Konowal Vision Center

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Konowal Vision Center - Welcome!
Clearly You Can See The Focus Is on You.
Konowal Vision Center, you will find complete, specialized, state of the art eye care. Dr. Alexandra Konowal, Board Certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Ophthalmology and highly trained staff at Konowal Vision Center are among Southwest Florida’s best ophthalmology team. Specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders, glaucoma and corneal disease treatments, suture-less cataract surgery and Custom Laser Vision correction.

Our Mission
Dedicated to advance your vision to a new level of precision and clarity with emphasis on patient care and service.

Konowal Vision Center - Meet Dr. Konowal
Dr. Alexandra Konowal D.O., a Board Certified Ophthalmologist, is Fellowship-Trained in cornea, refractive surgery and anterior segment care. She performs a variety of vision-enhancing surgical techniques including state-of-the-art laser cataract surgery, corneal transplants and VICTUS® Blade-Free LASIK with the new Wave Scan and Active Track® 3-D Eye Tracking software. Dr. Konowal is also skilled in the use of Cosmetic Botox®, Juvéderm®, and Radiesse® to treat fine lines, wrinkles and deep folds.

Dr. Konowal received her Doctorate from Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine after graduating from the University of Illinois. Dr. Konowal has received Fellowship training at Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago. Dr. Konowal maintains excellence in her field by participating with the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive, the American Medical Association, International Society of Refractive Surgery and the Lee County Medical Society.

Dr. Konowal was voted BEST OPHTHALMOLOGIST in Southwest Florida for seven years straight and was selected as the Laser Vision Gold Surgeon by Laser Vision Centers nationally.

She is recognized as a leading surgeon in Custom LASIK in Southwest Florida including Naples, Bonita Springs, Fort Myers, and Estero, as well as the nation. Since 1996, thousands of residents of Southwest Florida have been treated by Dr. Konowal for cataracts, glaucoma, corneal disease and to eliminate the need for glasses or contact lenses.

Our mission at the Konowal Vision Center is to advance your vision to a new level of precision and clarity with emphasis on patient care and service.

Accolades
Dr. Konowal has the distinction of being named the Laser Vision Gold Surgeon in 2004.

This achievement is based on:
1. Recognized leader in Refractive and Laser Surgery
2. Takes advantage of continuing education
3. Strives for surgical excellence in medical care
4. Offers high standards of exceptional patient care
5. Fosters respect among peers in the medical community.
 
She was nominated for this award by a panel of Laser Vision Affiliated Surgeons.

Dr. Konowal was also named in the Top 100 surgeons nationally for laser vision correction in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007. Southwest Florida voted Dr. Alexandra Konowal as Best Eye Surgeon of Southwest Florida for the past 7 years.

Konowal Vision Center - Our Office
At the Konowal Vision Center, Dr. Alexandra Konowal uses only the latest technology and techniques to diagnose and treat your precious eyes. When visiting our office you will feel at home in our professional environment.

We offer Comprehensive Eye Care with a full service optical. We perform glaucoma screening, cataract evaluations, visual field testing, corneal and refractive surgery evaluations. We equip our site with the latest technology in medical equipment, such as the Bausch & Lomb® Zyoptix System, WaveScan® Wavefront Analyzer for Custom LASIK procedures, the Humphrey® Matrix Visual Field for glaucoma monitoring, Heidelberg Retinal Tomography to analyze optic nerves and the nerve fiber layer in patients with glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Our patients know quality, safety and their eyes are our main concern.

The experience of a Fellowship Trained Cornea Surgeon who focuses on you throughout your initial eye exam, to surgery and managing your after-care is one of the advantages of choosing Konowal Vision Center for your eye care.

Konowal Vision Center - Services
Cataract Surgery
Cataracts are the leading cause of visual loss in adults 55 and over. A cataract is the clouding of the lens of the eye. Normally, light passes through the clear lens and is focused onto the retina. However, as a result of the aging process, the lens becomes cloudy, which is called a cataract. The cataract blocks the passage of light through the eye and causes blurred vision. Most people notice increasing difficulty with night vision and an overall decline in vision as cataracts progress.

