Dr. Nancy Ann Tanchel M.D.
Ophthalmologist
8321 Old Courthouse Rd Liberty Laser Eye Ce Vienna VA, 22182Rating
5/5
About
Dr. Nancy Tanchel is an ophthalmologist practicing in Vienna, VA. Dr. Tanchel specializes in eye and vision care. As an ophthalmologist, Dr. Tanchel can practice medicine as well as surgery. Opthalmologists can perform surgeries because they have their medical degrees along with at least eight years of additional training. Dr. Tanchel can diagnose and treat diseases, perform eye operations and prescribe eye glasses and contacts. Ophthalmologists can also specialize even further in a specific area of eye care.
Education and Training
Emory University School Of Medicine 1984
Board Certification
OphthalmologyAmerican Board of OphthalmologyABO
Provider Details
Dr. Nancy Ann Tanchel M.D.'s Expert Contributions
Can you get laser eye surgery while breastfeeding?
You can get laser vision correction while breastfeeding. Once you resume your regular periods postpartum, your hormones should be back to normal and your vision should be stable. At that time, it's safe to get your vision corrected and you should expect a long-lasting great result, as long as you are are determined to be a good candidate during your pre-op exam, based on all the other factors. There is some discussion that you might consider to "pump-and-dump" during the first few days after LASIK, when you are using medicated eye drops; however, the dose in the drops that could possibly enter your breast milk is so low, it's extremely unlikely to affect your baby. You should discuss this with your own doctors to find the best solution for you. It should be safe to just feed your baby normally during those 5 days. Hope this information is helpful and you are able to have your vision corrected - it will make the care of your baby so much easier, without dealing with contacts and/or glasses! Nancy A. Tanchel, M.D. Liberty Laser Eye Center libertylasereye.com READ MORE
Should I wear sunglasses after LASIK surgery?
Hi, You should wear sunglasses or other eye protection for the first 24 hours after LASIK, so nothing touches your eyes. After that, there's no requirement for wearing sunglasses. However, everyone should wear sunglasses to minimize UV exposure which can lead to early cataract development and can contribute to retina problems like macular degeneration. I hope this helps, Nancy A. Tanchel, M.D. Liberty Laser Eye Center libertylasereye.com 571-234-5678 READ MORE
What is bad about Lasik surgery?
There's nothing bad about LASIK! First, you need to be evaluated by an ophthalmologist to be sure you are a good candidate. If so, it is a very safe procedure and within 4 hours or less, you should be able to watch TV without glasses; most people can drive the next day, as well. You will need to use medical drops for a few days and artificial tears for several months, until your eyes fully heal up. READ MORE
How many days rest is required after eye LASIK surgery?
When I perform LASIK, I recommend patients take it easy on the day of surgery and keep their eyes closed as much as possible for the first 4 hours, taking a nap, if possible. By the next day, most normal activity can be resumed, as long as the medical drops and artificial tears are used as recommended. The eyes should not be rubbed and sports that could result in pressure or trauma to the eyes must be avoided. However, running, jumping, weight lifting, etc. can be resumed. Most patients are seeing very well the day after surgery and feel very comfortable. The vast majority can drive by the next day. Hopefully, this info is helpful - good luck with your LASIK - it will make your life much better! Nancy A. Tanchel, M.D. LibertyLaserEye.com READ MORE
Can presbyopia be surgically corrected?
Yes, presbyopia can be treated with several surgical options. If you have cataracts, there are newer lens implants that can improve your ability to see both near and far; however, if your lens inside your eyes is still clear, an implanted lens is not the best option, since technology continues to evolve and improve, so waiting do that type of surgery is recommended to be able to enjoy the best results. Presby-LASIK is a great option for many patients who are suffering with presbyopia. This procedure reshapes the cornea to create an increased depth of field and allow you to see both near and far without glasses, restoring your natural vision. Not everyone is a good candidate for this procedure, so a full consultation with an ophthalmologist who regularly performs Presby-LASIK is needed to assess whether you would benefit. Finally, mono-vision LASIK is an option for those who are not a good candidate for presby-LASIK. This procedure corrects one eye for distance and one eye for near vision. Most people can easily get used to the change of using one eye mainly for distance and the other for near vision. It's a good idea to test your eyes ahead of time in your doctor's office to make sure your brain can be comfortable with the eyes being a little different. Hopefully, this has helped you to understand several options to correct your presbyopia. Nancy A. Tanchel, M.D. Liberty Laser Eye Center READ MORE
Is there a surgery to eliminate reading glasses?
