spring 2012 | issue 2

a look inside ilumin

Although it’s hard to believe that it has been more than two years since the doors of our offices first opened (in January 2010), our family of staff and patients was born well before the space was even a pipe dream, and that’s what really makes ilumin what it is.

And we are happy to tell you that our family is growing! In August, Dr. Brent Timperley will

be joining ilumin. Dr. Timperley will be finishing fellowship training at the Cleveland Clinic in June, and then take a well-deserved break before seeing patients at both ilumin locations. He shares our philosophy of highly valuing personal relationships, which is what keeps all of us going and excited about coming into work every day. For all of us, the impact of “personal touch” has energized us and woven us together. (Visit ilumineyes.com/about/legacy/ if you’re interested in learning a bit more about our rich history!)

We have been lucky enough to create a wonderful, well-trained team that shares our passion for patient care. What makes this compassionate staff even more lovable is their sincere care for one another. From participating in playful interoffice parties and reward-ing community activities, to taking up donations during the holidays to support a coworker who fell ill unexpectedly, the warmth around our office is inspiring.

We hope that when you come to ilumin, you get a sense of what drives us and can feel our genuine concern for your health and well-being. And we hope that iluminations serves as a reminder of that. We put together this newsletter to offer information about some things in eye care that might seem intimidating, but don’t need to be; and provide just a touch of entertainment as we give you a closer look at ourselves.

As always, we want to know what you think, too. Whether you have thoughts about this issue or about your visits to our office, please share feedback through our website (ilumineyes.com/news), or mention them during your next appointment. We will forever seek ways to make your ilumin experience even better.

Sincerely, Dr. Arkfeld, Dr. Parson,

Dr. Goldstein and Dr. Timperley

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Please remember to “like” ilumin on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!

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Becky Hermann Becky Hermann is an Omaha-born artist whose work has become a signature feature of the ilumin offices. Six of her pieces – four works on paper and two on canvas – are exhibited there.

Becky has a true appreciation for the way patients are able to interact with her and other artists’ works during their visits. “[The doctors] let patients experience the work for themselves,” she said. “Around every corner, there’s something new to discover.”

She recalled the physicians’ visit to her studio a few years ago: “They were looking for living elements to complement the spaces they had in mind. I loved going through that with them.”

Becky grew up in Omaha and has been feeding back into the growing commu-nity of artists for more than two decades through Metropolitan Community College, where she teaches computer graphics and animation.

Becky divides her time equally between the canvas and the computer, and col-laborates with local artists and friends Tom Sain and Peggy Reinecke (Dr. Arkfeld’s wife, coincidentally) on animated works. She describes that she uses paint, which is “tactile and visceral,” to “slow down;” and graphic animation to “speed up” and create “moving paintings.”

Becky’s work is a self-proclaimed “celebration of the mundane.” That senti-ment is echoed by the ilumin physicians who feature work like hers on the practice walls in an effort to remind patients and staff alike that vision should be celebrated.

Learn more about Becky’s work at RebeccaHermann.com.

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Cataracts are very common and, although unpreventable, can be treated by our board-certified ophthalmologists with a truly life-enhancing outpa-tient procedure, during which an eye surgeon removes the natural lens and replaces it with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL).

Cataract surgery is one of the safest and most successful procedures performed today. It requires only a few hours time and causes little to no discomfort for patients, with the help of a topical anes-thetic. The operation entails making a very small incision in the eye through which the surgeon inserts an instrument to break the clouded lens into pieces, remove it and replace it with the new IOL.

Improvements in IOL tech-nology, including premium replacement multifocal and toric lenses, represent the biggest advancements in cataract surgery in the last decade. ilumin ophthalmolo-gists usually use the reliable family of Alcon AcrySof® IOLs for cataract procedures, although other lenses are used in some patients.

ClAriTyfinding with Premium lenses

Many ilumin patients are troubled by cloudy vision because of cataracts. The crystalline lens of the eye functions like the lens of a camera – focusing light on the retina to send image signals to the brain. When cataracts (opacities of varying degrees) develop in the natural lens of the eye, they cause sharp images to blur, bright colors to dull and/or seeing at night to become cumber-some; and have the potential to keep light from reaching the retina altogether.

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Multifocal lenses improve vision at a range of distances, near to far, for patients who have no other optical com-plications. They generally enable patients to see clearly at any range without glasses.

Toric lenses correct cataracts for patients who also have pre-existing astigmatism. Astigmatism is a condition affecting one in three people where the cornea of the eye is not perfectly round; rather, shaped more like a football, with steeper curve in one direction than another. This irregular curvature causes slightly blurred vision because light entering the eye focuses on more than one point instead of simply on the retina, as it should.

Traditional monofocal replacement IOLs repair clouded vision caused by cataracts, but because they are not able to correct astigmatism as well, often require that patients wear glasses/contacts or have further surgery. Fortunately, toric lenses provide a unique solution to significantly improve distance vision and reduce or elimi-nate the need for glasses and contacts by remedying curvature irregularities.

IOLS to correct all three complications – near vision, distance vision and astigmatism – are not yet available, but can be anticipated at some point. Until they are available, patients with preexisting astigmatism might not benefit maximally from multifocal implants. They may require LASIK surgery to reshape the cornea if they wish to decrease their need for glasses postoperatively.

It is important for us to note that multifocal lenses, toric lenses and laser correction, are all considered cosmetic procedures and, therefore, are not covered by most insurance plans.

