Dr. Stephen Khachikian
Ophthalmology
Rapid City, SD
22 years experience male
Locations
Office
Rapid City, SD
Phone
Practice website
About
SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Ophthalmology
Licenses
United States: South Dakota
Languages spoken
English
Doctor Q&A
112 Answers
36 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Possibly: Vitreous detachments can occur spontaneously, or from trauma. Vigorous eye rubbing could possibly cause enough trauma to precipitate a vitreous detach... Read More
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Dry eye: Could be dry eye but difficult to say. You can try some lubricating drops (tears) available over the counter to see if they help but if there is no im... Read More
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 59-year-old female asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Maybe: Canaloplasty is a good procedure and may lower you pressure but results do vary. It is safer than trabeculectomy and less invasive. It also leaves the... Read More
5.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 19-year-old female asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
More info: It could be dry eyes or blepharitis or other cause of red eyes. It says you take synthroid (thyroxine) so a condition called thyroid eye disease could... Read More
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Yes: Yes both soft and rigid contact lenses can correct astigmatism.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
An infection: A corneal ulcer is an infection on the surface of the eye. It is usually treated with antibiotics. If severe the ulcer can lead to scarring and reduce... Read More
5.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 62-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Complex Situation: You have a difficult case. The cme may resolve overtime and is a consequence of any eye surgery. The wrinkled graft may clear over time as well (up to... Read More
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
This depends: This depends on where the telangectasias are. On the skin or eye lid they are associated with redness and inflammation, and can be seen with blepharit... Read More
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Swelling: Most likely this is referring to swelling of the retina. Many times with wet macular degeneration one can have swelling or bleeding in the retina cau... Read More
6.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Depends: This depends on the type and severity of glaucoma but can range from once every 3 months to once a year.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years agoMerged
A member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Rest and Lubricate: Eye pain associated with stress may be due to eye dryness. Often when overly stressed and focused on a certain task our eyes will dry out. This leads ... Read More
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Depends: This depends on the type of conjunctivitis. Usually it can take up to two weeks to resolve completely. Some types of conjunctivitis like bacterial or ... Read More
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 54-year-old female asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Depends: This depend and you should consider talking directly with your eye doctor. It may have been a vitreous detachment which is benign but is sometimes ass... Read More
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Yes: When your eyes tear up and you are tired (at the end of a long day for example) this is often an indication that your eyes have become dry throughout ... Read More
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Its possible: It is possible that the alphagan (brimonidine) is causing the symptoms you are having. I would speak to your ophthalmologist and see if there is anoth... Read More
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Any profession: While persons with high amounts of myopia can have a higher rate of retinal tears or detachments, proper glasses or contacts or lasik should yield 20/... Read More
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Possibly: This may be blepharitis or inflammation of the lids sometimes related to a low grade infection and sometimes related to blocked glands in the lid. You... Read More
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 29-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
2-7 days: Depending on the severity this will usually take between one day and one week.
5.8k viewsAnswered >2 years agoMerged
A 29-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Depends: This depends on the cause of the scratch. If it is still bothersome after a day or so then you should see your eye doctor. They will likely place you ... Read More
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
For cataract surgery: When we perform cataract surgery we remove the lens of the eye. In order for the patient to see the lens needs to be replaced. The replacement lens is... Read More
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Yes: Yes there are contact for hyperopia. You can also wear glasses or consider lasik to correct hyperopia.
