly, the health of the eye and vision are compromised.

To measure the quality & stability of the tear film, we noninvasively measure the tear film breakup time in less than 30 seconds.

 Oculoplastics, or oculoplastic surgery, includes a wide variety of surgical procedures that deal with the orbit, eyelids, tear ducts, and the face. It also deals with the reconstruction of the eye and associated structures. Some of these procedures are to correct a medical problem, whereas some can be for cosmetic reasons.

We are your eyecare partners for your annual eye exam for patients 10 years old and above. During your appointment, we will work with you to understand your health history, any current issues, and vision goals. Your eye exam includes testing for eye diseases like glaucoma and macular degeneration as well as screening for systemic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

Your comprehensive eye exam includes:

1. 1. 1. Determination of prescription specific for your needs. We often consider task-specific prescriptions for our patients who are athletes, heavy computer users, night drivers, photographers, and artists.
      2. Eye health exam for diseases such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, cataracts, dry eyes, environmental sensitivities and allergies
      3. Dilation of pupils to examine retina
      4. Examine for health problems that are visible in the eyes, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol, allergies, stress, and autoimmune diseases.
      5. Blood pressure screening
      6. Eye pressure screening for glaucoma
      7. Patient education on lens and prescription options

For your child to do their best, they have to be able to see their best. Vision is essential for your child to do well in school, sports, music and other activities they enjoy. Although vision screenings at schools are valuable in increasing awareness and may uncover certain problems, they are not an appropriate substitution for an eye exam by a qualified eye doctor. ECCNC sees patients 10 years of age and above.

At our Longmont and Lafayette locations, we offer a variety of brands and options. Once you know your prescription, you can find the perfect pair of glasses or sunglasses in our office. Our frames are offered at affordable prices with plenty of beautiful designs, sizes and styles to choose from, along with numerous lens materials and coating options. Our sunglasses provide full protection against harmful UV radiation.

Yes, here are some of our options.

What We Offer:

• Industrial/safety glasses that meet all ANSI (American National Standards Institute) regulations
• American Board of Opticians Certified Staff
• Full service lab for on-site repairs, adjustments and finishing

Our Warranty:

• All of our frames are backed with a minimum 1-year warranty for manufacturer defects, and many of our lens products are backed by a 1-year scratch warranty.

Our Unlimited Free Cleaning and Adjustments:

• Once a patient has purchased a pair of eyeglasses, we want to keep those glasses working and feeling new. Therefore, we offer unlimited free cleaning and adjustments for as long as you own your eyeglasses.

Yes. Whether you are a long-time contact lens wearer or ready for your first time fit, we will work to find the perfect contact lens for you. We provide our patients with contacts made from premium materials to maintain good eye health and ideal wearing plans for your lifestyle!

Contact Lenses Available:

• Single vision
• Multifocal contact lenses for patients in need of reading glasses
• Toric lenses for astigmatic correction
• Color contact Lenses
• Daily disposables or extended wear
• Rigid gas permeable lenses for keratoconus

Yes, our doctors are trained to diagnose and treat any urgent eye condition. If you are experiencing pain, redness, or discomfort we can see you quickly to figure out what’s going on. See the full list of common conditions we treat and our specialties.

We frequently see patients in our office for:

• Scratched eyes
• Swollen or red eyes
• Infections
• Sudden loss of vision
• Flashes of light without a light source
• Colored discharge from eyes

Numerous clinical studies have indicated that laser vision correction has not produced any long-term effects impacting  the integrity of the eye. The leading experts in the field feel confident that there will be no long-term problems in the future for laser vision correction patients. Although LASIK is considered permanent, in some cases the procedure may need to be repeated in the future to enhance vision.

As with any surgical procedure, there are some risks and potential complications. The risk of a serious vision threatening complication is less than 1%. Temporary complications you might experience immediately  after LASIK surgery include:

• Discomfort – Some people experience discomfort, which is normally described as a slight stinging or burning feeling, the feeling that there is something in the eye, and tearing. If necessary, over-the-counter pain relievers may be taken.
• Sensitivity to light – It is important to wear sunglasses whenever outside to help with any sensitivity to light that might affect you for the first few weeks after the procedure.
• Underor over-correction, Unless severe, do not usually affect the overall results. High amounts of under-correction are generally re-treated with an enhancement procedure. Low amounts are corrected by wearing glasses for activities such as driving or reading. Over-corrected eyes are rare and most return to the original shape as the eye heals.
• Infection – The risk of infection is very low, around 0.2%. The risk is greatest in the first 48 hours following the procedure, and an infection is generally treated with antibiotic drops. It is important that you carefully follow all post-operative instructions and see us for all post-operative visits.
• Halos or glare – If you currently have problems driving at night or have halos and glare, it may be related to the size of your pupil. LASIK surgery may decrease or increase these symptoms. Most surgery-related halos and glare diminish with healing, but some patients continue to have symptoms.

The current standard of care in the United States is that either one or both eyes can be treated in one sitting. You will make this decision together with your doctor. 

Certain eye conditions that are related to aging-such as Presbyopia (the loss of flexibility in the lens of the eye)-will not be corrected by the procedure and will be experienced by everyone sooner or later. However, many patients concerned with Presbyopia are candidates for monovision, which relies on the correction of one eye for clear distance vision and under-correction or no correction of the other eye for improved reading vision. We will discuss this important issue in your evaluation.

