Chippewa Valley Eye Clinic, along with Oakleaf Surgical Hospital, is now offering local retinal surgical services, thanks to surgeon, Dr. Alex Ringeisen.

In the past, patients who were in need of retinal surgery were often redirected to practices outside of the Chippewa Valley to receive surgery and treatment.

Dr. Ringeisen previously practiced at VitreoRetinal Surgery in Minneapolis.

His practice relocation to Eau Claire has allowed for local medical and surgical retina procedures including intravitreal injections, retinal laser treatments, repair of detached retina, macular hole and removal of floaters — most of which will be done at Oakleaf Surgical Hospital.

In the past, patients who were in need of retinal surgery were often redirected to practices outside of the Chippewa Valley to receive surgery and treatment.

Dr. Ringeisen enjoys teaching patients and their families about vitreoretinal disorders . It is his goal to have all patients understand and be actively involved in their treatment plan.

Dr. Ringeisen sees patients at Chippewa Valley Eye Clinic Monday – Thursday, and began surgeries at Oakleaf Surgical Hospital in February 2021.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Ringeisen, call 715.834.8471.

Chippewa Valley is thrilled to welcome Alex Ringeisen, MD, ophthalmologist, to its team. Dr. Ringeisen is a vitreoretinal surgeon who specializes in medical and surgical retina procedures. Click to read more. 

Board certified in ophthalmology, Dr. Dow founded Chippewa Valley Eye Clinic in 1978. After joining Dr. Frank Brown, who retired shortly after, he merged three clinics into one. Outgrowing 2 buildings, adding new doctors every few years and additional locations; Chippewa Valley Eye Clinic continues to grow and flourish.

Some of Dr. Dow’s plans for retirement include racquetball, pickle ball and tennis. He is excited to practice his new cello in his spare time, but is most looking forward to, “driving the grandpa bus around town for the four grandkids.”

Although retiring, he will continue his career of research with his new treatment center, called Mindful Diagnostics & Therapeutics. Designed to mitigate Alzheimer’s disease, an individualized patient protocol is created for candidates with dementia risk. Mindful Diagnostics & Therapeutics is located in the Eau Claire Medical building. For more information, visit www.mindfuldt.com.

Eau Claire (WQOW) – Keep your eye on the ball? Or, in a minute, maybe you’ll be thinking just the opposite trying to figure out how to keep your eyes away from balls, bats, and rackets.

April is “Sports Eye Safety Awareness Month”. If there’s something worth looking after, it’s your eyes. One small accident can create a lifetime of potential problems.

A dart is to blame for the blindness in Bob Rubenzer’s right eye, and a sudden poke continues to provoke change for Dan Jasurda.

“So, I was going for a rebound, and the guy just caught my eye,” Jasurda said. “Every morning when I wake up, basically, the skin on my eye catches with my eye lid, and I have to rub out in a circular motion to detach the skin until basically it un-catches from my eyelid,” Jasurda said.

Dr. Rebecca Kabat, the optometrist at River Valley Vision in Eau Claire, said any blunt trauma to the eye can cause you to run the risk of the eye compressing. “When it bends in and pulls back out, the retina can detach and that’s the inside lining of your eye which is responsible for your vision,” Dr. Kabat said.

From darts to buckets, and especially sports with rackets, the American Academy of Ophthalmology puts sports, like these at the top of the list for aiding in potential eye injuries. “I hit myself, and I split my eyebrow, and I think there’s a split in my eyebrow to this day,” said Mike Oneill, who plays racquetball at the Eau Claire YMCA.

According to AAO, every year more than 40,000 athletes suffer from some time of an eye injury. Denae Murmer, the optical supervisor at Chippewa Valley Eye Clinic, said eye injuries can be prevented. “90% of injuries with your eyes can be prevented with proper eye wear,” Murmer said.

If you’d like to have protective eye wear for your sport, look for something that’s ASTM standard, which Murmer said is a label that indicates the eyewear is made for sports.

After all, Dr. Kabat said your eyes are the only pair you get and cannot be replaced.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends choosing eye protectors that have been tested to meet the American Society of Testing and Materials Standard (ASTM).

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Each year, more than 40 thousand athletes suffer from an eye injury. The good news is that 90 percent of serious eye injuries are preventable with protective eyewear, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).

Although the risk of eye injury can vary depending on the activity, regular eyeglasses do not offer proper eye protection. Make sure the level of eye protection you or others in your family use is appropriate for the type of activity.

Chippewa Valley Eye Clinic is committed to providing the safest and most advanced eye care, serving the people in Western Wisconsin for the past 35 years. With its dedicated team of seven ophthalmologists and three optometrists, Chippewa Valley Eye Clinic delivers personalized patient care, surgical expertise, and outstanding results.

Dr. Tom Harvey, an ophthalmologist at Chippewa Valley Eye Clinic, said if you start having trouble seeing things directly in front of you, or see spots, you should visit your eye doctor. They will be able to look into the back of your eye to see if there is damage.

“Most of those are transient changes that will go away over three to six months, but the healing may be incomplete, and there may be some permanent loss,” Harvey said. “So, its important to be evaluated by a good eye doctor.”

Harvey said a doctor can provide you with eye drops to try and help the problem, but chances are once the eye is damaged, it is permanent.