Laser cataract surgery today involves the use of the VICTUS Femtosecond Laser Platform. This is a highly advanced system designed to provide greater precision than manual cataract surgery techniques. The Femtosecond laser emits optical pulses of extremely short duration in the domain of femtoseconds, as short as one-quadrillionth of a second. These ultra-short pulses do not transfer heat or shock to the material being cut and can make surgical incisions with extreme precision. The technology allows more precise incisions than can be made manually, which results in improved patient outcomes.
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Refractive Surgery
LASIK (Laser-in-situ-keratomileusis) is the laser corrective procedure that has been performed on over 40 million people worldwide since its FDA approval in the United States in 1995. LASIK is effective in correcting myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism. It can also be used to correct presbyopia, which is when near vision deteriorates as we get older.

Blade-Free LASIK
 involves the use of a Femtosecond Laser to create a corneal flap, the thin flap of tissue that is lifted in order to perform the excimer laser treatment. The Bausch and Lomb Victus™ Femtosecond Laser Platform creates a customized corneal flap with computer precision. No blade is used on the surface of the eye and so this procedure is both precise and safe. Laser vision correction permanently changes the shape of the cornea and can provide years of freedom from contact lenses or glasses. The laser vision correction procedure takes only minutes to perform and recovery is quick and painless, with little downtime.

Advanced Surface Ablation
Laser surface ablations (also know as Photorefractive Keratectomy or PRK) is an alternative laser refractive treatments for individuals who are not LASIK candidates. The excimer laser is used to remove microscopic amount of tissue guided by the ZYOPTIX™ system. Myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia and astigmatism can be treated with a high degree of accuracy. This technique eliminates the need for a corneal cap, and is indicated for patients with thin or irregular corneas, corneal dystrophies or for those who engage in activities where they are predisposed to eye trauma. Although complete healing and stabilization of vision can take as long as a month with this procedure, excellent results are obtained with the Custom ZYOPTIX™ treatments.

Monovision LASIK Treatment
For patients over 40 years of age who have started to experience presbyopia or loss of near vision, monovision treatment involves correcting the dominant eye for distance vision and leaving the non-dominant eye near-sighted for near vision. This involves a period of neuroadaptation and some patients require night driving glasses to improve their distance vision in their reading eye at night.
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Corneal Transplants
A corneal transplant, also known as a corneal graft, keratoplasty or penetrating keratoplasty, involves the replacement of the central portion of a diseased or scarred cornea with a clear, healthy donor cornea from an eye bank. Corneal transplant surgery is the most successful of all tissue transplants. More than 40,000 corneal transplants are performed in the United States each year.

Corneal transplants are done to improve vision, relieve pain, and protect the inner structures of the eye. Corneal dystrophy, corneal scars and other disease processes are the most common reasons for transplantation. The donor cornea comes from a person who has recently died. The tissue is screened carefully to rule out any disease that might be transmitted to the recipient.

Surgery is done on an outpatient bases. The diseased or injured cornea is carefully removed from the eye. Any necessary additional work within the eye, such as removal of a cataract, is completed. Then the clear donor cornea is sewn into place. When the operation is over, the doctor will place a shield over the eye.

For the first three weeks your vision will be blurry and you have to avoid bending or lifting. A shield should be worn while sleeping to avoid rubbing or pressing on your eye. Eye drops, including antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drops will be used for several months. Depending on the health of the eye and the rate of healing, sutures are removed starting three months post-operatively. Usually, it takes six months to a year to achieve good vision, and in some cases may require contact lens wear or refractive surgery to eliminate residual astigmatism.
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Cosmetic Enhancements
At Konowal Vision Center, Dr. Konowal personally administers Botox®, Juvéderm®, and Radiesse® in the privacy of our suites. Botox®, Juvéderm®, and Radiesse® may be administered on the same day with a layering effect to eliminate fine lines and deeper creases. We price the products and services so they can be affordable for everyone.