Yes, there are several options for surgery to eliminate reading glasses. The older method is to get LASIK to make one eye see up close, while the dominant eye (for most people) is corrected for distance. This is called monovision correction. It works very well for many people. An even better option is called Presby-LASIK - named for presbyopia, the reading vision problem that develops over age 40. Presby-LASIK corrects both eyes for perfect distance vision, while reshaping the cornea to create an increased depth of field, which creates a big improvement for close vision as well. Presby-LASIK a wonderful option for the right candidates for the procedure; a consultation with an expert LASIK surgery specialist is required to determine if you will benefit from the procedure. We have performed hundreds of these procedures with great results. Hopefully, you can benefit from Presby-LASIK and put those reading glasses away. Nancy A. Tanchel, M.D. Liberty Laser Eye Center READ MORE
How long do I need to wear sunglasses after Lasik?
The sunglasses are there to protect your eyes from trauma. I recommend people wear the sunglasses during the entire first day after LASIK. Beyond that, you do not need to wear sunglasses indoors, but I suggest wearing the sunglasses outdoors to protect from flying bugs and debris for the first month. The sun is not an issue after LASIK, but you need to be very careful about trauma or debris getting in your eyes and moving the flap. It gets stronger every day, but early in the healing, it can be easy to move the flap if you don't protect the eyes. I hope this answer helps - please check with your own surgeon about their recommendations. READ MORE
Can I sleep on my side after Lasik?
Be sure to wear your protective eye shields when sleeping for the first couple of weeks. After the first couple of nights, you can sleep on your side; you should avoid sleeping on your side the first couple of nights because it will put pressure on your eye when the flap is not yet sealed at the edges and could possibly be moved. After a few days, you should be okay to sleep on your side, but don't rub your eyes. Hope this helps. READ MORE
Retinopexy for a 12-year-old child?
It's possible that your child would benefit from a laser retinopexy, but I would seek out a second opinion before undergoing this procedure. Generally, this procedure is performed when there is a hole or tear in the retina, to prevent a retinal detachment. I'm not sure what a "frost patch" is, but I'm guessing it is a lesion known as lattice degeneration, which represents a weak or thin spot in the retina. Generally, this can be monitored, and not treated. However, I'm not sure what your ophthalmologist identified. Nevertheless, for such a young child, I would seek a second opinion before undergoing an invasive procedure, which can have some risks. You should bring your son to a retina specialist to get a second opinion and then make a more informed decision. READ MORE
Would a dr prescribed cephalexin for glaucoma?
No, cephalexin is not for glaucoma - you didn't mention if this is an eye drop or pills. It's an antibiotic, which is for a bacterial infection. It's impossible to speculate what infection he has - you need to have a conversation with him. READ MORE
Can dry eyes cause blurred vision after Lasik?
Dry eyes is the most common reason for blurry vision after LASIK. The surface of your eye is actually not smooth; the tear film smoothes out the surface, so it is "glassy" and clear. In fact, the tear film itself is a complicated, dynamic structure. Basically, there's a protein layer, a water layer and on the very front surface, there is a lipid layer. If any of these components is not sufficient, you will not see clearly. After LASIK, the nerve function is diminished due to the creation of the flap, so your eyes will make less tears temporarily. Over time, the nerves grow back and your sensation gets back to normal. Once this happens, your tear film should normalize, if it was normal before surgery. It takes 6-9 months for the nerves to fully return to normal, so you need to add artificial tears to your eyes to prevent dryness and blurry vision for several months after surgery. Hope this helps you understand why dry eyes can create blurry vision after LASIK. READ MORE
Eye color?
