NEWS RELEASE - December 11, 2000

NEW TECHNOLOGY NOW AVAILABLE
TO PROVIDE EARLIEST DETECTION OF GLAUCOMA

A new laser technology that is revolutionizing the detection of glaucoma with the earliest diagnosis available is now in use by Dr. Jonathan Frantz at Florida Eye Health. The technology objectively and quantitatively measures the eye s retinal nerve fiber layer, the delicate tissue that surrounds the optic nerve, to provide an accurate and precise diagnosis within seconds.

The new laser technology, the GDx Access, uses polarized light that passes through the nerve fiber layer to measure it, and then compares these measurements to a database of glaucoma-free patients. The new technology also uses a microchip embedded in a "smartcard" that provides the most updated software and technical abilities of the technology for each patient exam.

"GDx Access is a more accurate test than other technologies currently used to detect glaucoma," explained Dr. Frantz. The "air puff" test which only measures intraocular pressure to detect glaucoma fails for many people tested as studies show that as many as 50% of glaucoma sufferers have no elevation of pressure. Another common test which analyzes the patient s visual fields determines the presence of glaucoma only late in the course of the disease by measuring how much vision has already been lost.

Glaucoma is a painless disease and is often referred to as the "silent thief of sight" because many patients don t know they have a problem until significant vision has been lost. "Regular screenings are imperative to detect glaucoma before a patient experiences any noticeable vision loss," explained Dr. Frantz

Dr. Frantz also stresses that the Access examination is painless and does not require pupil dilation. "It s a comfortable, fast exam; the patient merely places his or her head against the face mask, we don t even touch the eyes for the exam."

Dr. Frantz noted that glaucoma is the leading cause of preventable blindness in the United States. It causes blindness by damaging the retinal nerve fiber layer, a series of cables that conduct the visual signal from the rods and cones of the retina to the brain via the optic nerve. Unfortunately, because there are no symptoms in the early stages of glaucoma, the disease often goes undetected until the patient begins to experience a loss of peripheral vision - typically when 40 to 60 percent of the nerve fiber layer has already been damaged.

There is no cure for the disease, but it can often be successfully controlled if diagnosed early. By measuring the thickness of the nerve fiber layer and comparing the results to a database of healthy, glaucoma-free eyes, Dr. Frantz can assess whether glaucomatous damage has occurred and determine appropriate treatment.

Florida Eye Health, the office of Dr. Jonathan Frantz, has offices in Fort Myers, Naples, Cape Coral, and Bonita Springs. For more information about glaucoma or eye care in general, call 418-0999 or 1-800-581-0999.