BOTOX®
BOTOX ® Cosmetic is the first and only FDA-approved treatment indicated for the temporary improvement in the appearance of moderate to severe frown lines in adult patients aged 65 years of less. BOTOX® Cosmetic is a purified protein produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacterium. It works by temporarily reducing the contractions of the muscles that cause persistent frown lines that have developed on the forehead, between the brows, as well as the crows’ feet on the outer side of each eye. It has been used to treat conditions caused by overactive muscles in over 1 million patients worldwide for more that 11 years.

BOTOX® is indicated for the treatment of cervical dystonia in patients with neck pain, blepharospasm in people 12 years of age and above and migraine headaches. It has also been found to aid patients with hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating of the underarms, hands, and feet.

No anesthesia is required for BOTOX® treatments, although some patients choose to have the desired area numbed with a cold pack or anesthetic cream. The entire procedure takes approximately 10 minutes, with the number of injections depending on the amount and severity of the wrinkles or frown lines. Patients can resume normal activities afterwards, since there is no recovery time needed.

In clinical trials, nearly 90% of men and women surveyed rated the improvement in the appearance of frown lines between their brows as moderate or better one month after treatment.

Juvederm®
Juvederm® Ultra Plus Injectable gel is a colorless hyaluronic gel that is injected into facial tissue to smooth wrinkles and folds, especially around the mouth and nose. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring sugar found in the human body. The role of hyaluronic acid in the skin is to deliver nutrients and hydrate the skin by holding in water and acting as a cushioning agent. This adds volume to facial tissue and restores a smoother appearance to the face. Most patients need one treatment to achieve optimal wrinkle smoothing, and the results last about six months. Possible side effects are mild to moderate in nature and their duration is short lasting (7 days or less). The most common side effects include, but are not limited to, temporary injection site reactions such as redness, pain, swelling, tenderness, lumps, bumps, bruising, itching and discoloration. As with all skin infections, there is a risk of infection.

RADIESSE®
RADIESSE® dermal filler is an injectable filler for facial folds and wrinkles. It contains microspheres of Calcium Hydroxyapatite, a biocompatible, biodegradable material. It is similar in composition to the mineral portion of teeth and bone and has a history of safe use in otology (ears), laryngeal (vocal chords), and dental and orthopedic applications.

RADIESSE® is used to fill moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds, the creases that extend from the corner of your nose to the corner of your mouth. Once injected, RADIESSE® dermal filler immediately adds fullness to your face giving you a visible result at the first treatment session. RADIESSE® filler contains microspheres made of natural material called Calcium Hydroxyapatite in a water based gel carrier. Studies have shown that six months after treatment with RADIESSE® dermal filler, there is an increase in collagen production to the areas of injection.

RADIESSE® dermal filler is injected with lidocaine to minimize discomfort. If you are taking blood thinners or medications that may interfere with clotting of the blood, such as aspirin, you are more likely to have bruising or bleeding at the injection site. The most common side effects are redness, bruising and swelling. These side effects generally last a short time and are mild in nature.

LATISSE®
Have you always wanted long, thick, dark eyelashes? A new product is now available that can give you beautiful eyelashes without mascara.

LATISSE® solution is a prescription treatment for hypotrichosis, another name for inadequate or not enough eyelashes. It was FDA approved in 2009. LATISSE® is believed to affect the growth phase of the eyelash hair to increase its length and to increase the number of hairs in the growth phase. In clinical studies, patients saw significant improvement within 8 weeks of treatment.

