When you think of RiverView Health, you may think of being in the hospital for an illness or a broken bone. Maybe you think of our Rehab Services Department or our clinics. However, did you know RiverView also offers ophthalmology services?
Anne Keating, MD, provides diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases, vision correction, and surgical procedures through Eye Consultants of Fargo. She began offering services at RiverView in 2019. She conducts clinic exams at the Crookston Eye Clinic and performs procedures in RiverView’s Same Day Surgery Department.
A Fargo native, Dr. Keating is a graduate of Concordia College, Moorhead, and attended medical school at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. She completed her ophthalmology residency at State University of New York, Buffalo. She also completed a Cornea and Refractive Surgery Fellowship at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Dr. Keating holds licenses to practice medicine and surgery in both North Dakota and Minnesota.
Cataract Services
Dr. Keating offers cataract surgery and YAG (yttrium aluminum garnet) laser outpatient procedures at RiverView. A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens, which blocks or changes the passage of light into the eye. The lens of the eye is located behind the pupil and the colored iris and usually is transparent. The lens helps focus images onto the retina, which then transmits the images to the brain. A cataract causes vision to become blurry or dim because it prevents light from passing through to the retina properly.
Cataracts are a leading cause of blindness among older adults in the United States. More than half of all Americans have cataracts by the time they are 80 years old. Cataracts can also be found in young people, including newborn babies.
During cataract surgery, the natural lens inside the eye, which has become cloudy, is removed. A new plastic lens is put inside the lens membrane (called the bag or capsule) in the eye. In a small number of patients, the capsule thickens after surgery and becomes cloudy, interfering with the light reaching the back of the eye. When this happens, sight becomes misty, and the patient may experience glare in bright light or from nighttime lights.
Capsule thickening can occur in the months following cataract surgery; however, it is more commonly seen about two years after surgery. YAG laser capsulotomy is the only effective treatment should an after-cataract form. During this procedure, Dr. Keating uses a special lens to direct a laser beam onto the capsule, creating a small hole in its center that allows light to pass through. “It is an amazing laser that can break up the film or scar tissue that can form behind the intraocular lens implant without having to surgically go into the eye,” Dr. Keating explained. “It is painless, and vision improves very quickly.”
Glaucoma Services
Glaucoma is a disease related to a build-up of pressure within the eye that can damage the optic nerve, which carries the images you see through your eyes to the brain. Glaucoma often happens when fluid builds up in the front part of your eye. That extra fluid increases the pressure in your eye, damaging the optic nerve.
A leading cause of irreversible blindness in the United States, glaucoma does not have any noticeable symptoms in its early stages. Vision loss progresses at such a gradual rate that people affected by glaucoma are often unaware of it until their sight has already been compromised.
Glaucoma can cause:
• Blurry vision
• Halos around lights
• Blind spots in peripheral vision
• Headaches with sharp pain
Glaucoma is often treated with prescription eye drops. However, if more treatment is needed, Dr. Keating offers the Glaukos iStent procedure. A minimally invasive surgery, the iStent procedure involves the placement of a small titanium implant to help lower eye pressure by improving the drainage of fluid out of the eye through its natural drainage system. The iStent is the smallest medical device approved by the FDA and is designed to treat mild to moderate glaucoma. The iStent procedure is often combined with cataract surgery, resulting in minimal manipulation and damage to normal eye tissue. The benefits of this procedure include a faster recovery time and increased safety compared to traditional glaucoma surgeries. According to Dr. Keating, the iStent has an effectivity rate of about 80 percent.
To make an appointment with Dr. Keating or to learn more about the procedures she offers in Crookston, call the Crookston Eye Clinic at 281-2020.