Anjema Eye Institute
735 St. Clair Street N7L 0E9 Chatham, ON, Canada

New technologies offer exciting possibilities to fight blindness and improve vision https://www.wsj.com//gene-therapy-high-tech-goggles-restor

This new report from Fighting Blindness Canada on the cost of vision loss is definitely worth a look.

The vast majority of Canadians say vision loss is their most feared disability. According to the Canadian Ophthalmological Society, while 60% experience symptoms of potential eye disease, only about half of them will see a healthcare professional about their symptoms. May is Vision Health Month, so a prime time for people to prioritize their quality of sight with a visit to an eye health professional. That is important, because when caught early enough, ophthalmologists can t...reat or prevent vision loss in 75% of cases, providing life-changing impacts on patients and their families, including regained independence and quality of life. In addition to getting regular eye exams, Canadians can also ensure they protect their vision by following the tips listed at this link: https://www.newswire.ca//canadian-ophthalmological-society

A message from Dr. Christopher Anjema Dear friends The most important thing about being a doctor especially for us ophthalmologists is to practice medicine with empathy from the perspective of patients, to try and see things through their eyes....Continue reading

There are a lot of stories in the media about how the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic happened one year ago this week. Dr. Anjema wants to mark this milestone by sharing his perspective: "During the first year of COVID-19, we were actually surprisingly busy with more than 16,000 appointments at the Anjema Eye Institute. Our entire team have risen to the challenge magnificently and I want to thank patients for their kind cooperation with our new protocols which were imp...lemented to protect everyone from the virus. Unfortunately, from a medical perspective, I have noticed that the eye diseases that we are treating are much more severe due to the delays in seeing us caused by lockdowns in long term care, fear of travelling outside the home, and patients unable to have their family members help them directly. For example, we are seeing more patients with denser cataracts that threaten to take sight away. We are working hard to restore their vision and we have 600 cases to complete between now and the end of June. We are seeing many suffering an advanced stage of wet macular degeneration, and we are now working hard to regain their vision. We are also noticing more advanced glaucoma cases. Our practice has innovated many new measures with COVID we have continuously improved our sterilization throughout the clinic, following a well organized system from check-in to check-out. We strive to work as one unified team, while we are medically focused on improving your vision with the best technology in the world. I have seen patients in the depths of sadness during COVID, as they miss their friends and families. Many of our patients haven’t seen their children and grandchildren for over a year now, and they confide in the team and I how they feel about the world, how they are lonely, and how they appreciate coming to their eye appointments where they can talk to cheerful people who care. For this, I am deeply grateful to my staff and proud of them for being compassionate and supportive during your visit to our facility. I have been deeply moved at the stories that patients have told me about their families and their challenges around this catastrophic pandemic. This experience has made me appreciate with gratitude my own friends and family very much. Sadly, lives have been lost during COVID, and our hearts go out to everyone who is grieving the loss of loved ones. Every day, more and more of our patients are getting the vaccine, and for this, I see glimmers of hope on the horizon for better days ahead, marked by patients re-uniting with their families, their children and grandchildren, being able to play cards with their friends, and go back to regular morning coffee at Tim’s or McDonald’s. I am optimistic and positive about the future, and I am thankful for my patients and what they have taught me. Enjoy a nice weekend and please take care. Chris"

With people spending so much time looking at electronic displays during the pandemic, many patients have been routinely enquiring about whether or not they should get 'computer glasses' that block blue light. Dr. Anjema wants to share this article with you from the American Academy of Ophthalmology because he agrees with it and thought our friends here on Facebook would find the information useful if you are also wondering about this topic: https://www.aao.org//tips-pr/are-computer-glasses-worth-it. The doctor believes that avoiding computer eye strain - to try and prevent evaporative dry eye disease - is the most important thing and so here is a useful list of 12 tips to avoid it in the first place: https://www.healthline.com//shut-the-lid-on-c/computer-use

We have quite a few patients who must travel to Chatham-Kent for appointments here at AEI. Sometimes for convenience they may want to stay overnight in town. There is good news for them: we have negotiated a special patient rate at the The Retro Suites Hotel starting at $119 per night. As you know, this is an excellent and well regarded hotel which we are proud to be associated with through this special arrangement to serve our out-of-town patients. See the attached for more information or call (519) 351-5885.

Your opinion is very important to us. We are always working hard to continuously improve the quality of the service we provide to our patients. We can do that most effectively informed by the benefit of your perspective. ... If you have come to see us recently (and whenever you visit us in future), we would welcome it if you want to share feedback from your experience with us here on Facebook by writing a brief review: https://www.facebook.com/anjemaeyeinstitute/reviews/ Your comments, compliments and complaints are always welcome so that we can serve you better. Thanks for your consideration! - The AEI Team

On March 20 at 6 a.m., join the challenge and turn off your screens for 24 hours. Encourage others to join you and fundraise for Fighting Blindness Canada. We all spend a lot of time looking at our screens. Computer, phone, gaming and television. Give your eyes a break. Challenge yourself and others to find things to do OFF your screen: https://www.fbcscreensoff.ca

Now that we're already a few days into the month, we want to share that February is 'Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Low Vision Awareness Month.' Among eye diseases, AMD isn't usually the centre of attention, but with 196 million people affected by it worldwide, it's definitely a condition that merits more serious concern. If you are interested in finding out more, there is a lot of interesting information you can access at this website: https://maculardegenerati...on.net/spotlight/awareness-month/. The Canadian Association of Optometrists also provides more details at the links below: Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) https://opto.ca/health-library/amd%20and%20low%20vision Low Vision https://opto.ca/health-library/low-vision

Mental health has become a more important concern than ever during this endless pandemic. We support #BellLetsTalk and hope that you will, too! To help raise money for this worthy cause, please view the video below.