Are you a good candidate for premium lenses?This question can only be answered by an ophthal-mologist after examining your eyes and looking at your pre-operative measurements. The ilumin team discusses premium IOLs with every patient who is planning to have cataract surgery. If you think they might be right for you and are interested in learning more, please schedule an appointment by calling 402.933.6600.

Alcon AcrySof® iQ reSTOr® Multifocal iOls

» The first multifocal IOL of its kind – made of a soft, foldable acrylic rather than silicone or hard plastic – makes for a simpler, more comfortable procedure.

» 78 percent of recipients reported never having to wear glasses for near- or far-sightedness anymore.

Alcon AcrySof® iQ Toric iOls

» Combines cataract correction and precise astigmatism correction with an aspheric IOL, fixing cornea curvature aberrations.

» Enables patients to see at a distance without eyeglasses or contact lenses.

with Premium lenses

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See nEAr

Images simulate actual vision

Image simulates actual vision

Dr. Parson grew up in Weeping Water, Nebraska, as the seventh of 10 children – in all of whom her mother instilled a love of education. Their mother was diagnosed with cancer when Dr. Parson was just 8-years-old, and battled the disease for 13 years. Dr. Parson took a hiatus from college during junior year to care for her before her death. It was during that time that she was intimately exposed to the medical system and became an advocate for patient care and education.

After graduating from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, she travelled to California to obtain a master’s degree in Cell Biology and Medical Parasitology from U.C. Davis. She returned for medical school at the Uni-versity of Nebraska Medical

Center, and Omaha has been home ever since.

Dr. Parson decided that ophthalmology would be her professional calling early on when her fifth-grade teacher taught her about the field, and still feels that it was the perfect decision. Her favorite things about her job are talking with, learning from, and whole-heartedly caring for patients’ health and wellbeing.

“ilumin was created because we are a group of people who understand how to treat people – patients and, just as much, one another,” she said.

“It is very much a family.”

each week she splits her time between both ilumin offices and the Methodist Hospital operating room. Coworkers call her “the energizer bunny.”

Dr. Parson certainly is not one of those strictly science-minded docs, which you can tell right away when she gives you a hug. She is interested in zoology, plays the piano and loves to bake and decorate cakes. She and her husband Mike have a teenage son Matthew.

She has been active with the Board of Directors for Young Life and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and has recently gotten involved with Aqua-Africa – a developmental organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in Sudan by addressing the need for clean drinking water, civic education and democratic ideals. At some point in her life, she hopes to combine her passions for both travel and ophthalmology to do interna-tional missionary work.

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dr. camilla parson, m.d.

in the blink of an eye...ideal meal: Her husband’s chicken piccata.favorite book: The Shack (after the second – or fifth! – read)catchphrase: “Oh, that’s funny.”

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Full-service optical salons at both ilumin offices offer a wide selection of beautiful, high-quality eyewear at reasonable prices. Our professionally-trained opticians look forward to helping you with contact lens fitting or finding the perfect frames to fit your lifestyle – even if that means making a special order.

As of earlier this year, we are also among the first and few in Omaha to sell emPower!™ eyewear. emPower!™ is the world’s only line of electronic focusing prescription glasses, which uses liquid crystal technology to instantly and automati-cally correct vision for all ranges of sight. See for yourself at our Lakeside office, or learn more at ilumineyes.com.

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Lorraine has worked with the ilumin physicians for 13 years. She grew up in northwest Iowa and has lived in the Omaha area since college. As a little girl, she wanted to be a teacher – she has always been a “people person” – and went on to obtain her first degree in child development. Although she enjoyed working in daycare, talking with people who have stories and wisdom of their own is when she thrives. ilumin is a perfect fit.

Lorraine genuinely loves her job. “We all get along so well. It’s calm and just so fun,” she said. She feels the same way about her home life.

Lorraine has been married to her husband Jeff for just shy of 30 years and is very proud of their three children: Stephanie, Sadie and Charles.

She is not just an artist of conversation; Lorraine enjoys painting, too. And she dreams of visiting Ireland one day.

Upon arriving at ilumin (most often at our regency location), you have probably met lorraine. Greeting visitors with a smile and a beverage, she instantly makes everyone feel at home.

lorraine smith, concierge

in the blink of an eye...preferred indulgence: chocolate secret love: Elvis Presley (don’t let her kids know that we told you)favorite color: orange

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We’re serious about your eye care here at ilumin, but we sure do like to have fun, too!

Play a trick on your eyes: Do you see a man, a young woman or an older lady in this unique optical illusion?

Stretch your brain to see if you can unscramble these words:

1) Y A F L M I 2) M T A I A I N O N 3) V I S L E 4) L T I P A C O 5) U R E P I M M

(Hint: all of the words can be found in this newsletter!)

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Have you visited our optical salon?

16820 frances street, suite 100 omaha, ne 68130

specialties

medical + surgical eye care, including laser treatment

routine eye exams

cataract surgery

cornea surgery

macular degeneration therapy

retinal + vitreous disorders

diabetic eye care

402.933.6600ilumineyes.com

spring 2012 | issue 2

in this issue:

iluminotesa word from drs. arkfeld, parson, goldstein and timperley

iluminartbecky hermann

iluminsightspremium lenses feature

iluminusphysician profile: dr. camilla parsonstaff profile: lorraine smith

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7: 1) fam

ily, 2) an

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