How does the eye work?

Many of my young patients ask me “How does the eye work”? The answer is actually pretty fascinating and often helps patients relax before any procedure. The eye is analogous to a camera, which helps to capture the image or picture. Each structure of the eye plays a vital role in providing clear vision. The cornea behaves very much like a lens cover, which focuses rays of light through the pupil. The iris and pupil act as the aperture of a camera. Refractive or Lasik surgeons work on the surface of the cornea in order to reshape the curvature of the cornea and thus helping patients from wearing correction wears (what the everyone else calls glasses or contact lenses).

The natural lens of the eye helps to focus the light to the back of the eye onto the retina, which serves as a film of the camera. During the natural aging process, the natural lens becomes more yellow. This yellowing is called cataract. Patients with cataracts are just like wearing sunglasses all the time, which can impair their vision and cause glares. Therefore, cataracts can be removed by surgery and replaced with an intraocular implant.

Texas should focus more on medical, not legal, needs

The following is reposted from the Fort Worth Business Press.


"When there are too many policemen, there can be no liberty.
When there are too many soldiers, there can be no peace.
When there are too many lawyers, there can be no justice.”
-Lin Yuntang (1895-1976) Chinese-American writer and editor

The University of North Texas Law School in Dallas has recently been approved by the Texas legislature, thanks to the joint efforts of local state representatives and senators,  Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert and UNT Chancellor Lee Jackson, a former Dallas County Judge. It is understandable that Jackson wants to expand his university system and Dallas wants to revamp its downtown by donating and renovating its Old Municipal Building.

Securing the approval for a project in less than eight years is a great victory achieved by the North Texas lawmakers. That compares with the efforts of South Texas lawmakers to establish a medical school in South Texas since 1997, despite of a dire shortage of physicians in the region. There are about 106 physicians per 100,000 residents in South Texas, compared to the Texas ratio of 158 per 100,000 residents. The national ratio is 220 physicians per 100,000 residents. The legislature has authorized the University of Texas System to establish a medical school in the Valley, but it will only be able to apply for funding from the state after 2016.