Dr. Sandra Lora Cremers
Primary Care, Ophthalmology
Rockville, MD
27 years experience female
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Office
POTOMAC, MD
Visionary Opthalmology
Rockville, MD
About
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CURRICULUM VITAE PART I: General Information <table><tbody><tr><td> Name: </td><td> SANDRA LORA CREMERS, MD, FACS </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> Fellow of American College of Surgeons Diplomat, American Board of Ophthalmology </td></tr><tr><td> Office Address: </td><td> Primary: Visionary Ophthalmology 11300 Rockville Pike, Suite 1202 Rockville, MD 20852, United States Former: Harvard Medical School: Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary 243 Charles Street Boston, MA 02114 , United States </td></tr><tr><td> Phone: </td><td> 301-896-0890 </td></tr><tr><td> Email: </td><td> DrCremers@visionaryeyedoctors.com ; CremersMD@gmail.com </td></tr><tr><td> FAX: </td><td> 301-896-0968 </td></tr></tbody></table> Education: <table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> 1991 </td><td> B.A., Columbia U., Columbia Col. </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 1992 </td><td> M.P.H., (Majority of course work completed), Columbia University, School of Public Health </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 1996 </td><td> M.D., Brown University and Dartmouth University Joint Program In Medicine </td></tr></tbody></table> Postdoctoral Training: <table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> 01/96-12/97 </td><td> Intern in Medicine, Mount Auburn Hospital </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 01/97-12/00 </td><td> Clinical fellow of New York Medical College, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary </td></tr></tbody></table> Licensure and Certification: <table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> 2000 </td><td> BOARD CERTIFIED IN OPHTHALMOLOGY; RE-CERTIFICATION COMPLETED OCTOBER 2011 </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2000 </td><td> VISX, Registered Surgeon </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2000 </td><td> Massachusetts Registered Physician </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2005 </td><td> RESTOR® Certified Surgeon </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2006 </td><td> INTRALASE ® Certified Surgeon </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2006 </td><td> REZOOM® Certified Surgeon </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2007 </td><td> CRYSTALENS® Certified Surgeon </td></tr></tbody></table> 2007 ACRYSOFT IQ TORIC LENS® Certified Surgeon <table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> 2009 </td><td> Florida Registered Physician </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2011 </td><td> Maryland Registered Physician </td></tr></tbody></table> Academic Appointments: <table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> 1996-1997 </td><td> Clinical Fellow in Medicine, Medicine, Beth Israel-Deaconess, Boston, MA </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 1997-2000 </td><td> Clinical Fellow in Surgery, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, New York, NY </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2000-2009 2000-2010 </td><td> Instructor, Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA Surgical Clinical Instructor, Harvard Medical School, Boston , MA </td></tr></tbody></table> Hospital or Affiliated Institution Appointments: <table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> 01/00-11/08 </td><td> Attending Surgeon, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA </td></tr></tbody></table> Hospital and Health Care Organization Clinical Service Responsibilities: <table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> 2005-2009 </td><td> Attending Surgeon in Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary </td></tr></tbody></table> Major Administrative Responsibilities: <table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> 2003-2009 </td><td> Academic Advisor to Residents in Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary </td></tr></tbody></table> Major Committee Assignments: <table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> HMS / HSDM </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2007-2008 </td><td> Bylaw Committee, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> Affiliated Inst </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2000-2008 </td><td> Respiratory Care Committee, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary </td></tr></tbody></table> Professional Societies: <table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> 1992- </td><td> St. Luke's Physician's Guild, Member </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 1992-2001 </td><td> American Medical Association, Member </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 1997-2010 </td><td> American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, Member </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 1997- </td><td> American Academy of Ophthalmology, Member </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 1997-2000 </td><td> New York State Ophthalmological Society, Member </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 1998-2009 </td><td> International Society of Refractive Surgery, Member </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 1998-2010 </td><td> Association for Research and Vision Organization, Member </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 1998- </td><td> American College of Surgeons, Member Fellow, 2003- </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 1999-2000 </td><td> Medial Society of the State of New York, Member </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2004-2009 </td><td> New England Ophthalmological Society (NEOS), Member </td></tr></tbody></table> Community Service Related to Professional Work: <table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> 2001 </td><td> Participant, Governor's Conference on Aging </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2005-2009 </td><td> Lecturer, Massachusetts Homeschooling student groups </td></tr></tbody></table> Editorial Boards: <table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> 2000- </td><td> Reviewer, Journal of Ophthalmology </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2006- </td><td> Reviewer, Archives of Ophthalmology </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2007- </td><td> Reviewer, Ophthalmic Surgery, Lasers and Imaging </td></tr></tbody></table> Awards and Honors: <table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> 1992 </td><td> Dean's list Five of Six semesters, Columbia U., Columbia Col. </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 1996 </td><td> Janet M. Glasgow Memorial Achievement Citation, American Medical Women's Association </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2004-2005 </td><td> Mass Lions Research Grant, Lions Club of Massachusetts </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2004 </td><td> 50th Anniversary Scholars Grant, Harvard Medical School </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2005-2006 </td><td> Mass Lions Research Grant, Lions Club of Massachusetts </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2006-2007 </td><td> National Rosacea Society Grant, Other </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2006-2007 </td><td> CRICO/RMF