3 Happy Patients!

Our measure of success at Columbus Ophthalmology Associates is how satisfied our patients are with their experience.  Our goal is to improve the lives of people in our community by improving their vision.  For many, poor vision hinders their ability to accomplish goals, and enjoy life. Recently, we have had 3 patients whose lives were changed by surgeries received by two of our doctors at COA, these are their stories.

William Ernst: Cataract Surgery

William said that his biggest complaint was not being comfortable driving, at night is when it became particularly worse because of distracting halos he would see around other lights. This made it nearly impossible to clearly see the road. Once he had enough, his optometrist referred him to Dr. McHale. William said “I liked Dr. McHale the moment I came into the office. Mr. Ernst described his procedure as “so relaxing” and “painless”. When asked what he expected out of the surgery he stated ” I was very reassured with the entire procedure, I’ve always had sensitive eyes so I was nervous it might be painful but talking to Dr. McHale reassured me that I had nothing to worry about. I told Dr. McHale I did not want to wear glasses after the surgery, so he recommended that we do mono vision. My one eye is in focus in the distance while the other eye can see up close and I never wear glasses the procedure went better than I could have ever expected. If I had to do any surgery again I would choose cataract surgery with Dr. McHale.”

Robert E. Hockenberger: Cataract Surgery with iStent for Glaucoma

Robert recently had cataract surgery with an iStent put into his eye for glaucoma treatment. The iStent is a relatively new minimally invasive glaucoma surgery designed for patients with mild to moderate glaucoma to help reduce the need for glaucoma drops. After being on glaucoma eye drops for over 5 years, he came to COA through a referral from his optometrist, “They told me, you have to go see the best surgeon for this, and that’s exactly what I did.” Robert mentioned that he could only see with his glasses and was getting tired of never seeing with full clarity. “To me, the television never had a clear picture and now I can see every hair on someone’s eyebrow,” he remarked. Mr. Hockenberger didn’t really know what to expect during the surgery but said overall it took about 10 minutes, it was painless and he was surprised by how quick the aftercare process was. In addition, he no longer requires medications for his glaucoma. His advice, “If you need the surgery, get it done and do it with Dr. Derick because not only will he do it right, he will listen to your bad jokes along the way.”

Kenneth Puterbaugh: Cataract Surgery and Hydrus Micro Stent for Glaucoma

Kenneth met Dr. Derick through his auto body repair business and was complaining about tension in his eyes causing headaches. When he came to COA Mr. Puterbaugh had nothing but kind words about the staff and the care he received. “Overall, it was a positive experience; I could not believe the incredible bedside manner I got from Dr. Derick and the rest of the staff.” He had cataract surgery along with implantation of the hydrus implant to help treat his glaucoma. The Hydrus, like the iStent , is a minimally invasive glaucoma surgery designed to treat patients with mild to moderate glaucoma.  Kenneth’s passion is art, he works with oils, watercolors, and sculpting, but as an artist with vision problems, he felt like he wasn’t at his best. “Being an artist, I want perfect vision. After my surgery, I now know that an eye doctor is an artist’s best friend.” Mr. Puterbaugh had his doubts when it came time for surgery, he stated: “I expected surgery of the eyes to be uncomfortable and not pleasant, but I was shocked on how simple and painless it all was, that’s why I told Dr. Derick I want to be your poster child for this!” Kenneth mentioned the healing process was quicker than he expected, he stated: “I would tell everyone you will only be inconvenienced for a day or two after surgery, but it will heal before you know it.” He now enjoys 20/20 vision is glaucoma medication free and is back to his painting and sculpting like never before.

Good patient experiences like this are why we come to work with excitement and purpose every day at Columbus Ophthalmology Associates.  We are humbled to be a part of each and every patient’s success story.