Dr. Tran opened Aura Eye Center in 2023 with the hope of focusing not only on standard eye exams, but medical conditions that can impact vision such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.
“Instead of just routine eye exams where I see patients for glasses and contact lenses, I wanted to emphasize the medical side of [vision and eye care],” Dr. Tran said.
Dry eye clinic
Dr. Tran said she will be accepting new dry eye patients starting Jan. 2024.
“A lot of people who come in for comprehensive eye exams don’t realize they have dry eye problems,” Dr. Tran said. “I can put them on drops, but our clinic will help treat the cause of the symptoms.”
Dry eyes are caused by meibomian gland dysfunction, which is an oil gland on the eyelid, and the unique dry eye clinic offers a therapeutic approach to treating the issue.
Dr. Tran uses a mix of radio frequency, intense pulsed light (IPL), and other technologies to help treat the cause of dry eyes by heating up the meibomian glands. In this treatment, gentle heat is applied to the eyelids, which helps to liquify and release the oils that have become too thick or solidified within the glands.
The treatment may be followed by a massage from an eye care professional and can also help remove the blockage from the glands.
“This will really help with treating what can cause the dryness, rather than just giving people drops that only relieve it for a second,” Dr. Tran said.
Myopia management
For patients with children, about one-third of these children are affected by myopia or nearsightedness, which has the potential to adversely affect their academic achievements.
Myopia involves the lengthening of the eyeball and can be attributed to various causes such as genetic factors, excessive activities requiring close-up vision, and other health issues. Fortunately, there are effective solutions available to prevent the progression of visual impairment in children as they age.
Dr. Tran said needing a new prescription every year is normal, but for kids, she is able to do more than just offer them a pair of glasses.
“I give them either soft contact lenses or hard contact lenses to kind of slow down that progression rather than just giving them glasses,” Dr. Tran said.
By managing the progression of nearsightedness through special soft or hard contact lenses, patients have been shown to significantly reduce the lengthening of the eyeball. The condition is associated with an increased risk of various eye conditions, including retinal detachment, myopic macular degeneration, and glaucoma, which can potentially lead to vision loss.
Diabetic eye exams
To bring the medical aspect of eye care to the foreground, Dr. Tran offers diabetic eye exams that are specifically geared toward individuals with diabetes.
“Diabetes can cause a macular edema in the back of the eye that can cause vision loss, and then bleeding in the back of the eye that can affect the vision as well,” Dr. Tran said. “It can also cause the progression or speed up the progression of cataracts or glaucoma.”
Dr. Tran said diabetes can cause a number of vision problems that patients may not be aware of, including
- diabetic retinopathy
- diabetic macular edema
- cataracts
- glaucoma
Because of her background as a glaucoma specialist, Dr. Tran can monitor her patients and refer them to a retina specialist if they need treatment.
Optimize your vision
Aura Eye Center’s unique services allow patients to see their best while identifying any underlying eye issues resulting from medical conditions. The clinic is located at 208 Grand Ave Parkway, Pflugerville. Find information about Aura Eye Center’s services here, and schedule an appointment today.
The above story was produced by Senior Multi Platform Journalist Summer El-Shahawy with Community Impact's Storytelling team with information solely provided by the local business as part of their "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team.