and Healthcare Research Safety Institute,, Harvard Medical School </td></tr></tbody></table> Part II: Research, Teaching, and Clinical Contributions A. Narrative report of Research, Teaching, and Clinical Contributions This narrative represents the activities during my time at Harvard Medical School's Department of Ophthalmology at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. I. Research: My research interests stem from a desire to improve the lives of my patients. One area of my research involves the use of surgical outcome tools to improve surgical results, improve residents' ability to learn and perform surgery, and to improve our understanding, as well as our patients' understanding, of pre-operative surgical risk and how this relates to outcomes. The second area involves evaluating the role of angiogenesis in ocular rosacea, a chronic, often debilitating condition I see in many of my patients. A. Harvard Medical School Residents in Ophthalmology Cataract-Surgery-Outcomes Study (HMS ROCS): The first area of research I have been interested in since my arrival to the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary is in the area of epidemiological research of surgical teaching. When I was a resident, it was clear that there was no uniform method of assessing or improving surgical skills for residents. Upon my arrival to Harvard Medical School, I wanted to create a more object tool to evaluate surgical skill and surgical bedside manners, and then use the data obtained to improve surgical teaching. In order to address this issue, I developed a protocol entitled the Harvard Medical School Residents in Ophthalmology Cataract Surgery outcomes study (HMS ROCS). This protocol has three key goals. The first goal is to develop new surgical assessment tools to evaluate residents’ surgical competency. The second goal is to use these tools to assess the surgical outcomes of the residents on the service. The third goal is to improve the way we teach surgical skills to our residents and to improve our patients’ surgical outcomes. Thus far we have achieved these goals in the following ways. First, my team developed two new surgical assessment tools called OASIS (Objective Assessment of Skills in Intraocular Surgery) and Global Rating Assessment of Skills in Intraocular Surgery (GRASIS) (published, Journal of Ophthalmology 2005). They have been nationally hailed as models for assessing residents’ surgical competency. Additionally, we developed a similar assessment tool for oculoplastic surgery presented at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting in October 2005 with Dr. Peter Rubin. We have also developed a specific tool for penetrating keratoplasty (OASIS-PK), for LASIK surgery, and for strabismus surgery (GRASS: Global Rating Assessment of Strabismus Surgery) presented at the 2006 annual AAO meeting. Second, we have now created the largest surgical outcomes database of ophthalmology residents in the world. With over 3000 cases thus far, we have been able to evaluate patients’ short term and long term surgical outcomes. Third, we have been able to show the positive effect of this outcomes research on our overall surgical complication rates. In 2004 at the national meeting of the Association of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ASCRS), we reported a statistically significant lower vitreous loss rate in resident-cases staffed by full time surgical attendings. This finding supported a decision in our own department to utilize only full time attending staff as surgical preceptors. Since this change, we found that our overall vitreous loss rate decreased by 31%. For our program, this represented a direct application of data analysis from this objective database. This presentation is also the first report demonstrating the use of an outcomes tool to improve residents’ surgical outcomes. This project will likely be a strong model for other surgical training programs around the world for improving residency training and patients’ surgical outcomes. OASIS is now capturing attending surgeons’ surgical cases as well. As a consequence, we then began comparing surgical outcomes between residents and attendings. In order to do compare results fairly, we developed a surgical risk profile called RACS-Risk Assessment in Cataract Surgery which represents the first valid risk profile in cataract surgery (AAO meeting, Chicago, Il, Nov 2006). Now we are in the process of combining OASIS data with preoperative RACS scores to be able to compare surgical skill and outcomes equitably. RACS will be used to identify which cases a beginning resident can perform versus an experienced resident or can only be performed by at attending surgeon. Additionally, RACS can be used to provide pre-operative surgical counseling to cataract patients. A new project we have started attempts to prove the following hypothesis: surgical patients who are given their RACS score report higher patient satisfaction scores on a tool called PAST (Patient Assessment of Surgical Treatment- developed by our team), than those who are not instructed about their RACS score. If our hypothesis is true, it could mean a major change in how we consent surgical patients as well as identifying surgical risks and decreasing malpractice risks for entire surgical practices and residency programs. In 2009, OASIS became a web-based system in effort to centralize reporting among various hospitals within the Harvard system. The long term goal of OASIS is to centralize reporting of all cataract surgery by ophthalmologist in the US and throughout the world. There are numerous abstracts that have come from the OASIS database. Some of the highlights of OASIS projects in the last year are listed below: 1. Evaluating the incidence of Intraoperative Floppy Iris Syndrome (IFIS) in patients taking commonly prescribed alpha-1-receptor blockers for benign prostatic hypertrophy or urinary retention. These medications have been proven to increase surgical complication rates in cataract surgery if IFIS is not recognized early. We continue to evaluate our data in OASIS to see the effect of these medications on surgical outcomes. Initial findings presented at ARVO 2005. 2. Risk of Cystoid Macular Edema (CME) after cataract surgery. We recently submitted our paper entitled, "Clinical Pseudophakic Cystoid Macular Edema: Risk factors for Development and Duration after treatment," to the Journal of Ophthalmology (September 2006). This is the first paper to our knowledge to show a statistically significant increase in CME risk in patients with a history of retinal vein occlusion, independent of other surgical factors. We also demonstrated the following: that treatment with NSAIDs alone or NSAIDs plus steroids was associated with a faster resolution of CME compared to steroids alone or no treatment; patients with known risk factors for CME (i.e., DM, intraoperative complications), when treated with postoperative prophylactic NSAIDs for at least 1-3 months, had no higher incidence of developing CME than non-high risk group. 