The most common side effects were eye itching and redness which occurred in less than 4% of patients. Less common side effects included skin hyperpigmentation, dry eye symptoms and redness of the eyelid. LATISSE® is available by prescription only and is distributed in physicians’ offices. It is contraindicated in patients with hypersensitivity to bimatopost and it is important to have your eye care specialist evaluate for glaucoma if you have risk factors or a family history.

LATISSE® is easy to apply after make-up removal at night. The onset of effect is gradual and eyelashes are expected to return to their previous appearance over several weeks to months after treatment is stopped.

Yag Posterior Capsulotomy
A posterior capsulotomy is a simple procedure utilizing a Nd-YAG laser. It is sometimes necessary following cataract surgery to clear the capsule behind the intraocular lens. The normal lens of the eye is like a grape, having an outer skin and an inner-gel like material.

When a cataract forms, the material inside the lens turns cloudy and interferes with good vision. Cataract surgery removes the cloudy lens and replaces it with an intraocular implant. During the cataract surgery the fine skin (posterior capsule) of the lens is left in place to support the intraocular lens implant. In some cases, this capsule may turn cloudy and cause decreased vision or glare problems.

A Nd-YAG posterior capsulotomy is a simple procedure utilizing a special laser that creates a small opening in the posterior capsule. The technique is painless and only takes a few minutes. Most patients notice an improvement in their vision quickly and can resume normal activities immediately. As with any surgical procedure, rare complications can occur including increased intraocular pressure, retinal detachment and dislocation of the intraocular lens.
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Flashes and Floaters
Flashes and floaters are caused by age-related changes in the gel-like material, called “vitreous,” that fills the back two thirds of the normal eyeball, between the lens and the retina. As you get older, the vitreous becomes thinner and more watery. This allows some clumps and strands to move around inside the eye. This floating material can cast a shadow on the retina, which you see as floating spots.

The vitreous is attached to the back of the eye, the retina. As it pulls away from the retina, we can see flashes of light which tend to be most noticeable in a very dark room, especially when you move your eyes or head suddenly. After a time, the aging vitreous shrinks into a dense mass of gel in the middle of the eyeball, called a “PVD” or “posterior vitreous detachment”. Shadows cast onto the retina cause you to see large floaters or cobwebs. Vitreous floaters will usually be most noticeable when you are looking at a plain, bright background like a bright white wall or a clear blue sky.

Flashes and floaters can be very alarming. In most cases, however, a thorough eye examination by Dr. Konowal will reveal them to be harmless changes that do not require treatment. They generally become less noticeable over time.

In rare cases of new posterior vitreous detachment, your medical examination may reveal a more serious problem called a “retinal tear” or “retinal hole.” Retinal tears and holes can occur when the vitreous separates from its attachments to the retina so forcefully, that it rips the retina. Retinal tears and holes or retinal detachment, require urgent medical attention and are most successfully treated when detected right away.

Using special instruments to look into the eyes, an ophthalmologist can distinguish between a harmless posterior vitreous detachment and more serious retinal problems. The usual symptoms of a retinal hole, tear or detachment include seeing hundreds of small floating spots, persistent flashing lights, or a veil-like blockage of a portion of the vision. If you experience any of these symptoms, you should call Dr. Konowal right away.
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Dry Eyes
Are your eyes dry? An estimated 60 million Americans suffer from this very common condition. Patients with dry eyes can experience burning, foreign body sensation, tearing, grittiness, redness and even eye pain.

As we get older, our eyelids produce less oil. Oil keeps our tears from evaporating off the eye and decreased oil production allows tears to evaporate too quickly, leaving the eye dry. Hot, dry, windy conditions, air-conditioning and smoke are common culprits, but prescription medications, including high blood pressure medications, anti-histamines, diuretics, anti-depressants ,anti-anxiety pills, sleeping pills, pain medications, hormone replacement therapy also cause dry eye symptoms. Even over the counter cold and allergy medications and sleep aids can cause dry eyes. Diseases such as Diabetes, Sjogren’s syndrome, Parkinson’s and Thyroid disease can also cause dry eyes.

