Each year, more than 1 million people en-
joy the benefts of laser vision correction
procedures, such as LASIK (laser-assisted
in-situ keratomileusis).
Fortunately, the technology needed to
perform the procedure is available right
here in the Concho Valley at the Shannon
Laser Eye Center. Shannon Clinic ophthal-
mologists Matthew Goldman, MD, and
Daniel Lui, MD, have a combined 19 years
of laser eye surgery experience at Shannon.
“Te procedure uses an excimer laser to
alter the curvature of the cornea without
invading adjacent cells, allowing images
to become sharper,” Dr. Lui says. “LASIK
corrects nearsightedness, farsightedness
and astigmatism, with the main goal of
reducing or eliminating dependence on
contacts or glasses.”
LASIK is approved by the Food and
Drug Administration and was frst per-
formed in the U.S. in clinical trials in 1991.
During the procedure, the laser emits a
concentrated cool beam of energy and
removes small areas of tissue. WaveScan
technology, originally developed for
telescopes to reduce distortions when
viewing distant objects in space, is used
to measure the imperfections in the eye.
Te entire procedure for both eyes takes
15 to 30 minutes.
“With WaveScan technology, measure-
ments are 25 times more precise than with
standard methods,” Dr. Goldman says.
“Most important, corrections are custom-
tailored for each patient.”
According to the American Society of
Corneal Refractive Surgery, a 10-year study
shows that LASIK garnered a 95.4 percent
satisfaction rating—the highest percentage
of any elective surgery. Te recovery pe-
riod for LASIK is short, usually one to two
days for most patients. Strenuous activities
should be avoided during recovery because
of the possibility of light-sensitivity and
blurred vision. However, most people are
able to drive 24 hours afer the procedure.
Your physician will determine whether
you are a candidate for the LASIK proce-
dure. Patients must be at least 18 years old
with healthy eyes and stable vision. People
who have had eye diseases or corneal
changes cannot undergo LASIK.
For a free LASIK consultation with
Dr. Goldman or Dr. Lui , cal l
325-481-2286
.
Pakistan, Dr. Ghayas received her medi-
cal degree from Dow Medical College in
Karachi, Pakistan. She then completed
her residency in psychiatry at Harlem
Hospital Center in New York, afliated
with Columbia University, and received
fellowship training in geriatric psychiatry
at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
Dr. Ghayas and her husband, Syed
Abrar, MD, Shannon Clinic internal medi-
cine physician, come to Shannon from
Hartsdale, N.Y. Her ofce will be located
at Shannon Clinic, 120 E. Beauregard.
For more information or to sched-
ule an appointment, please call
325-481-2225.
Rajendra Sajjan,
MD, hosp i ta l
med i c i ne
After
receiving a bach-
elor’s degree and
a medical degree
at Osmania Medi-
cal College in Hy-
derabad, Andhra
Pradesh, India, Dr. Sajjan graduated from
the University of Arizona with a master’s
degree in public health. He then completed
his residency in internal medicine at Coney
Island Hospital in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Dr. Sajjan comes to Shannon from
Holzer Medical Center in Gallipolis, Ohio.
As a hospitalist, he specializes in treating
patients within the hospital setting.
For more information, please
call Shannon Clinic at
325-658-1511.
Bladder control issues are not a glamor-
ous topic, but they afect both women
and men in the U.S. In fact, 1 in 6 people
have bladder control problems, including
overactive bladder with urinary urgency
and frequency as well as trouble releas-
ing urine.
Te majority of patients with bladder
control issues are treated conservatively
with medications that act on the actual
bladder muscle itself. However, some-
times these medications are inefective,
and some patients cannot tolerate the
side efects.
A different option
An alternative treat-
ment, called InterStim sacral neuromodu-
lation, is available at Shannon Clinic. Tis
procedure helps the bladder in a diferent
way, targeting the nerves that go to the
bladder muscle.
