We will be closing for our Christmas break on Friday night the 21st December and will re-open at 8.30am on Thursday 3rd January 2019.

If you have an eye emergency during this time, please present to the emergency department of the Royal Victorian Eye & Ear Hospital at 52 Gisborne Street, East Melbourne or telephone them on 9929-8666

If you wish to make or change an appointment, please email the details to info@baysideeyes.com.au and we will attend to these requests when we re-open.

All the doctors and staff at Bayside Eye Specialists wish you all the joys of the season and happiness throughout the coming year.

Many of you will know our fabulous Orthoptist Breanna. She took part in an interview recently in order to promote Orthoptic Awareness week which runs from the 5th - 9th March this year. She has also started a blog to help people understand what an Orthoptist does. We are proud to have such a proactive and driven Orthoptist as part of our team here at Bayside. Go Breanna!

Check out the blog and interview here:

Image by Health Professional Radio

We all look forward to Dr Pick returning to work in January 2018 after the safe arrival of Baby Daughter #2!

Dr Pick will be with us on a weekly basis to see oculoplastic and all general eye condition patients.

By Clare Collins - Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle

Vitamin and mineral supplements won’t prevent the development of age-related macular degeneration. But there is some evidence taking supplements containing vitamin C, vitamin E and zinc may slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration in those who already have it. This evidence comes from two major systematic reviews published this year, conducted by the Cochrane collaboration.

The reason researchers thought about testing dietary supplements for eye disease relates to how the eyes convert light into sight. Light gets absorbed into pigments in the retina at the back of the eye. This process produces byproducts called free radicals. Free radicals are oxygen atoms that have unpaired electrons, which makes them highly reactive and unstable. As these atoms hunt around to find another electron so they can become more stable, they trigger damage to other molecules, the walls of cells and to DNA. In the eyes, this contributes to gradual loss of vision.

Anti-oxidants are nutrients that absorb free radicals and include vitamin A, C and E, the minerals zinc and selenium, and many phytonutrients found in edible plants including vegetables and fruit. Theoretically if more anti-oxidant nutrients were present in the eye, less damage should be done to the eye. Lets look at what the scientific evidence says.

The first review looked at people who already had age-related macular degeneration and includes research published up until March 2017. They found 19 trials in adults who already had early or moderate macular degeneration. Nine studies compared people taking vitamin supplements to those either not taking them or being given a placebo (dummy) capsule for periods of time from nine months to six years.

They found the vitamin supplements were associated with 28% lower odds of progressing to late stage macular degeneration. The studies that compared zinc supplements to a placebo found a 17% lower risk of progressing to late stage macular degeneration.

The authors final conclusion cautiously suggested use of antioxidant vitamin and mineral supplements may help delay disease progression in people with existing age-related macular degeneration, with a reminder that while vitamin supplements are generally safe they can have harmful effects in some, such as smokers.

The second review looked at prevention of age-related macular degeneration. There were four trials that compared taking Vitamin E to a placebo which found vitamin E had no effect on prevention of age-related macular degeneration. And one trial found a side-effect of an increase in risk of haemorrhagic stroke in those taking vitamin E.

Two studies used beta-carotene (an organic compound found in plants that the body converts into Vitamin A) and found no reduction in risk of new onset macular degeneration with one study confirming an increased risk of lung cancer in the smokers.

One study in men compared vitamin C or multivitamins with a placebo and found no effect for vitamin C and a slightly higher risk for age-related macular degeneration in the group taking the multivitamins. There was no evidence related to other antioxidants such as lutein or zeaxanthin.

Loss of vision due to age-related macular degeneration is associated with a loss of ability to do the things that help to improve your nutrition related health and well-being as you age. Compared to adults of a similar age and sex who did not have age-related macular degeneration, those with it have a higher risk of death from heart disease and all other causes.

It’s wise to trying and boost your diet quality for a host of reasons, by eating more healthily as you age and trying to quit smoking. You can use our free Healthy Eating Quiz to check your score.

Meanwhile, try to increase you intake of foods rich in phytonutrients. Oysters, meat, eggs, seafood, nuts, tofu, legumes, wheat germ and wholegrain foods contain zinc. Oranges, mandarins, lemons, limes, strawberries, kiwifruits, tomato, capsicum, spinach, broccoli, cabbage and green vegetables contain vitamin C. Nuts, seeds, wheatgerm and eggs contain vitamin E. Egg yolk, corn, spinach, pumpkin, cucumber, kiwifruit, red grapes, zucchini, capsicum, oranges and mangoes contain the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin.

If you’ve been told you have age-related macular degeneration then you should discuss the risks and benefits of supplementation with your doctor. Keep in mind vitamin supplements that include beta-carotene are not recommended if you are a smoker. Remember to talk to your GP about your eye health as you age.

We are very pleased to announce that in addition to Dr Laurence Sullivan; Dr Michael Shiu and Dr Georgia Cleary also now have regular operating lists at Cabrini Hospital Brighton. Please phone us for more details.

We welcome payment by American Express Card. No surcharges apply

From today we have complimentary Wifi for our patients when they are with us. Just ask reception on your arrival for the password.

Dr Andrew Atkins performed surgery in 2016 to restore sight in Melbourne Zoo's beloved female gibbon Vang. Vang underwent a successful cataract removal and is enjoying life with her clear vision.

This is only the second time this type of procedure has ever been performed on a gibbon.

'Vang experienced a dramatic improvement in her vision, and now we’ve established that her retina is healthy and that she has good distance vision. Surgery on her right eye will be an option in the future if she needs it.' - Dr Andrew Atkins.

Photo courtesy of Zoos Victoria.

Congratulations to our orthoptist Amanda on her beautiful wedding in the Yarra Valley in October! We wish her and James a happy life together!

Breanna completed her Orthoptics degree at the end of 2015, but had her official graduation day from university this week! We congratulate her on this great achievement!

On Tuesday, 26th April 2016 Bayside Eye Specialists held an Autumn Ophthalmology Update. This is a Continued Professional Development evening for optometrists that Bayside Eye Specialists holds at least three times a year.

We had four ophthalmologists speak on the night with ranging topics, from Corneal issues, Cataract treatment and technology, Glaucoma treatment and common Oculoplastics issues.

If you are an optometrist and would like to attend the next CPD night, please contact staff using the email info@baysideeyes.com.au.

The AMA Private Health Insurance Report Card provide consumers with clear, simple information about how health insurance really works.

It provides information to show the differences between private health insurance policies and the disparity of benefits paid by health insurers for medical treatment which may lead to out of pocket expenses.

The report provides consumers with useful information about private health insurance that will allow them to choose the policy that best meets their needs.

You can read about his nomination in the RANZCO magazine Spring Edition of Eye2Eye, page 44.

Heather Torr, a receptionist at Bayside Eye Specialists for three years, has decided with her partner to spend a year living in Helsinki! She leaves at the end of September and will be missed. We wish her and Adam all the best on their adventure.

On Tuesday 28th April 2015, Dr Dermot Cassidy and Dr Jonathan Yeoh delivered talks to Optometrists in the local area for continuing professional development. This is a requirement from Optometry Australia to keep Optometrists well informed in recent Ophthalmological treatment, ideas and innovation. Dr Dermot Cassidy spoke about the Surgical Management of Astigmatism and Dr Jonathan Yeoh spoke about Posterior Segment Trauma. These events are held a few times each year at Bayside Eye Specialists. If you are an Optometrist and would like to register your interest about attending the next event please contact us at info@baysideeyes.com.au.