If there is a problem or condition that relates to the eye, Sanjay Kamat, D.O., has seen it before. Yet this is merely one reason why his Yardley-based ophthalmology practice, Bucks Eye Specialists, has thrived since he took the helm in 2009.
“We’re striving to provide full, comprehensive eye care, more than merely prescriptions for glasses or contacts,” he says. “There’s a definite personal touch in the level of service we offer; you’re going to spend a lot of personal time with a physician here, and you won’t feel as if you’re being offered services we’re not trained to perform because of the level of our expertise.”
Dr. Kamat and his small yet experienced staff provide unmatched care in treating conditions such as cataracts; ptosis (drooping of the upper eyelid, which can compromise one’s vision); dry eye; diabetic retinopathy (damage to retinal blood vessels caused by diabetes); and blepharitis (chronic inflammation of the eyelids). They also help patients avert even more serious conditions, such as macular degeneration and eyelid cancers. Of course, the practice is also a local destination for perfectly fitted eyeglasses and contact lenses, as well as all-laser, bladeless LASIK services.
Dr. Kamat’s history speaks volumes. After graduating at the top of his class from Pennsbury High School, Dr. Kamat earned a bachelor’s in premedicine and a master’s in physiology from Pennsylvania State University. He attended medical school at Kansas City University of Medicine and Bioscience, and then returned to Philadelphia for his ophthalmology residency at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, where he served as chief resident. He also worked at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, where he gained invaluable experience in complicated cataract surgery and oculoplastic trauma.
A board-certified fellow of the American Osteopathic College of Ophthalmology, Dr. Kamat devotes as much as 85 percent of his time to direct patient care, though he also takes time to educate the next generation of physicians devoted to eye care. He is a clinical instructor at the Wills Eye Institute in Philadelphia and is also the ophthalmologist for the Cancer Treatment Centers of America’s Northeast Regional Center in Philadelphia. Furthermore, he is on staff at Campus Eye Group in Hamilton, N.J.; St. Mary’s Medical Center, Aria Health’s Bucks County Campus and Forest Health Medical Center, all of Langhorne; and the Wills Eye Surgical Network at its locations in Warminster and Cherry Hill.
The practice has grown steadily in size, scope and capability since Dr. Kamat took it over from his childhood ophthalmologist, Barry Kutner, M.D., in March 2009. Dana Cianni, O.D., joined Bucks Eye Specialists in July 2011 after working as an optometrist for Temple Health System Philadelphia for the previous four years. Dr. Cianni is licensed to treat ocular diseases such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and diabetic eye disease. She also has extensive training and experience fitting a variety of contacts, including specialty and cosmetic lenses.
In mid-2012, Bucks Eye Specialists partnered with OCuSOFT Inc., which provides the highest-quality ophthalmic products and customer care to improve patients’ ocular health. The partnership enables the practice to offer the breadth of the OCuSOFT product line—at significant cost savings; as much as 30 percent to 40 percent over retail prices—to address a variety of ophthalmic conditions. Also, the practice can now provide many OCuSOFT products and nonprescription therapies that are not available in standard retail or online pharmacies.
One quality-of-life condition in particular that this partnership is helping Dr. Kamat treat more thoroughly: dry eye. His approach to treatment begins with a comprehensive exam to identify the cause of the lack of tear production, always taking into account the person’s health, age and other determining factors. Post-menopausal women, he explains, are particularly prone to the condition.
“We offer a lot of different treatments and remedies—artificial lubrications, gels, creams and sprays—and OCuSOFT offers all of these options,” he says. “These therapies are effective for some people but for others they are not, so we tailor treatment to each patient’s specific needs.”
One of the most unique services to combat dry eye is Intense Pulsed Light, or IPL, which has been offered by Bucks Eye Specialists for nearly three years. Dr. Kamat is among the few physicians in the region to offer this pioneering therapy, which is designed to help people get to a “drop-free state” without the crutch of prescriptions. IPL continues to gain popularity, and Dr. Kamat has made it possible for patients to attain the pinnacle of care “without having to go into Center City.”
In addition to the unmatched skills and expertise of Dr. Kamat and his staff, the practice’s chief differentiator is its personal attention—in other words, more time spent with the doctor—and ready access in emergency situations.
“We can offer same-day appointments,” he says. “Anybody with an eye emergency can’t afford to wait. If patients are medically stable they can bypass the ‘triage’ system of an ER, and we do that by building time into the schedule, which allows us to add more patients. In short, we strive to give personalized and direct-patient, need-based eye care.”
Bucks Eye Specialists
301 Oxford Valley Road, Suite 801A
Yardley, PA 19067
Phone: 215-493-7330
Web: www.buckseyespecialists.com
