Retina Institute of Hawaii Participating in Day of Giving: Vision

HONOLULU, April 24, 2013

HONOLULU, April 24, 2013 – The Retina Institute of Hawaii is proud to be a part of Surgicare of Hawaii’s “Day of Giving” on May 11, 2013. Dr. Karl E. Waite, MD and Sara Lynn Doolin, RNFA are pioneering the initiative on behalf of Retina Institute of Hawaii and Hawaii Cataract and Laser Institute by performing FREE surgeries at Surgicare in Honolulu for patients who do not have insurance and are having financial difficulties. Read More.

ARGUS II Retinal Prosthesis System Receives FDA Approval

Friday, September 28, 2012

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Ophthalmic Devices Panel recently reviewed and approved the groundbreaking ARGUS II Retinal Prosthesis System. Manufactured by Second Sight Medical Products, Inc., the device will allow partial vision restoration to patients who are blind due to Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). This is the first treatment for this condition that is now FDA approved. A 23-member panel of experts unanimously voted that the probable benefit of the ARGUS II Retinal Prosthesis System outweighs risks to health.RP, an inherited retinal degenerative disease often results in nearly complete blindness and affects 100,000 Americans.

The Argus II system works by converting video images captured by a miniature camera, housed in the patient’s glasses, into a series of small electrical pulses that are transmitted wirelessly to an array of electrodes on the surface of the retina. These pulses are intended to stimulate the retina’s remaining cells resulting in the corresponding perception of patterns of light in the brain. Patients then learn to interpret these visual patterns thereby regaining some visual function.

Michael Bennett, MD, FACS Appointed to Serve on U.S. FDA Ophthalmic Devices Advisory Panel

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Dr. Michael D. Bennett, founder and president of Retina Institute of Hawaii, recently served on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Ophthalmic Devices Advisory Panel. Appointed in 2012, Dr. Bennett was part of a 23-member panel that has expertise in retinal disease, low vision, electrophysiology and other specialties. Panel members included doctors from Washington, D.C., Houston, TX, Saint Louis, MO, Chicago, IL and Brooklyn, N.Y. Panel deliberations provide the FDA with expert knowledge and experience on new issues, devices or unanticipated safety and effectiveness questions. The FDA welcomes and values open debates raising new ideas and perspectives. Dr. Bennett’s knowledge and capabilities added to the medical devices panel in reviewing and approving the newest system treatment.

Retina Institute of Hawaii Welcomes Dr. George Papastergiou

Thursday, May 10, 2012

George Papastergiou, MD, PhD has joined the team at Retina Institute of Hawaii as an ophthalmologist and surgeon specializing in treatment of retinal, macular and vitreous diseases.

Dr. Papastergiou will be seeing patients at Retina’s Honolulu office as well as the new offices on Hawaii’s Big Island in Hilo, Waimea and Kona. He joins specialists Michael D. Bennett, MD, FACS; Clifton S. Otto, MD; Karl E. Waite, MD; and Kellen Kashiwa, OD, all experts in evaluating and treating retinal diseases. A highly specialized tissue located at the back of the eye, the retina translates light to nerve impulses that are then transmitted to the brain to produce sight. 20/20 vision can only be achieved if the retina is working properly. READ MORE

Preventative Measures

Wednesday, April 24, 2012

Many people slather on sunscreen before hitting the waves but don't give a thought to eye protection while in the water.

Chronic sun exposure can lead to a common eye condition called pterygium, a noncancerous growth on the cornea that can affect vision.

Surfers and others who spend a lot of time outdoors and in the ocean have a greater potential for developing eye problems, according to Dr. Michael Bennett, founder of the Retina Institute of Hawaii and an active waterman himself. Water can reflect up to 100 percent of damaging ultraviolet light from the sun. READ MORE

Hawaii's First IMT Patient Receives the Gift of Sight

Thursday, Mar 29, 2012

On January 10, 2012, Merrill Smith underwent the first IMT surgery in Honolulu, Hawaii. Since then, he has been working on his vision and training with Dr. Kellen Kashiwa bi-weekly in Hilo on Hawaii's Big Island. Prior to receiving the telescope implant, Smith was nearly blind. His vision has improved remarkably from 20/200 to 20/80 and his quality of life has increased dramatically. Where he was once unable to see faces and could barely read, Mr. Smith can now decipher faces, read with glasses, see movement and watch television. His vision began improving immediately after surgery and with continued training with Dr. Kashiwa, his complete treatment time is anticipated to be about three months. Watch IMT segment on KHON

Patient Receives Hawaii’s First Telescope Implant for Macular Degeneration by Retina Institute of Hawaii

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

HONOLULU, January 18, 2012 – A team of surgeons from Hawaii, Dr. Michael Bennett of Retina Institute of Hawaii and Dr. Michael McMann of McMann Institute, has successfully implanted the FDA-approved eye telescope, a first in Hawaii, at one of the leading medical centers in Honolulu. The first-of-kind telescope implant is integral to CentraSight™, a new patient care program for treating patients with end-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most advanced form of AMD and the leading cause of blindness in older Americans. It is the only medical/surgical option that improves visual acuity by reducing the impact of the central vision blind spot caused by end-stage AMD. READ MORE