5.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Yes depends: Yes but it depends on the changes. Severe changes should be evaluated immediateley while mild changes may be related to dry eye that can be seen after... Read More
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Depends : This depends on the type of transplant and can range from 1-2 weeks for a lamellar transplant to 3 months for a full thickness transplant. This also d... Read More
5.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Depends: This really depends on the surgeon and it is very difficult to label with a single number of surgeries.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
No: It is not recommended to swim in your contact lenses.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Maybe: In reality "pink eye" can have a lot of causes but usually refers to conjunctivitis. There are different types of conjunctivitis. The most common woul... Read More
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
For cataract surgery: When we perform cataract surgery we remove the lens of the eye. In order for the patient to see the lens needs to be replaced. This lens implant is p... Read More
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Excellent: This is a curative procedure for narrow angle glaucoma and works very well. It is usually done in both eyes.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Works well: In eye disease it is often infection and resultant inflammation that cause problems. Treating both inflammation and infection simultaneously can reduc... Read More
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Declines as we age: In general, seniors have poorer vision due to various eye conditions that progress as we age such as cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration. Sen... Read More
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Peripheral vision: Typically glaucoma patients lose peripheral vision first and then if the glaucoma progresses central vision can be lost. Rarely some central loss can ... Read More
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Yes: Yes prolonged eye contact without blinking will cause the eye to dry out leading to distortion in vision.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old male asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Dryness: This is most likely dryness whic may improve with the use of an over the counter lubricant drop. If the pain persists despite the use of the lubricant... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old female asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
See your doctor.: Viral meningitis comes to mind here, as do a few other conditions. You should see your general doctor and consider a further workup. and MRI may not b... Read More
1.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 19-year-old male asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Unknown: There is not a direct correlation between prescription and uncorrected vision but it is probably around 20/400. We almost always use corrected vision... Read More
1.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 20-year-old female asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Warm compresses and: In addition to the compresses massage the lid. It will he more swollen for the time being but may help release the material in the blocked duct in th... Read More
1.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Definitely: A good rule of thumb is to always take your contacts out at night. Leaving them in increases the risk of infection exponentially.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Yes: Yes astigmatism can cause visual disturbances. In most cases this can be corrected with glasses or contact lenses. In very severe cases sometimes surg... Read More
5.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Inflammation : This drop is used for inflammation pain and swelling. There are many variants of this drop which are in use today most commonly after cataract surgery... Read More
5.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Yes: Yes but usually we recommend putting the drops in 5 minutes apart so they do not wash each other out.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
None: There are no over the counter eye medications equivalent to ibuprofen.
5.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Yes: Yes vitreous hemorrhage can be caused by excessive straining. This is not common but is possible.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Lubrication Steroids: Lubrication drops and mild steroids can help with a pterygium and associated inflammation. Usually treatment eventually requires surgical removal and ... Read More
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Depends: This depends on the type of gas used but usually the bubble resolves over 4-8 weeks.
5.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
For cataract surgery: When we perform cataract surgery we remove the lens of the eye. In order for the patient to see the lens needs to be replaced. The replacement lens is... Read More
5.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 21-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
An infection: This is an infection that occurs on the surface of the cornea. It is usually treated with antibiotics. If severe this can lead to scarring and reduced... Read More
5.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
It depends: Looking at all patients the number is between 5 and 15 percent. However everyone heals differently so the number can vary. Many patients with larger p... Read More
6.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Yes: Yes this is true for everyone although most people dont realize it. The peripheral retina (the part of the eye that detects light) is actually more se... Read More
6.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Yes: Yes, diabetes can cause both short and long term visual problems some of which are reversible and some which are not. The best way to prevent and pote... Read More
6.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stephen Khachikiananswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Not Usually: There are not any specific eye exercises that we recommend to aid recovery after corneal transplant surgery.
5.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
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TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
2
Recommendations
250
Thank you notes
HealthTap member
Mar 30, 2015
Dr. Khachikian is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Mar 31, 2015
Dr. Khachikian is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
i have telangecatasia on my chest and on my arms, not alot but have little red dots that go away for a second when you press on it. i hope its not going to cause health problems! thanks for your answe...Read More
HealthTap member
Your answer was very helpful! Thanks :) Thanks a lot.
Regards, Lusina Voskanyan
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! Share thanks in your own words...
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
Albany Medical College, NY
Graduated 2000MD
Awards
Top Doctor, Second Place, South Dakota - Summer
2013
Most Influential, Second Place, South Dakota - Summer
2013
Thought Leader, Second Place, South Dakota - Summer
2013
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