Marianas Eye Institute acquires high-tech camera

Marianas Eye Institute recently acquired a specially designed camera that allows diabetes sufferers to better understand the condition of their eyesight, which is usually hit hard by the disease.

Marianas Eye Institute director David Khorram said the new camera, called Zeiss Retinal Camera, was fully installed last week.

The new setup would permit digital pictures to be taken of the deep layers of the eye—the retina—and, since the camera is digital, patients could immediately see the extent of the disease in their eyes, according to Khorram.

“This camera has been of great help to our patients with diabetes, because now for the first time, they can see what is going on inside their own eyes,” he said.

Khorram said a picture is worth a thousand words so now instead of trying to use words alone to explain the extent of the disease to the patients, they could now simply show them a picture of their own eye to let them see what the specialists could see.

Thelma Tenorio, one of the eye care technicians at Marianas Eye Institute, said the camera has given their patients a new understanding of their eye problems.

“With the retinal photographs, patients at Marianas Eye Institute can see for themselves that things are getting either better or worse. They appreciate this,” she said.

Tenorio said they have worked hard to make sure that every person with diabetes will get an eye exam every year because the exam would be the first step toward the prevention of diabetic blindness.

She said for they have recently seen a huge increase in the number of people with diabetes coming in for eye exams. She said the institute is bringing in the most advanced technologies to encourage people to seek and receive the best care they need.

Khorram said in addition to helping evaluate diabetic eye disease, the digital retinal camera at the institute is also used for patients with glaucoma and a whole range of other problems that affect the retina and optic nerve.

He said diabetes has already affected over 3,000 people in the CNMI. Khorram said aside from causing damage to small blood vessels all over the body of sufferers, diabetes also causes damage to the delicate layer of nerves and blood vessels inside the eye, the “retina” resulting in vision loss.

He added that diabetes also damages the blood vessels in the feet, which is why many diabetics need amputations. It damages the blood vessels in the kidney, resulting in kidney damage and dialysis. Diabetes damages the small blood vessels in the heart and the brain, resulting in heart attacks and strokes, said Khorram.

“It is a devastating disease,” said Khorram. “As the recent survey of high school students has shown, there is hardly a family in the CNMI that is not affected by diabetes. We have steadily added new technologies to make the care of diabetic patients at Marianas Eye Institute among the best anywhere. The retinal camera has been a great educational tool and our patients love being able to see exactly what is going on with their eyes,” he said.

Marianas Eye Institute is a regional leader in eye care providing total eye care for the family. Services include express glasses and contact lenses, refractive therapy, medical eye care, surgery and laser. Interested clients can contact them at 235-9090.