3. Increased Intraocular Pressure on the First Postoperative Day Following Resident-Performed Cataract Surgery. Abstract presented ARVO Annual Meeting 2005. Paper submitted to Acta Ophthalmologica, June 2010 with co-authors Jae Yong Kim MD, PhD, Stacey C. Brauner, MD, Zandra Ferrufino-Ponce MD, Rasha Ali, MD, and Bonnie An Henderson, MD. B. The Role of Angiogenesis in Rosacea and Ocular Rosacea The area of research that has captivated my mind and heart is investigating the role of angiogenesis in rosacea and ocular rosacea. Currently no one has fully described this connection pathologically or clinically. Prior to his death, I had the honor of working with Dr. Judah Folkman in an effort to prove the central role of angiogenesis in the pathophysiology of ocular rosacea. Our hypothesis presents the possible connection between severe ocular rosacea and a patient's internal angiogenic risk. I hypothesized that patients with severe ocular rosacea have a higher circulating angiogenic factor and risk profile that increases the risk of other conditions that rely on angiogenesis, such as wet macular degeneration, proliferative diabetic retinopathy (if they have diabetes), and certain internal cancers. Additionally I postulated that severe ocular rosacea is an external sign of high internal risk for many angiogenic-based diseases. Dr. Folkman presented a possible flip side to this hypothesis: namely the possibility that severe ocular rosacea is a sign of protection from other conditions that rely on angiogenesis, such as many cancers, since angiogenic factors are being "used up" in the facial area. We proposed a long term study to evaluate which hypothesis was correct. This study has three phases. In the first phase, we developed a valid severity score criteria for ocular rosacea. Currently there are no published valid tools or systems for diagnosing ocular rosacea. Through the collaboration among 3 academic institutions (MEEI, NYEE, and Bascom Palmer), our tool called SCOR (Severity Criteria for Ocular Rosacea) is a new, innovative system for rating ocular rosacea severity. We initially presented SCOR at the American Academy of Ophthalmology Meeting in Nov. 2006. It is currently in review for publication. In the second phase of the study, we evaluated eyelid margin and conjunctiva biopsies of patients with severe ocular rosacea for levels of angiogenesis markers compared to controls with the help of Dr. Folkman and Dr. Martin Mihm of MGH. Additionally, we are evaluated Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) levels in tear samples of our severe ocular rosacea patients. Our initial results demonstrated an increased level of VEGF and CD31 in patients with severe ocular rosacea. We hope to replicate these results and proceed to measure plasma endostatin, circulating endothelial cells, and circulating progenitor cells in patient with severe ocular rosacea for comparison to controls. Such research will be the first pathologic studies to fully investigate the role of angiogenesis in ocular rosacea. The third phase of the study involves the prospective evaluation of patients with severe ocular rosacea. This phase involves collaboration with departments of dermatology, oncology, epidemiology, and biostatistics. We will report the incidence of cancer, wet macular degeneration, and proliferative diabetic retinopathy in this cohort of patients compared with controls. This is novel research for a condition which affects over 20 million Americans at a cost of over 2 billion per year. In the end, I hope to develop a better understanding of the pathophysiology of ocular rosacea and thus develop a cure. II. Teaching: In the teaching sphere, I have been teaching the residents and fellows the clinical and surgical aspects of ophthalmology in the office and in the operative room since 2000. Most of our teaching sessions involve direct patient care and after hours chart reviews. The creation of the surgical evaluation tools OASIS (Objective Assessment of Skills in Intraocular Surgery) and GRASIS (Global Rating Assessment of Skills in Intraocular Surgery) have helped my ability to teach residents key surgical skills and attributes they need to have for their patients. Before and after each surgical case, I review the OASIS form with the resident and provide formative feedback and constructive criticism. At the end of the surgical day, I review GRASIS with the resident to provide summative feedback. At the end of the rotation, we can provide more objective feedback to the resident in terms of surgical outcomes and GRASIS scores or trends. I also lecture to the residents yearly on surgical techniques for cataract surgery at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and was a participant in the 1st Annual Harvard Medical School Intensive Cataract Course last year. Additionally, I participated in the intensive Lancaster Course Series in Colby College, Colby, Maine for ophthalmology residents from around the country. Finally, I have also been actively involved in teaching the Harvard Medical School students ophthalmology as part of an organized series of classes as well as during their rotation with me on our service. I have also hosted numerous international medical students and foreign ophthalmologists since 2000. Most recently, I helped establish a yearly fellowship at the Comprehensive Ophthalmology Service, and helped launch the careers of three physicians planning to go into ophthalmology (two) and oncology (one). A final educational effort I continue to pursue is as a teacher to my patients. I have made a great effort to improve the explanation of their disease process and treatments for their diseases by creating informative literature and brochures. Additionally I have developed a more uniform method on the service of helping patients explain their symptoms, medical history, and concerns and thus help them communicate more effectively with their surgeon. I also give talks to patient groups about the function of the eye and its disease and have been involved in outside activities aimed at educating patients about preventable eye disease, such as the Governor’s Annual Conference on Aging. By empowering patients with information, I hope to help them decrease their risk for future eye diseases. III. Clinical: In the clinical realm, I am an eye surgeon who specializes in cataract and anterior segment surgery as well as refractive and glaucoma laser surgery at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. I have a busy surgical practice and see over one hundred patients weekly. Additionally, I perform an average of seven laser, extraocular, and intraocular surgeries weekly, including state-of-the art cataract surgery, amniotic membrane transplantation, pterygium excisions, secondary sutured intraocular lens implantations, refractive intraocular lens implantations, refractive laser surgery and laser surgeries for glaucoma. As a surgeon, I stay on the cutting edge of new state-of-the-art techniques and instruments, by continuously incorporating new skills into my clinical practice and by teaching these new techniques to our residents. Recent advances in cataract surgery I have incorporated into my surgical technique and teaching armamentarium include the use of topical anesthesia, advanced chopping techniques, bimanual phacoemulsification, iris-sutured intraocular lens placement, astigmatic keratectomy in combination with cataract extraction, capsular tension ring placement, and refractive intraocular lens implantations, such as the Crystalens, RESTOR, REZOOM, and Toric lenses. I teach these new techniques to our residents as well as other new extra-ocular techniques, such as the use of fibrin glue and amniotic membrane transplants for the excision of conjunctival lesions. By keeping on top of the latest innovations in ophthalmic surgery, I can help form the surgical skills of the next generation of eye surgeons for our patients. As patient education