Dr. Joseph Parisi, our Chief Ophthalmologist and Medical Director, and his medical partners have served patients in Upstate South Carolina for more than 40 years through our full-service clinics in Greenville, Anderson, Easley and Clemson. Our eye surgeons and medical team enjoy an exceptional record of excellent outcomes. They are dedicated to your vision for life.
Clemson Eye provides comprehensive eye care, including specialized treatments and surgeries. Request an appointment.
The cornea is the eye’s outermost layer. It is the clear, dome¬shaped surface that covers the front of the eye. It plays an important role in focusing your vision. Although the cornea may look clear and seem to lack substance, it is a highly organized tissue. Unlike most tissues in the body, the cornea contains no blood vessels to nourish or protect it against infection. Instead, the cornea receives its nourishment from tears and the aqueous humor (a fluid in the front part of the eye that lies behind the cornea).
Diabetes affects nearly 14 million Americans, and the number is growing. Eye disease in the form of diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of new blindness in patients aged 20 to 64 years. Diabetic retinopathy can be broadly categorized into non-proliferative (NPDR) or background diabetic eye disease, and proliferative (PDR) diabetic eye disease.
In general, there is a progression from non-proliferative disease to the more severe proliferative complications, but this is not inevitable. If diabetic retinopathy is detected early, it can be successfully treated.
Macular degeneration is a progressive eye condition affecting as many as 15 million Americans. Approximately 14%‑24% of the U.S. population aged 65-74 years, and 35% of people aged 75 years or more have the disease.
The disease attacks the central part of the retina or ‘macula’, where our sharpest central vision occurs. Although it rarely results in complete blindness, it robs the individual of all but the outermost, peripheral vision, leaving only dim images or black holes at the center of vision.
There is no cure for AMD, but new treatments are available for the wet form of the disease. There is no treatment for the dry form, but vision rehabilitation and assistive devices can help people use their remaining vision effectively.
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that causes a slow and painless loss of vision. It is the second leading cause of blindness in North America after cataracts. Over 50% of the people who have glaucoma don’t know it since symptoms of glaucoma, at least in the most common type of the disease, are generally not recognized until vision is lost.
Although glaucoma is a life-long disease that can cause blindness, this need not happen. If detected in time, it can be treated.
Eyelid surgery can be performed to improve the appearance of baggy and wrinkled eyelids, and to lift droopy lids. Common procedures like a “blepharoplasty” involve the careful removal of excess skin or fatty tissue form the upper and lower eyelids that may be interfering with vision.
Performing delicate surgery in the region surrounding the eye requires specialized training in the surgical subspecialty oculoplastics. Dr. Joseph Parisi, our Chief Ophthalmologist and Medical Director, completed a fellowship in Oculoplastic Surgery at the University of Ottawa Eye Institute in Canada and performs orbital and eyelid plastic surgery for both functional and cosmetic purposes.
Most tears are produced in the lacrimal gland and are vital for the health of your eyes. The treatment of excessive tearing depends on the problem causing it. The culprits could include over tearing due to some kind of irritation, Dry Eye Syndrome, a gradual narrowing and eventual blockage of the nasolacrimal (tear drainage) duct, a birth defect, or an eye injury.
Treatment for excessive tearing will depend on its cause.