Reading, watching the television or using a computer can aggravate dry eyes due to infrequent blinking associated with these activities. Contact lenses and eye surgery, including cataract surgery, refractive surgery and eyelid surgery can cause dry eye symptoms for several months.

The most common treatment for dry eyes is to use artificial tear drops which help make up for the lack of proper lubrication in our tear film. Artificial tears come in liquid form, longer lasting gel-form and long lasting ointment form (which is most often recommended for night time use).

Many different brands of artificial tears are available over the counter. Some contain preservatives and some do not. Unpreserved tears are recommended for people whose eyes are sensitive to the preservative and for more frequent use when preservatives can irritate the surface of the eye.

Another way to improve dry eye symptoms is to close off the drain holes in the inner corner of the upper and lower eyelids. Each drain hole is called a “punctum” and can be closed temporarily with tiny plastic plugs or permanently with an in-office procedure known as cauterization.

Restasis has been approved by the FDA as a prescription medication and contains cyclosporine 0.05%, which acts as an anti-inflammatory. It represents the first therapeutic treatment available for increasing tear production. This twice-a day drop has been shown to be very effective in improving dry eye symptoms and “curing” the dry eye condition in some patients.

If you are one of the millions of people in the United States that suffer from dry eyes, Dr. Konowal can evaluate the severity of the condition and decide which treatment is best for you..
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Glaucoma
Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness affecting 1 of every 50 adults. Although glaucoma can occur at any age, the risk of developing the disease increases dramatically after the age of 35. Glaucoma is more likely to develop in persons who are nearsighted, have a family history of glaucoma, diabetics and African Americans. Because there are no symptoms with early glaucoma, the disease can go unnoticed until permanent visual loss has occurred. Fortunately, with early diagnosis and treatment, visual damage from glaucoma can be prevented.

Glaucoma is usually caused by an increase in the pressure in the eye. Various mechanisms include progressive blockage of the drainage channels or an overproduction of fluid can result in an increase in intraocular pressure. This elevated pressure damages the optic nerve and results in blind spots in the field of vision.

The most common treatment for glaucoma is the use of medications in the form of eye drops. These drops improve the drainage in the eye or decrease the production of fluid. Because medications and eye drops can be costly and cause undesirable side effects, or simply fail to control the intraocular pressure, alternative treatments are available.

SLT: Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty
 is an advanced type of laser treatment to manage open angle glaucoma. SLT stimulates specific pigmented cells to activate increased fluid drainage. This procedure is a quick, painless outpatient procedure with no downtime for recovery. There is no adverse scarring and can be repeated to improve effective pressure lowering.

ECP: Endoscopic Cyclophotocoagulation
 is a surgical technique that inhibits the production of aqueous in the eye. This procedure is performed using a state-of-the-art laser microendoscope. The endoscope allows Dr. Konowal to view and treat the ciliary processes on the underside of the iris. This procedure is combined with cataract surgery with the microendoscope being introduced through a small incision already made during cataract surgery. Both surgeries are performed under local anesthesia on an outpatient basis.

Optical Store
Optique Eyeware is a modern optical boutique with a diverse selection of frames and lenses to suit everyone’s style and taste. Our focus is on safety, versatility, fashion and comfort. We want to give you a selection of lenses and frames that meet your eye care needs and reflect your individuality. Our frames are competitively prices, even though we look top dollar. We also offer a wide selection of polarized sun wear.

Our Optician is available to answer questions you may have about the latest in ophthalmic lenses, such as Varilux® progressives’, Transitions®, thinner, lighter lenses, reflection free coatings by Crizal®, titanium, stainless steel and rimless frames.

Optique Eyeware represents Dr. Konowal’s ideal that the patient’s satisfaction is her primary concern. Therefore, our one year warranty against scratches and any manufacturers frame defect is given at the time of purchase.

Learn more about this Bonita Springs, Estero, Naples, and Fort Myers Ophthalmologist