represents a large part of my daily activities in my clinical practice, I am a patient advocate and strongly believe patients should understand as much as possible about their eye condition. In addition to creating patient educational material as discussed above, I believe my work in identifying surgical risks via the tool RACS, can help patients better understand their eye condition and surgical prognosis. B. Funding Information <table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> 2004-2008 </td><td> P.I., Foundation, LIONS-Grant # 75443, Surgical Outcomes after Cataract Surgery </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2004-2006 </td><td> P.I., Harvard Medical School Scholar's Grant, HMS-Grant # 75429, Harvard Medical School Residents in Ophthalmology Cataract Surgery Outcomes Study </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2005-2008 </td><td> P.I., Foundation, LIONS-Grant #75477, Evaluating the Role of Angiogenesis in Rosacea and Ocular Rosacea to Develop New Treatments and Identify Angiogenic Risk </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2006-2007 </td><td> P.I., Foundation, National Rosacea Society, Grant #75504, Evaluating the Role of Angiogenesis in Rosacea and Ocular Rosacea to Develop New Treatments and Identify Angiogenic Risk </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2006-2008 </td><td> P.I., Company, CRICO/RMF, Grant #75522 , Use of a Valid Risk-Assessment Tool and Objective Outcomes Database to Improve Surgical Outcomes and Patient-Surgeon Communications </td></tr></tbody></table> C. Report of Other (Non-Funded) Activities <table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> Co-P.I. </td><td> Harvard Medical School Residents in Ophthalmology Cataract Surgery Outcomes Study </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> P.I. </td><td> The Effect of Phacoemulsification Time and Other Surgical Factors on Corneal Endothelial Cell Counts and Post-Operative Vision </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> P.I. </td><td> The Use of the Heidelberg Retina Tomograph II to Diagnose Cystoid Macular Edema in Normal and Diabetic Patients after Cataract Surgery. </td></tr></tbody></table> D. Report of Teaching 1. Local contributions <table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> a. Medical School Courses </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2000-2002 </td><td> Instructor in Ophthalmology </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> <table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> contact time </td><td> prep time </td></tr><tr><td> Preceptor </td><td> 20 Medical Students </td><td> 20 hours/month for 1 month(s) </td><td> 3 hours/month for 1 month(s) </td></tr></tbody></table> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2005-2008 </td><td> OP502M.8 Advanced Ophthalmology </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> <table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> contact time </td><td> prep time </td></tr><tr><td> Preceptor </td><td> 12 Medical Students </td><td> 25 hours/week for 1 week(s) </td><td> 2 hours/month for 1 month(s) </td></tr></tbody></table> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr></tbody></table> <table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> c. Local Invited Presentation </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> Conference </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2001 </td><td> Surgical Experience with Intraocular Implantation of Memory Lens, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery Conference </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> Lecture </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2000 </td><td> LASIK Experience of Residents at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary Lecturer: 44 participants, 1 hour contact time per year, 10 hours prep time per year </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2000 </td><td> Viscocanulostomy Surgery for Congenital Glaucoma, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary Lecturer: 44 participants, 1 hour contact time per year, 10 hours prep time per year </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2002 </td><td> Topical Anesthesia and Advanced Phacoemulsification Techniques, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Lecturer: 31 participants, 1 hour contact time per year, 10 hours prep time per year </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2004 </td><td> Intraocular lenses/ Ophthalmology lecture series, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Lecturer: 34 participants, 1 hour contact time per year, 7 hours prep time per year </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2004 </td><td> Advanced Phacoemulsification Techniques, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Attending: 30 participants, 1 hour contact time per year, 1 hours prep time per year Lecturer: 30 participants, 1 hour contact time per year, 7 hours prep time per year </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2005 </td><td> Introduction to Phacoemulsification, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Lecturer: 34 participants, 1 hour contact time per year, 7 hours prep time per year </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> Other </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2006, 2011 </td><td> International Federation for Family Development Seminar, Other Co-Coordinator: 50 participants, 30 hours contact time per year, 5 hours prep time </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> Seminar </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2003 </td><td> Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Lecturer: 15 participants, 1 hour contact time per year, 5 hours prep time per year </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2005 </td><td> Harvard Medical School Intensive Cataract Course, Lecturer and Wetlab preceptor, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Attending: 114 participants, 2 hours contact time per year, 1 hours prep time per year Lecturer: 114 participants, 1 hour contact time per year, 1 hours prep time per year </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr></tbody></table> <table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> d. Continuing Medical Education Courses </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2004 </td><td> Future Intraocular Lens Materials/New England Ophthalmology Society Meeting Conference Leader: 170 participants, 1 hour contact time per year, 3 hours prep time per year Lecturer: 170 participants, 1 hour contact time per year, 12 hours prep time per year </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr></tbody></table> <table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> e. Advisory and Supervisory Responsibilities in Clinical or Laboratory Setting </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2003-2010 </td><td> 7 Residents for 200 hrs/year, Surgical Preceptor in operating room, Harvard Medical School </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2003-2008 </td><td> 2 Residents for 15 hrs/year, Mentor, Harvard Medical School </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2003-2008 </td><td> 1 Fellows for 2000 hrs/year, Supervise research activities career counseling, Harvard Medical School </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr></tbody></table> <table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> f. Leadership