Warm compresses will absolutely not affect the color of your eyes. Your eyes will NOT darken. Also, just soaking cotton balls in hot water is not the best way to utilize hot compresses, since they cool off way too fast. A cheap and easy way to keep the compresses warm for 10-15 minutes (as is necessary) is to wrap a warm hard-boiled egg in a moist washcloth and place that on your closed lids for a full 10 minutes. The cloth will stay warm and the shape of the egg fits nicely on the eyes. You can then eat the egg or put it in the fridge for later... Hope this helps. READ MORE
How many days rest is required after Lasik surgery?
After LASIK, you can usually watch TV within 2-4 hours and should be able to get back to most activities by the next day. Nancy A. Tanchel, M.D. READ MORE
Do eye drops help after LASIK surgery?
It is very important to follow the recommendations of your LASIK surgeon and use the drops as prescribed. You should be using an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drop for a few days after surgery, to help you heal well. For several months, you will need to use artificial tears to keep your eyes moisturized; when the flap is created, the nerve endings are temporarily disrupted, so your brain doesn't know how much tears to create until the nerves grow back. Until then, you need to add tears to assist the healing and keep the surface of your eyes healthy. Once the nerves are back to normal, you can just use artificial tears when your eyes feel dry. Hope this information helps - just follow your surgeon's eye drop instructions and you will do great. READ MORE
What happens if I wear contacts too long?
It might sound gross, but it's the same as wearing your underwear too long! Your contact lenses are floating on the tear film of your eyes. As time passes, the lenses are coated with proteins, bacteria as well as debris from your tear film. The longer you wear your lenses without cleaning them, the more gunk will coat the lenses. For some people, they will form a reaction to the protein on the lenses, and become unable to wear contact lenses at all. You can also get bad infections from the bacteria that coat the lenses. So, you should only wear your contact lenses during the day, not overnight, and the lenses should be cleaned or for daily lenses discarded. Hopefully, this information is helpful. READ MORE
Can I watch TV after Lasik?
You absolutely should be comfortable to watch TV within 2 - 4 hours after your LASIK procedure. Your vision will be a little hazy, and will improve over the next few hours days and weeks, but you will easily be able to enjoy TV very quickly. Just be sure to use your preservative free artificial tears at least every 1 hour over the first week or more. You will really enjoy your new vision and be able to wake up the next morning and see the clock! READ MORE
How long does laser eye surgery last?
You will really enjoy your vision without glasses or contacts. You can expect to have great distance vision for many years, until you develop cataracts - hopefully in your 80's. Your up-close vision for reading and small things will become a problem at about age 45; at that time you will likely need over the counter reading glasses. So, for the next 8 years you can expect great far and near vision, with excellent distance vision for 40 or more years. Congratulations on getting laser eye surgery - it will be one of the happiest decisions you make for many years to come! READ MORE
How can I hydrate my eyes after LASIK?
During LASIK, there is a flap created on the surface of the eye, so laser can be delivered underneath, to correct our vision. The nerve endings in the flap have been cut, so the flap does not have sensation; the nerve endings will grow back and your tear film will eventually get back to normal. However, early in the healing process, your brain doesn't feel the surface of your eyes, so you make less tears than normal. You need to use artificial tears every 1 - 2 hours at the beginning to keep the surface healthy. The best tears to use are tears that help replace the fat layer of the tear film. You can find many good options at the drugstore or any place they sell artificial tears. Since you will be using the tears very frequently, you should only use preservative-free tears until your doctor tells you to decrease to four times a day or less. Hope this helps! READ MORE
What should your eye pressure be?
Normal intraocular pressure should be between 10 - 22mmHg. The thickness of the cornea (the clear circle in the front of the eye) affects the pressure reading, so this should also be measured to get an accurate reading. I hope this info helps. READ MORE
How much does vision correction surgery cost?
The cost of laser vision correction varies, depending upon the type of technology and level of correction needed. When you see ultra low prices advertised, it's not real - the fine print indicates those prices are really for people who don't need or would likely not even qualify for a procedure. The average real price for laser vision correction, with the latest technology by a reputable physician is around $2000/eye - a little more or less, depending upon the level of correction. This includes follow-up care, which is very important, as well as some type of touch-up policy for the future. I hope this helps. Now days, the safety and precision of laser vision correction is amazing - you should get it done and enjoy the freedom of waking up each morning with clear vision! READ MORE
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