Services provided at our office include:
	Eye Examinations		Optical Dispensing
	Contact Lenses		Eye Infections, Eye Injuries, Dry Eyes
	Laser Vision Correction		Surgery Co-Management
	Eye Diseases; Cataracts, Glaucoma, Diabetes		Low Vision Services
	Vision Therapy		Types of Payment Accepted/Insurance Plans

We know your vision is important to you – and it’s important to us. When you come for your appointment, we make sure to schedule ample time for your appointment so you will never feel rushed. Our office provides complete eye care for both adults and children.

Our comprehensive eye examinations will check your eyes inside and out for any potential eye disorders or diseases. We take pride in that our office keeps up with the most modern of testing procedures. Every patient receives testing for peripheral vision, glaucoma screening, macular degeneration testing, and fully computerized eyeglass prescription testing.

Our trained Optometric Technicians explain the procedures as they are done, to educate the patient about his individual case.

For diabetic or hypertensive patients, or those with special needs, reports are immediately faxed to the patient's other providers, to insure seamless healthcare.

Our Optical Department is the perfect compliment to the high level of medical care we provide. Our patients enjoy developing a personal relationship with the staff of certified opticians, each of which has many years of experience. They are able to match work, home, or leisure situations to the perfect frame to meet anyone's needs. We stock the latest in fashion, as well as the latest in high-tech materials to maximize comfort, durability, and value. Finally, they will be able to adjust and fit your glasses to you for extended comfort and vision.

Be sure to ask about our Lens Warranty---at NO additional fee, EVERY pair of glasses our office dispenses is fully covered for scratches!

Many of our patients enjoy the compliment of contact lens vision to their glasses. Whether due to vocational, home, or leisure needs, wearing contacts can enhance these experiences. Dr. Wassel and his staff are proud of the successes they've had in fitting the most complex of cases---whether it's bifocal, astigmatism, or allergy/dry eye/medication issues.

Contact lenses are no different than ball-point pens, in that there are different levels of quality. Our patients wear the most modern, high-tech, safest, most comfortable, healthiest lenses available with today's science.

Our patient care can't be beat: Our professional staff will teach first time wearers one-on-one handling techniques. Our patients are allowed to "test-drive" their lenses before ordering a year's supply. By stocking over 3,000 lenses, we are able to dispense complimentary lenses to replace lost, torn, or soiled lenses immediately.

We will be happy to discuss the many options available--from One-Day disposables for infrequent wearing, to safe overnight wearing for extended periods.

Our office provides emergency services for eye infections and eye injuries. Please call our office at 410-557-8800 during office hours, or call our emergency number at 410-218-4535 after hours or on weekends. Our staff will work with you to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. State of the art microscopes allow us to examine the front surface of the eye and facial areas around the eye for infection or injury. After assessing the extent of the injury or infection a treatment plan will be formulated and explained to you. Treatment may include medications and supportive care. Follow-up visits to monitor your recovery will be scheduled as needed.

Dry Eyes: Symptoms include scratchy eyes, burning, mild redness and gritty feeling eyes. Oral medications, reading, computer tasks and dry environments may aggravate marginally dry eyes. Dry eyes can be diagnosed by using dyes to observe tear patterns, evaluation of the amount of tears on the front of the eye and from review of your symptoms. Treatment may include artificial tears; eye drops for treating allergies; and/or punctal plugs inserted in the tear drainage canals.

Some people with vision correction issues are wanting to know more about LASIK and whether it is right for them. By limiting our practice to Family Vision Care, Dr. Wassel can match his patient's surgical needs to the perfect surgeon specializing in what procedure the patient can best benefit. Therefore, our patients have the best of both worlds: Our renown personal care for pre- and post-surgical care, and the expertise of a surgeon known for that need.

The patient is seen regularly in our office during the post-procedure year to evaluate their progress, and monitor any medications. We participate and honor the surgeon's lifetime commitment of complimentary care.

LASIK is not for everyone. People's eyes are different so even though you may have had a friend who has had LASIK, it may not be the best course of treatment for you. If you are interested in laser vision correction, we will be happy to guide you in picking the right surgeon, procedure and laser appropriate for you.

Our office provides many of the surgical services such as Cataract surgery, Laser surgery, Refractive surgery and Strabismic surgery. We offer this in conjunction with the hospital and local eye surgeons.

Additionally, we have working arrangements established with other specialized eye care doctors to manage such things are retinal detachments, retinal tears and hemmorhages.

Cataracts: The natural lens in the eye gradually becomes less clear as we get older. When opacities develop in the lens and the lens gets too hazy, vision will be impaired. Our office can diagnose and manage cataract care. When the cataract affects the vision to the extent that you cannot read or see distant objects comfortably, we will recommend cataract surgery. Our office co-manages with cataract specialists that are proven experts in cataract surgery. Cataract surgery can provide you with a bright new world of vision.

Glaucoma: Glaucoma gradually destroys the optic nerve tissue in the back of the eye. The greatest danger of glaucoma stems from the fact that the disease is painless and without obvious symptoms until significant damage has occurred. The most common cause is from pressure being too high inside the eye, but vascular disease and other diseases can also cause glaucoma. We always monitor for glaucoma during routine eye examinations. Tests include checking the pressure of the eye, screening for peripheral vision defects and analyzing the appearance of the optic nerve. If you are diagnosed with glaucoma, we typically prescribe medications that lower the eye pressure. Most forms of glaucoma are successfully treated with eye drops. Laser treatments and eye surgery are secondary treatments that offer alternative ways to treat more advanced glaucoma.

Diabetes: Diabetic patients should have a dilated retinal examination each year. Laser treatments have proven to slow the progression of retinal eye disease for many patients. Diabetes often stimulates the growth of new blood vessels in the back of the eye, which ultimately leak and damage the retina. If this condition is discovered early, laser treatment can destroy these vessels. We have the latest instruments used to detect changes in the back of the eye. If we discover advancing diabetic eye disease that can be treated or needs further evaluation, we will refer you for consultation and further testing to a board certified retinal specialist.

People who have lost eyesight due to injuries or eye disease need special types of products to help them function as independently as possible. We offer a full range of these products through our office. Our paraoptometric staff is trained to demonstrate the use of some of these devices. They range all the way from a simple hand magnifier to a closed circuit TV system.

In addition, we can direct those who have low vision problems to products that will help them carry on the day-to-day tasks that they need to perform. In some cases we can set up a program for the low vision patient with the National Library of Congress to receive "books on tapes", which is a service for the blind.

Seeing clearly is not enough. For many people, reading and hand-eye coordination tasks can be very difficult. The act of sight not only includes ones eyes, but it also includes the neurological activity that processes the visual information. Throwing a ball or skiing down a hill, is a learned activity; to do either well takes practice. Those who do it best are those who started learning at the earliest age. Sight plays an important role in the learning of these activities. Sight is the steering mechanism; it is the main activity that provides feedback regarding what really is happening. We provide Vision Therapy to help individuals learn how to process visual information and develop better hand-eye coordination skills.

We accept cash, credit cards and checks. Care Credit is also available---NO INTEREST for 1 year.

We bill the following insurances: Medicare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, VSP, and almost all the major Optical plans. Additionally, our practice participates with all the Major Medical plans for any health-related issues.