Roles </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2000-2008 </td><td> Full Time Surgical Preceptor in the Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Responsibility: Teach ophthalmology and ophthalmic surgery to residents and rotating medical students. Special Accomplishments: Established an outcomes tool to assess surgical outcomes objectively, and developed a global evaluation tool to assess residents' surgical skills. </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr></tbody></table> Resident in Ophthalmology, Ivey Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Western Ontario <table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> g. Advisees/Trainees </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> Training Duration </td><td> Name </td><td> Current Position </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2002-2003 </td><td> Tzouvelekis Argyrios, MD </td><td> Assistant Professor, Department of Pneumonology, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis 68100, Greece </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2002-2003 </td><td> Nabeel Farooqui, MD </td><td> Internist, Memphis, Tennessee </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2002-2003 </td><td> Elizabeth Yeu, MD </td><td> Assistant Professor, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2002-2004 </td><td> Isabel Balderas, MD. </td><td> Ophthalmologist, New England Medical Center. </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2002-2004 </td><td> Marcus Ko, MD </td><td> Resident in Ophthalmology, Stanford University </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2003-2004 </td><td> Joseph Ciolino, MD </td><td> Clinical Fellow, Cornea Service, Ophthalmology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2003 </td><td> Renee Hsia, MD </td><td> Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at UCSF </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2004-2006 </td><td> Bharat Samy, MD </td><td> Clinical Fellow in Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2004-2005 </td><td> Zandra Ferrufino-Ponce, MD </td><td> Fellow, Hematology Oncology, University of Washington </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2004-2007 </td><td> Jae Y. Kim, MD, phD </td><td> Research Fellow of Dr. Dimitri Azar 2007; currently Assistant Professor, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Korea </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2005 </td><td> Nicholas Butler, MD </td><td> Resident in Ophthalmology, Brown University </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2005 </td><td> Michael Weiss, MD </td><td> Resident in Ophthalmology, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2005-2010 </td><td> Andrea Lora Kossler, MD </td><td> Resident in Ophthalmology Bascom Palmer, Univ of Miami 2007-2010; Fellow in Oculoplastics, Dr. David T. Tse 2010-2012. Head of Oculoplastics, Stanford University </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2005 </td><td> Renu Chundru, MD </td><td> Resident in Ophthalmology Yale University 2007-2010 </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2005 </td><td> David Camoriano, MD </td><td> Resident in Ophthalmology, University of Texas, Austin, 2007-2010 </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2006-2007 </td><td> Neetu Brar, MD </td><td> Resident in Medicine, Brown University </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2006 </td><td> Apurva Patel, MD </td><td> Resident in Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2006 </td><td> Fazia Ahmad Mir, MD </td><td> Resident in Ophthalmology, The Aga Khan University medical college, Karachi, Pakistan </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2006 </td><td> Kevin Warrian, MD </td><td> Resident in Ophthalmology, Ivey Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Western Ontario </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2007-2009 </td><td> Sarosh Janjua, MD </td><td> Internist, Boston University </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2007 </td><td> Mai Pham, MD </td><td> Internist, Boston University </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2007-2009 </td><td> Sanya Diaz, MD </td><td> Resident in Medicine, University of Miami </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr></tbody></table> 2. Regional, national, or international contributions <table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> a. Invited Presentations </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> Regional </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2004 </td><td> Future Intraocular Lens materials, The New England Ophthalmology Society [Invited Lecture] </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> National </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2001 </td><td> Surgical Experience with Intraocular Implantation of Memory Lens, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery [Other] </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2005 </td><td> Educating the Educators at the Association of University Professors in Ophthalmology: Presentation of Surgical Outcomes Analysis, American Academy of Ophthalmology[Invited Lecture] </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> International </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> 2007 </td><td> International Federation for Family Development Speaker and Panelist: spoke about balance between work and family for working mothers, Rome, Italy, March 2007 , International Federation for Family Development [Invited Lecture] </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr></tbody></table> E. Report of Clinical Activities <table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> 2000- </td><td> Ophthalmology, Cataract Refractive Surgery Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Clinical Activity Description: The Harvard Medical School Residents in Ophthalmology Cataract-Outcomes Study is a way for me to incorporate my clinical work of seeing patients, performing surgery and teaching the residents to perform state-of-the-art cataract surgery with research that improves the lives of my patients. Patient Load: 100/wk; many tertiary referalls for complicated cases Clinical Contributions: Introduction of a new method of assessing and quantitating surgical outcomes in order to improve surgical care and results. Other Relevant Information: I have been invited to speak nationally to professional organizations about our work in evaluating surgical outcomes. My work has been recognized as a national model for surgical outcomes assessments. </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr></tbody></table> Part III: Bibliography Original Articles <table><tbody><tr><td> 1. </td><td> Thakker MM, Perez VL, Moulin A, Cremers SL, Foster CS. Multifocal nodular episcleritis and scleritis with undiagnosed Hodgkin's lymphoma. Ophthalmology. 2003;110(5):1057-60. </td></tr><tr><td> 2. </td><td> Cremers SL, Ciolino JB, Ferrufino-Ponce ZK, Henderson BA. Objective Assessment of Skills in Intraocular Surgery (OASIS). Ophthalmology. 2005;112(7):1236-41. </td></tr><tr><td> 3. </td><td> Cremers SL, Lora AN, Ferrufino-Ponce ZK. Global Rating Assessment of Skills in Intraocular Surgery (GRASIS). Ophthalmology. 2005;112(10):1655-60. </td></tr><tr><td> 4. </td><td> Cremers, SL. Reply to Letter to the Editor by Dr. Andrew Lee. Ophthalmology. 