“An in-ofce test determines whether
or not patients are adequate candidates
for the procedure,” says Elisa Brantly, MD,
Shannon Clinic urologist. “During the test,
a sof wire is inserted through the patient’s
back in the sacral spinal cord—the very
bottom of the spinal cord. Te wire emits
sof electronic signals to the pelvic nerve
and is attached to an external device that
clips on to the patient’s belt.”
Patients return to the ofce afer a week
of testing to see if their urinary issues have
improved. If the test proves successful, the
next step is to surgically insert a perma-
nent wire attached to a battery. Te bat-
tery, similar in size to a pacemaker or two
quarters placed side-by-side, is inserted
into a “pocket” of skin on the back side of
the hip. Te length of the procedure varies
for each patient, but it averages one hour.
Local anesthesia is used during surgery.
Te battery and the device are oper-
ated remotely, and the device is turned
on afer surgery. Te device has numerous
programs and is customized to address
each patient and his or her symptoms. In
addition, the device may be reprogrammed
at any time in the ofce.
Pain medication is prescribed afer the
procedure, since patients may experience
minor pain from the incision. Te main
risks of the procedure include wire migra-
tion, if the transmitter changes location
for some reason, and infection, because
the device is a foreign object in the body.
Antibiotics are prescribed for this reason.
Positive results
“Approximately 60 to
80 percent of people have complete reso-
lution of their symptoms with this type
of therapy,” Dr. Brantly says. “More than
50 percent of people have no requirement
for any medications at all afer that for
their urinary control problems. Also, this
procedure ofen has the good side efect
of helping with bowel control problems
in people who sufer from bowel issues.”
Consult your physician if you are expe-
riencing urinary problems. To learn more,
call the Shannon Clinic urology de-
partment at
325-481-2231.
Stuart L.
Abramson, MD,
PhD, allergy and
immunology
Afer
receiving a bach-
elor’s degree in
molecular biology
from The Johns
Hopkins Univer-
sity, Dr. Abramson entered Baylor Col-
lege of Medicine in Houston, where he
earned both a PhD in immunology and
his medical degree. He completed his
internship and residency in pediatrics at
Baylor Afliated Hospitals.
Dr. Abramson then completed a medi-
cal staf fellowship in allergy and immu-
nology at the National Institutes of Health
in Bethesda, Md.
He is certifed by the American Board of
Pediatrics and the American Board of Al-
lergy and Immunology (a conjoint board of
the American Board of Internal Medicine
and the American Board of Pediatrics). He
is also certifed in diagnostic laboratory
immunology.
Dr. Abramson comes to Shannon from
Baylor College of Medicine in Houston,
where he was an associate professor of
pediatrics and an assistant professor of
pathology and immunology.
He welcomes patients of all ages with
allergy, asthma or immunology concerns
to his ofce at Shannon Clinic, located at
120 E. Beauregard.
For more information, please call
325-481-2294.
Welcome, new Shannon Clinic doctors!
Syed Abrar, MD,
internal medicine
Dr. Abrar received
his undergradu-
ate education at
Ad amj e e Gov -
ernment Science
Col lege and his
medi ca l degree
at Dow Medical College in Karachi,
Pakistan. He then completed his inter-
nal medicine residency at St. Barnabas
Hospital in Bronx, N.Y., afliated with
Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell
University.
Dr. Abrar is certifed by the American
Board of Internal Medicine.
Previously, Dr. Abrar was an attending
physician for Essen Medical Associates
at Bronx Lebanon Hospital in New York
City. He and his wife, Madiha Ghayas,
MD, Shannon Clinic psychiatrist, come
to Shannon from Hartsdale, N.Y. His
ofce will be located at Shannon Clinic,
120 E. Beauregard.
For more information or to sched-
ule an appointment, please call
325-658-1511.
Madiha Ghayas,
MD, psychiatry
Af ter rece iv ing
her undergradu-
ate education at
St . Joseph Gov-
ernment College
f or Women i n
Seeing clearly
We can help you regain control
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