General Practitioners

• Pediatric Care
  Dr. David Cage, OD is a Gannon University graduate and Erie native. He earned his doctorate from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in 2004, in which he was a clinical tutor and a member of the school’s judicial board. He received Clinical Excellence awards in Ocular Disease, Low Vision, Pediatrics, and Contact Lenses. Dr. Cage is board certified to practice in the state of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Optometric Association, American Optometric Association, Lion’s Club, and currently serves as a board member for the Sight Center of Northwestern Pennsylvania.
• Primary Care
  Patients who experience redness, burning, itching, gritty feeling, or excessive tearing may have what’s known as Dry Eye Syndrome. Dry Eye Syndrome is a disease that occurs when a patient’s eyes do not produce enough natural tears, or their natural tears are in poor quality. With the help of TearLab, doctors can determine if a patient has dry eyes and what the severity is. This device takes a sample of tears and measures the osmolarity, or saltiness of tears. Just like you get a blood pressure or cholesterol number from your Primary Care Physician, you get a tear quality number from a TearLab test that can be monitored for changes every year.

Ophthalmologists

• Glaucoma
  Special interests include Diabetes, Ocular Disease, Glaucoma, Age Related Macular Degeneration, Ocular Emergencies, Dry Eye Syndrome, Contact Lenses, and High Prescriptions.
• Macular Degeneration
  Beyond sleep disturbances, many experts are concerned that blue tinted light exposure may be harmful to our vision. The American Macular Degeneration Foundation states that the most important hazard of blue light is retinal damage. The retina can be harmed by high-energy visible (HEV) radiation of blue/violet light that penetrates the macular pigment found in the eye, and the amount of retinal damage varies based on the wavelength of light, intensity, and time of exposure. It’s not clear how much blue light from screens can cause harm to the eyes. CFL lightbulbs emit much more blue light than the screen on a smartphone, for example, and sunlight is still the biggest contributor of blue light.
• Laser Eye Surgery
  LASIK is not for everyone. Eye conditions can differ greatly from person to person, so even though you may have had a friend who has had LASIK, it may not be the best course of treatment 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.
• Cataracts
  Much like ultraviolet or UV light, blue light is a portion of the “visible light spectrum.” Overexposure may lead to cataracts and other eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Sources of blue light include the sun, fluorescent and LED lighting, digital televisions, computers, smartphones, tablets, and other electronic devices. Since our exposure to high-intensity blue light has only been increasing in recent years, experts are still determining its long-term effects on our eye health. Still, there are steps we can use to understand risk, and there are small steps we can take to reduce our exposure.
• Cataract Surgery
  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.
• Eye Exam
  Because so few people understand the detrimental effects of UV exposure, many aren’t taking the best steps to protect and preserve their vision. For example, less than half of Americans get a regular eye exam, which can be instrumental in detecting and preventing serious vision problems and eye disease. Additionally, more than four out of 10 people don’t wear UV blocking sunglasses during the winter months when UV rays are still a threat.

Endocrinologist

• Diabetes Care
• Diabetic Retinopathy
  One complication a patient with Diabetes can experience is Diabetic Retinopathy, which can threaten a patient’s vision. The retina gets it’s nutrients by tiny blood vessels. When these vessels are damaged they begin to leak blood and fluid, causing retinal tissue to swell and a patient’s vision to seem cloudy. The longer a patient lives with Diabetes the higher the chance they have of developing this problem. In the beginning stages of Diabetic Retinopathy there are no significant signs that patients will notice. That is the explanation behind Optometrist and Primary Care Physicians recommending yearly dilated eye health exams, because if left unmonitored and untreated it can lead to blindness. If necessary, laser surgery is used to seal any leaking blood vessels and to depress new leaky vessels from developing. Injections administered into the eye are also used to decease inflammation or to prevent new blood vessels from developing. In the more advance d stages of Diabetic Retinopathy, surgical procedures may be required for treatment.

Radiologist

• Ultrasound
  With new technology we are able to help treat Dry Eye Syndrome as well as Meibomian Gland Dysfunction and sties like never before. Home therapy has been the usual treatment for these conditions, with the use of warm compresses, artificial tears, and medications like Restasis. We have recently introduced MiBo Thermoflo (MiBo Flo) to the practice. One of our trained technicians uses ultrasound gel and a wand that contains a controlled and constant heat to be applied to the outer parts of the upper and lower eye lids in a massage like motion. This heat gets absorbed by the lid tissue to break down any of the hardened oils that are located in the Meibomian Glands. By heating up the oil, it becomes free flowing and leads to production of healthier tears. Most patients could feel the difference just after the first treatment. On average a patient will have three individual treatments roughly two weeks apart, then the doctor will follow up a month after the last treatment to revi ew the results.

Dermatologists

• Skin Cancer
  From sunburn to skin cancer, almost everyone is aware of the damage ultraviolet (UV) radiation can inflict on their skin. However, very few understand the dangers of UV exposure to their eyesight. In fact, while more than eight out of 10 Americans know that extended UV exposure can cause skin cancer, fewer than one out of 10 know it can harm their eyes. Additionally, 20 percent of Americans mistakenly believe that UV damage is reversible.

Physical Therapists

• Occupational Therapy
  Dr. Villella will perform a neuro-optometric evaluation to determine if a deficit in the visual system is contributing to the dizziness and balance problems. Treatment often times includes prism glasses and occasionally vision therapy or occupational therapy is indicated.