2006. </td></tr><tr><td> 5. </td><td> Kim JY, Ali R, Cremers SL, Henderson BA. Perioperative prophylaxis for post-cataract extraction endophthalmitis. Int Ophthalmol Clin. 2007;47(2):1-14. </td></tr><tr><td> 6. </td><td> Brar N, Cremers SL. Assessing surgery skills. Ophthalmology. 2007;114(8):1587. </td></tr><tr><td> 7. </td><td> Henderson BA, Kim JY, Ament CS, Ferrufino-Ponce ZK, Grabowska A, Cremers SL. Clinical pseudophakic cystoid macular edema. Risk factors for development and duration after treatment. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2007;33(9):1550-8. </td></tr></tbody></table> Reviews/Chapters/Editorials <table><tbody><tr><td> 1. </td><td> Cremers, SL. The Long Eye. In: Pineda, et al. The Complicated Cataract. Philadelphia: SLACK; 2001. </td></tr><tr><td> 2. </td><td> Cremers, SL. . The Short Eye. In: Pineda, et al. The Complicated Cataract. Philadelphia: SLACK; 2001. </td></tr><tr><td> 3. </td><td> Cremers, SL. Anterior Segment and Lens. In: Just the Facts. New York: Mosby; 2002. </td></tr><tr><td> 4. </td><td> Cremers, SL. Reply to Letter to the Editor by Dr. Andrew Lee. Ophthalmology. 2006. </td></tr><tr><td> 5. </td><td> Cremers, SL. Amniotic Membrane Transplant. In: Hersh P, et al. Ophthalmic Surgical Procedures. New York: Thieme; 2009. </td></tr><tr><td> 6. </td><td> Crandon, A. Cremers, SL. Cataract Section. In: Hersh P, et al. Ophthalmic Surgical Procedures. New York: Thieme; 2009. </td></tr><tr><td> 7. </td><td> Cremers, SL. Lora, AN., Azar, N. Pediatric Cataract. In: Hersh P, et al. Ophthalmic Surgical Procedures. New York: Thieme; 2009. </td></tr><tr><td> 8. </td><td> Mead, M. Cremers, SL. Preoperative Care and Instructions. In: Ophthalmic Surgical Procedures. Hersh P, et al. New York: Thieme; 2009. </td></tr><tr><td> 9. </td><td> Cremers, SL. Henderson, BA. Sutured Intraocular Lens. In: Hersh P, et al. Ophthalmic Surgical Procedures. New York: Thieme; 2009. </td></tr></tbody></table> Books, Monographs, and Textbooks <table><tbody><tr><td> 1. </td><td> Hersh PS, Zagelbaum B, Cremers SL. Ophthalmic Surgical Procedures (second edition). New York: Thieme Publishing 2009. </td></tr><tr><td> 2. </td><td> Sandra Lora Cremers, MD, FACS; Sarosh Janjua,MD . Periorbital and Orbital Cellulitis . In: British Medical Journal, Editor: Dr. Shannon Amoils. London, England: British Medical Journal; 2007. (Monograph: Editor: Dr. Shannon Amoils .) </td></tr></tbody></table> Educational Materials <table><tbody><tr><td> 1. </td><td> Cremers S., Buxton D. Multilayer Amniotic Membrane Transplant for Corneal Reconstruction after Trabeculectomy. 2000. </td></tr><tr><td> 2. </td><td> Lora Cremers S. The Red Eye. 2000. </td></tr><tr><td> 3. </td><td> Lora Cremers S., Cazal J., Buxton D. Reconstructive Keratoplasty for Traumatic Anterior Staphyloma. 2000. </td></tr><tr><td> 4. </td><td> Cremers S. Meibomian Gland Disease and Blepharitis Treatment Instructions. 2004. </td></tr><tr><td> 5. </td><td> Cremers S. Guidelines for Resident Rotation on Comprehensive Ophthalmology Service. 2004. </td></tr><tr><td> 6. </td><td> Lora Cremers S. Teaching chopping techniques to Novice Surgeons. 2004. </td></tr></tbody></table> NonPrint Materials <table><tbody><tr><td> 1. </td><td> Lora Cremers S. The Red Eye; 2000. Published on Emergency.net web site. </td></tr><tr><td> 2. </td><td> Lora Cremers, S., Buxton, D. Multilayer Amniotic Membrane Transplant for Corneal Reconstruction After Trabeculectomy.; 2000.Video. Film Festival ASCRS 2000. . </td></tr><tr><td> 3. </td><td> Lora Cremers, S., Cazal, J., Buxton, D. Reconstructive Keratoscleroplasty for Traumatic Anterior Staphyloma.; 2000.Video presented at the Film Festival ASCRS 2000. </td></tr><tr><td> 4. </td><td> Cremers SL. Teaching chopping techniques to Novice Surgeons.; 2004. Instructional video presented at the Film Festival, ASCRS 2004. </td></tr></tbody></table> Abstracts <table><tbody><tr><td> 1. </td><td> Lora Cremers, S., McCormick, S., Koster, H. . Corneal Opacities in Hypolipoproteinemic States: Biochemical and Ultrastructural Studies of Four Patients. A comparison of Tangier Disease, LCAT Deficiency Disease, and Fish Eye Disease by electron microscopy. Poster, ARVO Annual Meeting. 1998. </td></tr><tr><td> 2. </td><td> Cremers SL, Ciolino JB, Henderson BA. Attending Consistency as a Factor in the Complication Rate of Cataract Surgery by Residents. Paper Presentation, ASCRS Annual Symposium. 2004. </td></tr><tr><td> 3. </td><td> Ciolino JB, Henderson BA, Cremers SL. Retrospective Study of Vitreous Loss Rate in Cataract Surgery Performed by Residents. Poster, ASCRS Annual Symposium. 2004. </td></tr><tr><td> 4. </td><td> Ciolino JB, Cremers SL, Henderson BA. Axial Length is a Factor in the Complication Rate in Cataract Surgery Performed by Residents. Poster, ARVO Annual Meeting. 2004. </td></tr><tr><td> 5. </td><td> Cremers SL, Acharya N, Henderson BA, Ciolino J. Retrospective Study of Outcomes after Phacoemulsification Cataract Extraction and Sulcus Intraocular Lens Implantation. Poster, ARVO Annual Meeting. 2004. </td></tr><tr><td> 6. </td><td> Barat S., Ferrufino-Ponce ZK., Henderson BA., Cremers SL. Effect of Wound Location on Surgically Induced Astigmatism in Resident Cataract Surgery. Poster, ARVO Annual Meeting. 2005. </td></tr><tr><td> 7. </td><td> Wee R., Ferrufino-Ponce ZK., Cremers SL., Henderson BA. Incidence of Reoperation after Cataract Surgery. Poster, ARVO Annual Meeting. 2005. </td></tr><tr><td> 8. </td><td> Ferrufino-Ponce ZK., Tanhehco T., Henderson BA., Cremers SL. Posterior Capsular Opacification Rates of Different Intraocular lenses after Cataract Extraction by Residents. Poster, ARVO Annual Meeting. 2005. </td></tr><tr><td> 9. </td><td> Brauner S., Ferrufino-Ponce ZK., Cremers SL., Henderson BA. Incidence of Increased Intraocular Pressure on Postoperative Day one Following Cataract Surgery. Poster, ARVO Annual Meeting. 2005. </td></tr><tr><td> 10. </td><td> Cremers, SL, Lora, AN, Ferrufino-Ponce, ZK. Risk Assessment in Cataract Surgery (RACS). Poster, AAO Annual Meeting. 2005. </td></tr><tr><td> 11. </td><td> Henderson BA, Ferrufino-Ponce ZK, Grabowska A, Cremers SL . Clinical Pseudophakic Cystoid Macular Edema: Risk factors for Development and Duration after Treatment. Poster, AAO Annual Meeting. 2005. </td></tr><tr><td> 12. </td><td> Lora, AN, Cremers, SL, Ciolino, J, Rubin, P. Global Assessment of Skills in Plastic Surgery of the Eye (GASPSE). Poster, AAO Annual Meeting. 2005. </td></tr><tr><td> 13. </td><td> Kim JY, Ali R, Cremers SL, Henderson BA. Decreased Incidence of Posterior Capsular Tears and Vitreous Loss in Cataract Surgeries Performed by Left-Handed Residents. Poster, ARVO Annual Meeting. 2006. </td></tr><tr><td> 14. </td><td> Camoriano GD, Kim JY, Henderson BA, Cremers SL. Predictors of Poor Refractive Outcome in Patients after Cataract Surgery. Poster, ARVO Annual Meeting. 2006. </td></tr><tr><td> 15. </td><td> Joseph P, Kim JY, Henderson BA, Cremers SL. Report of Tamsulosin Linked Intraoperative Floppy Iris Syndrome (IFIS) Incidence, Associated Complications, and Visual Outcomes in the Large Residents’ Cataract-Outcomes Database, OASIS. Poster, ARVO Annual Meeting. 2006. </td></tr><tr><td> 16. </td><td> Ciolino JB, Kim JY, Henderson BA, Cremers SL. The Role of Anterior Chamber Depth in the Complication Rate in Cataract Surgery Performed by Residents. Poster, ARVO Annual Meeting. 2006. </td></tr><tr><td> 17. </td><td> Kim, J., Brar, N, Cremers, S. Scoring Criteria for Ocular Rosacea (SCOR). Poster, Presented at the AAO Annual Meeting, Las Vegas, NV. 2006. </td></tr></tbody></table>
