Dr. Rafael Trespalacios[/caption]
Por Maria Sonnenberg
Para Al Día Today
Nobody would consider a penny large in amount or physical size, but a medical device that is the size not of a penny, but rather just one of the numerals in the penny helps to reduce intraocular pressure, or IOP, glaucoma in patients following cataract surgery. At less than .3mm long, the iStent is the smallest medical device to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration and the smallest medical device known to be implanted in the human body.
In February, Dr. Rafael Trespalacios, known to his patients as Dr. Tres, was the fi rst surgeon in Central Florida to perform micro-invasive glaucoma surgery using iStent. The miniscule device reduces intraocular pressure in patients with mild to moderate, open angle glaucoma and cataracts. Placed in the eye during cataract surgery, iStent is so small patients can’t see or feel it after the procedure.
The benefi ts of iStent go beyond reducing intraocular pressure. It may also reduce or eliminate the need for eye drops in some patients and helps reduce the risks of traditional glaucoma management.
“We now have the technology to remove cataracts and simultaneously reduce dependency of glasses and glaucoma medication,” said Dr. Trespalacios.
The founder and current medical director of Medical City Eye Center in Orlando, Trespalacios is also LASIK director at Brevard Eye Center in Melbourne. He is nationally recognized for his success with refractive surgery to improve vision and decrease or eliminate dependency on glasses and contacts. In fact, his surgical results are so outstanding that Trespalacios is one of a handful of surgeons across the country and the only ophthalmologist in East Central Florida to be independently insurable for guaranteed outcomes. His partnership with Vision Lock promises a guaranteed outcome. Vision Lock only approves for coverage surgeons that meet a high clinical and surgical criteria for excellence.
For patients considered poor candidates for LASIK surgery, Dr. Tres delivers with implantable contact lenses, or ICLs. He is the fi rst and only provider of these lenses. “LASIK may not be the best alternative for every patient,” said Trespalacios. Another of Trespalacios’ achievement is being among the fi rst fi ve surgeons in the world to perform DMEK, a state-of-the-art, laser-assisted corneal transplantation and a surgery that allow patients not considered likely candidates for LASIK to achieve excellent visual acuity without glasses.
Trespalacios, an associate professor of ophthalmology at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine, is board certifi ed by the American Board of Ophthalmology and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Cornea Research Foundation and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. He earned his medical degree from the University of South Florida School of Medicine in Tampa.
Completely bilingual, Dr. Tres serves Spanish-speaking patients with clear explanations of their issues and treatment recommendation. His surgeries are often broadcast live at Brevard Eye Center’s waiting room to demystify the procedures and provide patients with additional information.
“It makes patients more comfortable when you take the mystery out of the procedures,” said Trespalacios.
For Dr. Tres, medicine is all about healing with compassion, success and the latest technology available.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Rafael Trespalacios, contact Brevard Eye Center at 321-984-3200. Offi ces are located at 665 Apollo Blvd. in Melbourne, 250 N. Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island, 7775 N. Wickham Rd., Suntree and 190 Malabar Rd. SW, Suite 105, Palm Bay.]]>
AL DIA TODAY