Usually we post on this page about eyes and vision, but today we just want to remind our community about the Rule Hearing Centre. Conveniently located inside our facility here at 735 St. Clair Street in Chatham, Rule is committed to providing every patient the treatment and technology needed to improve hearing. Rule provides hearing aids, custom ear protection and hearing evaluations. You can find out more on their website here: https://rulehearingcentre.com

Did you know that diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness among Canadians? November is both Diabetes Awareness Month + Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month. To learn how diabetes can affect your eyes, and steps you can take to reduce the risk of vision loss, check out this useful information from Diabetes Canada: https://www.diabetes.ca//preventing-complicatio/eye-damage

During the coronavirus pandemic, people are spending more time than ever - and more time than is healthy - looking at screens, which exacerbates the risk of digital eye strain (also known as computer vision syndrome). This is especially concerning for children whose eyes are still developing. That's why a new awareness campaign has been launched to encourage people - especially parents of young children - to introduce regular screen breaks into their daily routines. Find out more about 'Screen Time-Out' (and especially the 20.20.20 Rule) at this new dedicated website: http://preventblindness.org/screen-time-out/

We are posting this in support of our friends in the eyecare industry, who - like so many others suffering during this prolonged pandemic - have been hit really hard by COVID-19. This article from a trade magazine for eyecare professionals says that "Since clinics were forced to close in mid-March, 95 per cent of optometrists saw their revenues drop 75 to 80 per cent...now able to resume practicing, it’s anything but business as usual for clinicians across the province." https://opticalprism.ca/navigating-a-pandemic-how-covid-19/.

The Canadian Ophthalmological Society (COS) have launched a public information initiative highlighting that 75% of cases from serious eye diseases are treatable or preventable. In collaboration with the the Conference Board of Canada, a newly released report shows that treating vision loss is projected to save $1.6 billion in direct health care costs in 2020, and is expected to reach $4 billion by 2040. COS has teamed up with BonLook, a rapidly expanding optical chain with mo...re than 30 stores across Canada, as the Know the Risks exclusive contest sponsor. A quick and simple online risk assessment is offered to show if consumers area at risk of developing a serious eye condition - check it out at this link: https://www.seethepossibilities.ca. The new COS campaign also has a Facebook page here: See The Possibilities

A personal message from Dr. Anjema: "Today I was operating on patients with eyelid and facial cancer. We are proud to be able to take care of our community even during this prolonged pandemic. Everyone is talking about a second wave of coronavirus this week, and so with the numbers rising and this a matter of growing concern, I want to update you personally about how we are handling the pandemic here at AEI.... Right from the start of COVID-19, we put into place a range of appropriate screening techniques that we have designed, developed and refined to keep you safe, including: pre-visit telephone screening; check-in screening at the time of your appointment; PPE worn by all staff; masks for you the patient; temperature checks; and, a pre-surgery questionnaire. Above and beyond any specific safety procedure, I believe that proactive kindness is an essential element to dealing with this pandemic. I have noticed that patients are more anxious than ever, worried about the future, worried about their families, not being able to see their grandparents or grandchildren, not being able to see their friends at the coffee shop, not being able to follow the routines that are dear to them such as church, cribbage and euchre matches, etc. This pandemic is a life-changing event for all of us, and to me it underlines the importance of the human element to practicing medicine. I am always trying to hear patients' concerns with an empathetic ear, listening to everyone in a way that often has nothing to do with the ocular reason for their visit. I have learned a great deal from my patients during COVID - to be always kind, to be always empathetic to their worries, to never assume that you know anything about anyone's personal situation. I have some advice for patients: please stay vigilant with your physical distancing and hand-washing. Keep wearing a mask when you can't maintain proper distance. At first, we hoped that this pandemic would be relatively short-lived, and we extensively revamped our protocols to deal with this. We now realize that this could be a very long journey, and so we have focused our efforts and planning to encompass the next 24 months in how we deliver our care. Just in case, to be ready for whatever happens, ahead of the curve. Second wave or even third wave, vaccine or no vaccine, we at AEI stand ready to serve our patients and make sure that we can provide for them the best vision-saving care possible, even in this strange and unsettling time. Thank you everyone for your kind cooperation with our pandemic processes, which can be sometimes inconvenient, but always sincerely appreciated. Take good care and please stay safe. Chris"