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
LASIK Surgery
ophthalmology
Licenses
United States: Maryland
Languages spoken
English
Doctor Q&A
1.5K Answers
5.2K Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 29-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Potentially: Poor vision can cause depression, anxiety, tiredness; If have best glasses & tear film stable & still have decreased vision, glare (esp night... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Vision loss: Vision loss can be due to many things: most common is need for new glasses. If still not correctable vision: can be due to cataracts, glaucoma, macula... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Signs of cataract: Cataracts cause halos/glare especially when driving at night, blurry vision, loss of contrast sensitivity (decreased contrast between objects & ba... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Implant: IOL: Depending on other risk factors (length of eye: if very short; history of other eye, h/o trauma, diabetes, on aspirin, general health, etc) cataract s... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Likely yes; depends: Cataracts (white lens change): most often due to or made worse by (most common first): aging, genetics predisposition, excessive sun exposure, smoking... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Cataract & Diabetes: Snowflake cataract is a type of cataract seen commonly in Type 1 diabetics;most frequent type of cataract seen in diabetics is senile type& PSC ty... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
246 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Pteryium: Prevention is key remedy. Avoid sun (sunglasses, hat); avoid smoking. Natural rx info: see eyedoc2020.blogspot.com; Other ways to help decrease sympto... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Usually minimally: Any surgery can cause post operative pain. In cataract surgery this is usually minimal and lasts usually only for a couple of days.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Get rid of Pterygium: Prevention is key remedy. Avoid sun (sunglasses, hat); avoid smoking. Natural rx info: see eyedoc2020.blogspot.com; Other ways to help decrease sympto... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Cataract symptoms: Cataracts cause halos/glare especially when driving at night, blurry vision, loss of contrast sensitivity (decreased contrast between objects & ba... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Depends on IOL: Depending on the intraocular lens placed, most IOLS have UV protection. Still sunglasses are recommended to protect macula as light can theoretically ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Possibly yes: Pterygium:very common, abnormal growth of clear covering (conjunctiva) of white part of the eye (sclera) over the cornea (window of the eye). If sever... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Generally no: Halos and glare can be worse after LASIk if the patient has significant dry eyes or early lens changes. With modern wavefront treatments, haloes and g... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
926 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Depends:: Not all cataracts require surgery. If best vision is worse than 20/40 or glare is significantly affecting VA, most surgeons prefer to do surgery soone... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Pterygium medication: Prevention is key remedy. Avoid sun (sunglasses, hat); avoid smoking. Natural rx info: see eyedoc2020.blogspot.com; Other ways to help decrease sympto... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Best to bring driver: Complication risk is very low & it is best time in history to have cataract surgery, but best to bring driver as vision most often is blurry after... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 29-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Remove lens: The lens (behind iris) is usually clear & is like a pillow in a pillow case. When cloudy/white & affecting vision, surgery recommended. Goal i... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 32-year-old female asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Dark Circles: Circles under eye can be due to: allergy "allergic shiners", fatigue, genetic variation, aging. Lower lid skin is very thin so blood vessels under sk... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Vision: Poor vision can be due to many things. If you were told you have a lazy eye or amblyopia, using your glasses and general good eye health practices are... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Red Eye: Red eyes can be due to many reasons. If due to a virus, it can be very contagious. If due to a dry climate, due to allergies, or due to a growth over ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
1 comment
A 44-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Depends: Sharp pain behind the eyes can be due to many issues: most common is dry eye. Much less common causes: infection, inflammation, sinusitis, tumor.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Likely nothing: Deer ticks can spread lyme disease through a tick bite, but there has been no published case report of lyme from tick juice into the eye.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
LASIK: Lasik should be done when the glasses rx (refraction) is stable & test show you a safe candidate. Risks include dry eye, glare & haloes, infection, c... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 23-year-old female asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Call your OBGYN: Women can develop a tendency to get blood clots after having a baby (due to hormones, lying in bed). Clots in the legs can be very dangerous. Call you... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old female asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
No: The fda package insert does not report cataract as a side effect of mtx. Patients with RA can get inflammation in the eye which can cause a cataract. ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 29-year-old female asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Very successful: Lasik should be done when the glasses rx (refraction) is stable & test show you a safe candidate. Risks include dry eye, glare & haloes, infection, c... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
No real down side: Not all cataracts require surgery. If best vision is worse than 20/40 or glare is significantly affecting VA, most surgeons prefer to do surgery soone... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 21-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
PCO Posterior Cap: Posterior Capsular Opacification; Eye lens normally clear: like a "pillow in a pillowcase". When cloudy/white & affecting vision, need surgery. Go... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Femtosecond laser: Best way to treat cataracts is with surgery: traditional phacoemulsification/ultrasound energy is used to remove a cataract. Innovative Femtosecond la... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Dry Eyes & Restatsis: Dry eyes can be very frustrating!there are many therapy options: best to start naturally (warm compresses, diluted baby shampoo scrubs) & move up a "l... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old male asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Stem Cells: Adult stem cells have helped Leukemia, lymphoma. We have been using limbal stem cell transplants in eye surgery for years with excellent results. Se... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