We do everything we can to make LASIK affordable. We offer:

• Affordable payment options with no initial payment and 0% interest
• No prepayment penalty
• Financing through Care Credit with low, fixed rates

Our patients find that the investment of LASIK makes a lot of sense when they do the math on how much they are spending buying glasses or contacts annually.

During your LASIK Consultation , we may identify certain vision or medical conditions that might make LASIK too risky for you. Conditions like age, overall health, eye health and corneal thickness are all taken into account to ensure that you are a good candidate for LASIK.

If you aren’t a good candidate for LASIK, the surgeons at the Eye Care Center of Northern Colorado offer LASIK alternatives, including:

• PRK/ASA – If your cornea is too thin for LASIK, PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy) or ASA (Advanced Surface Ablation) may be more suitable. During these procedures, no corneal flap is created. Instead, a small area on the corneal surface cells is gently polished away to give access to the layer below so the corneal reshaping can be performed.The visual outcomes are comparable to LASIK; however the recovery times are longer and the healing process may be slightly more uncomfortable.
• Refractive Lens Exchange – This is a non-laser corrective procedure where the eye lens is replaced with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL). This is a permanent and maintenance-free option with a quick recovery time. This option can provide both near and far vision while also preventing cataracts from forming in future years.
• Implantable Contact Lens (Phakic Intraocular Lens) – In this procedure, a permanent intraocular lens is implanted in front of the eye’s natural lens, leaving the eye’s natural lens in place. This technique is good for people with very strong prescriptions or those with thin corneas. At the Eye Care Center of Northern Colorado, we use the Visian ICL implantable collamer lens to correct myopia with great success.

No. The EVO ICL is positioned behind the iris (the colored part of the eye), where it is invisible to both you and others. Only your eye care practitioner will be able to tell that vision correction has taken place.

The EVO ICL is not typically noticeable after it is implanted. It does not attach to any structures within the eye and does not move around once in place.

If you are a potential EVO ICL candidate who is interested in obtaining further ICL information, you should contact a qualified ICL surgeon. Physicians should contact STAAR Surgical Company, the maker of the EVO ICL, to learn more.

The EVO ICL surgery is performed on an outpatient basis which means that the patient has surgery and leaves the same day. The procedure itself usually takes 20-30 minutes or less. The patient will need someone to drive them home on surgery day. A light, topical or local anesthetic is administered. There is very little discomfort during or after surgery. Some eye drops or medication may be prescribed and a visit with your eye care professional is usually scheduled the day after surgery.

Early complications reported the first week after ICL surgery include: ICL removal and reinsertion at the time of initial surgery, shallowness of the front chamber of the eye that can create an increase of the pressure into your eye and may necessitate a peripheral iridectomy (a procedure where a small hole is placed in iris (colored part of eye) using a laser called “YAG laser), temporary corneal swelling (edema) and transient inflammation in the eye or iritis. Complications after 1 week include: increase in astigmatism, loss of best corrected vision, clouding of the Crystalline lens (cataract), loss of cells from the back surface of the cornea responsible for the cornea remaining clear (endothelial cell loss), increase in eye pressure, iris prolapse, cloudy areas on the crystalline lens that may or may not cause visual symptoms (crystalline lens opacities), macular hemorrhage, subretinal hemorrhage, retinal detachment, secondary ICL related surgeries (replacements, repositionings, removals, removals with cataract extraction), too much or too little nearsightedness correction, and additional YAG iridotomy necessary.

Potential complications for refractive surgery in general include: irritation of the conjunctiva (white part of eye), corneal swelling (outer layer of eye), eye infection, significant glare and/or halos around lights, blood/pus in the eye, lens dislocation, macular edema, (swelling in back of the eye), non-reactive pupil, pupillary block glaucoma resulting in raised eye pressure, irritation of the iris (colored part of the eye), severe inflammation of the eye and loss of the vitreous (gel in back of eye). You should carefully review all benefits and risks of ICL surgery with your eye care professional before making a decision about the EVO ICL.

Follow all of your eye care professional’s instructions before and after implantation of the EVO ICL. Take any prescribed medication and schedule all recommended follow-up visits with your eye care professional, usually on an annual basis after the healing of the EVO ICL surgery. Contact your eye care professional immediately if you should experience a problem.

Yes, since the Eye Care Center of Northern Colorado opened in 1969, our practitioners have been interested in the advancement of science and focused on offering the best patient care possible for all ocular conditions.We are actively participating in clinical trials and providing access to medications and cutting-edge devices that would otherwise be unavailable to our patients. Check out our website for more information.

Yes, there are various types of eye doctors at our centers, each specializing in different aspects of eye care and vision health. They include:

• Opticians: Specialists who fit and dispense glasses and contact lenses based on prescriptions from optometrists or ophthalmologists.
• Optometrists: Primary eye care providers who perform eye exams, prescribe glasses and contact lenses, and diagnose and manage various eye conditions.
• Ophthalmologists: Medical doctors who perform eye exams, diagnose and treat eye diseases, and perform eye surgery.
• Oculoplastic and Cosmetic Surgeons: Doctors who perform plastic and reconstructive surgery on the eyes and surrounding structures.
• Glaucoma and Cataract Surgical Specialists: Surgeons who focus on treating glaucoma and cataracts through surgical procedures.
• Cornea, Refractive, and Cataract Surgical Specialists: Surgeons specializing in corneal conditions, refractive surgery (such as LASIK), and cataract surgery.
• Surgical and Medical Retinal Specialists: Doctors who manage and treat diseases of the retina through medical and surgical means.