677 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old male asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Pterygium CoconutOil: Coconut oil does not cure. Pterygium: common, abnormal growth of clear covering (conjunctiva) of eye's white part (sclera) over the cornea (window of ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Pterygium Treatment: Pterygium:very common, abnormal growth of clear covering (conjunctiva) of white part of the eye (sclera) over the cornea (window of the eye). Dependin... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Red bump: It is likely that it was a pimple/blackhead and is still healing. Herpes usually has more than just one "bump" in a defined area if not located on th... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old female asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Cyst on Face: Most encapsulated cysts are not cancerous. They can be removed with a minor surgical procedure: the wall of the cyst usually also needs to be removed ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 70-year-old female asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
See eyeMD: Conjunctivitis (redness/inflammation of conjunctiva) after cataract surgery is not uncommon & can be due to: blepharitis, allergic (most common fr... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 32-year-old female asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Yes: Prevention is key remedy. Avoid sun (sunglasses, hat); avoid smoking. Natural rx info: see eyedoc2020.blogspot.com; Other ways to help decrease sympto... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Toric IOL: Toric implants correct for astigmatism and distance vision. They do not correct for reading unless it is a Trulign (Crystalens Toric) or Restor Toric ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 50-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Head hurts: Head hurts/above eye/behind brow arch could be due to: dehydration, diet issues/sensitivities (see eyedoc2020@blogspot.com for more info; sinusitis (s... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Sports after CE: After the first 5-7 days after cataract surgery, swimming is usually allowed (depending on your eyeMD's evaluation). You can get in the water even bef... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 18-year-old female asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Blurry vision: Blurred vision and changes in color of vision can be due to: optic nerve perfusion issues (check all meds; BCP often culprit; check Blood pressure), n... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old female asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Bulging out of eyes: A new bulging out of eyes without pain: most likely thyroid eye dz; if painful or with redness of skin/eye & short of bread & ankles swollen: ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Yes: Pterygium: common, abnormal growth of clear covering (conjunctiva) of eye's white part (sclera) over the cornea (window of the eye). If severe & c... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 18-year-old female asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Persistent blurry VA: Persistent blurry VA can be due to chronic dry eyes (meibomian gland scarring), medications (birth control pills), hormonal changes or diabetes, lens ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 25-year-old male asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Do you have pain: Do you have pain in neck or back? Any difficulty breathing? Have you ever had shingles? If the answer to these are no, then it is less likely to be da... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
972 viewsAnswered >2 years agoMerged
A 39-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Safe Cataract Surger: Depending on other risk factors (length of eye: if very short; history of other eye, h/o trauma, diabetes, on aspirin, flomax, (tamsulosin) general he... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 63-year-old male asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
After Cataract Surg: After Small Incision Cataract Surgery, most eyeMD still recommend no bending, lifting heavy things, straining for at least 3-5 days with shield on at ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 42-year-old female asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Knuckles bruising : This can be due to many things: can you send a photo? Are you on any blood thinners. Diagnosis can range from being on blood thinners to dermatomyosit... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
807 viewsAnswered >2 years agoMerged
A 42-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Depends on location: If retinal detachment (RD) involves the macula, there is a higher risk vision may not return to what it was prior to RD or 20/20. Surgery for RDs are ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:

Dr. Sandra Lora Cremersanswered
Ophthalmology 27 years experience
Pain behind eye: Pain behind eye when blinking can be due to: clogged meibomian glands. Do you have any history of sinusitis or light sensitivity? Consult with us to h... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
695 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
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.
17
Recommendations
1.0K
Thank you notes
Oct 31, 2014
Just learned of Dr. Cremer, what a wonderful surprise! Reading Dr. Cremer's responses is like doing a fellowship in ophthalmology. I learn with each and every one and cannot wait to explore her blog....Read More
Dr. Philip Miller
Aug 22, 2016
I highly endorse and recommend Dr. Sandra Lora Cremers as an expert consultant in ophthalmolgy. She is astuter, concise, informative and educational in her answers. Dr. Cremers is an asset to the Heal...Read More
Apr 11, 2015
Dr Sandra Lora Cremers is an excellent physician, very knowledgeable,passionate, and on the top of her field. She is a great value to the people of MD, and to the family of health tap
HealthTap member
This made me feel good. Thanks! Thank you for mentioning pain... no one ever cares about that, not in my 15 years of dealing with this atleast. I'll be going on a 4hr IV med every week soon, it's not ...Read More
HealthTap member
This was very helpful. Thanks! thanks for this answer , i took an aspirin (Disprin )last night after feeling a headache and pains on legs. when i woke there was a blood clot on my eye. Does this mean ...Read More
HealthTap member
This was very helpful. Thanks! ThankU! And yes there is a great deal of treatment that I didn't know about til now and I'm getting a SCS put in.It helped with the PHN pain everywhere except my facial ...Read More
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, RI
Graduated 1996MD
Residency
New York Eye and Ear Infirmary
Awards
Harvard Medical School: CRICO/RMF and Healthcare Research Safety Institute,
National Rosacea Society Grant for Research investigating role of Angiogenesis and Ocular Rosacea
Mass Lions Research Grant, Lions Club of Massachusetts: Research in Surgical Outcomes Evaluations; Improving Our Understanding for Better Surgical Outcomes
Affiliations
Fellow, American College of Surgeons
American Board of Ophthalmology, Examiner
American Academy of Ophthalmology
Publications
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