When we do eye exams, we refuse to cut corners. We always schedule ample time so you will never feel rushed. We provide complete eye care for both adults and children. Our comprehensive eye examinations check your eyes inside and out for glaucoma, cataracts and all other eye diseases as well as high blood pressure, diabetes and other systemic diseases. Your visual skills and abilities are carefully evaluated and we pride ourselves on the accuracy of our eyeglass prescriptions. In spite of our track record for highly accurate prescriptions, there are eyes that can be unstable for reasons ranging from medications to illness. In these rare cases, we will gladly re-examine the patient and remake the glasses.

Technology is rapidly changing the eye care industry. We utilize the latest in diagnostic equipment and are committed to keeping up with whatever advances will come next.

We have been fitting specialty contact lenses for years and have seen some incredible changes in that time. By far the most exciting changes have occurred in the last few years. Although rigid contact lenses are a shrinking segment of the industry, we still have a large number of patients who wear them.

The gas-permeable lens materials available today far surpass those available just a few years ago in terms of eye health and comfort.

Allergies can be particularly annoying to contact lens wearers. In the past many people had to quit wearing their lenses for a month or two during the allergy season. New lens materials and allergy medications have made it possible for these people to eliminate itchy eyes. These medications such as Patanol and Alocril are amazingly effective and safe even in children as young as three.

Our optical laboratory has the latest in equipment to not only fabricate your glasses, but to maintain and repair them should they become broken or damaged. We are able to tint, coat, harden and edge spectacle lenses. We are able to provide you with any frame or lens design available. Our highly qualified optician and staff are able to adjust and fit your glasses to you for extended comfort and vision.

Call our office to schedule for a LASIK consultation and to learn more details.

• Thousands of patients in the Joplin area have successfully undergone refractive surgery to improve their vision and freedom from contact lenses and/or glasses.

• The most common types of vision problems that LASIK may benefit would be: myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), astigmatism (blurred vision caused by an irregularly shaped cornea), or a combination (myopia or hyperopia with astigmatism).

• The doctors at Brothers, Bezold and Associates work well with the local and area refractive LASIK surgeons. You don’t have to travel to larger or far away cities for this procedure.

• Patients outcomes and projections are more predictable now then they were just 5 years ago. We refer to clinics who utilize the most up-to-date laser equipment that is available.

• Technology and equipment have really advanced over the last 5 years. Success rates range in the high 90 percentile.

• Every patient should undergo a comprehensive eye exam prior to LASIK surgery to ensure they are not at increased risks for LASIK complications.

• You must be at least 18 years and older, and have had a stable glasses or contact lens prescription for at least 2 years.

• Your cornea must be thick enough to allow the surgeon to safely create a clean corneal flap of appropriate depth.

• Have healthy eyes and is free from any ocular diseases. LASIK is not recommended for patients with glaucoma, herpetic infections of the eye, cataracts, or keratoconus.

• Good general health. LASIK is not recommended for patients with uncontrolled diabetes, arthritis, and lupus.

• If you are pregnant or nursing, these changes could alter or change your prescription.It is wise to wait 6 months before or after pregnancy to schedule LASIK.

• The patient is required to review and sign a consent form that will highlight all the risks, complications, and benefits of LASIK surgery. This is mandatory prior to having LASIK surgery.

• The doctors at Brothers, Bezold and Associates are trained to prepare the patient for LASIK surgery by gathering different measurements for the surgeon. These tests include monitoring any corneal changes after the discontinuation of the contact lenses, topography - mapping out the corneal curvature, pachymetry - measuring the central corneal thickness, cycloplegic refraction using dilating drops, and consultation.

• If you are currently using correction in a bifocal or are approaching 40 years of age, remember that LASIK cannot correct presbyopia, a condition that creates the need for reading glasses or bifocals. Ask if you are a candidate for monovision correction.

• Typical follow-up visits in our office after the LASIK procedure are: 1 Day, 1 Week, 1 Month, 3 Months, and 6 Months. Any extra visits are welcomed and are also included in the follow-up care. A complete comprehensive eye health exam is recommended at 1 Year. This exam is generally not covered under the follow-up plan.

• An enhancement procedure may be necessary at a later time to help fine tune your final prescription. The doctors at BBA will monitor your vision for any changes.

• Brothers, Bezold and Associates will offer anyone who is interested in this surgery an opportunity to learn more about this procedure and to see if you qualify as a candidate. Call our office to schedule for a LASIK consultation and to learn more details.

Vision, in the broadest sense, is the global ability of the brain to extract, process and act on information presented to the eye. This complex process can be thought of as three major but related areas: visual acuity, which is largely dependent upon refractive status and eye health; visual efficiency skills, representing eye focusing, teaming, and tracking skills; and visual information processing, representing the ability to recognize and discriminate visual stimuli and to interpret them correctly based upon previous experience. Every examination we provide, regardless of age, has these thoughts in mind.

Our office provides emergency services for eye infections and eye injuries. Please call our office at 417-624-5005 during office hours or our emergency number; 417-624-5005 after hours or on weekends. Our staff will work with you to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. State of the art microscopes allow us to examine the front surface of the eye and facial areas around the eye for infection or injury. After assessing the extent of the injury or infection a treatment plan will be formulated and explained to you. Treatment may include medications and supportive care. Follow-up visits to monitor your recovery will be scheduled as needed.

Dry Eyes: Symptoms include scratchy eyes, burning, mild redness and gritty feeling eyes. Oral medications, reading, computer tasks and dry environments may aggravate marginally dry eyes. Dry eyes can be diagnosed by using dyes to observe tear patterns, evaluation of the amount of tears on the front of the eye and from review of your symptoms. Treatment may include artificial tears; eye drops for treating allergies; and/or punctal plugs inserted in the tear drainage canals.

Cataracts: The natural lens in the eye gradually becomes less clear as we get older. When opacities develop in the lens and the lens gets too hazy, vision will be impaired. Our office can diagnose and manage cataract care. When the cataract affects the vision to the extent that you cannot read or see distant objects comfortably, we will recommend cataract surgery. Our office co-manages with cataract specialists that are proven experts in cataract surgery. Cataract surgery can provide you with a bright new world of vision.

Glaucoma: Glaucoma gradually destroys the optic nerve tissue in the back of the eye. The greatest danger of glaucoma stems from the fact that the disease is painless and without obvious symptoms until significant damage has occurred. The most common cause is from pressure being too high inside the eye, but vascular disease and other diseases can also cause glaucoma. We always monitor for glaucoma during routine eye examinations. Tests include checking the pressure of the eye, screening for peripheral vision defects and analyzing the appearance of the optic nerve. If you are diagnosed with glaucoma, we typically prescribe medications that lower the eye pressure. Most forms of glaucoma are successfully treated with eye drops. Laser treatments and eye surgery are secondary treatments that offer alternative ways to treat more advanced glaucoma.

Diabetes: Diabetic patients should have a dilated retinal examination each year. Laser treatments have proven to slow the progression of retinal eye disease for many patients. Diabetes often stimulates the growth of new blood vessels in the back of the eye, which ultimately leak and damage the retina. If this condition is discovered early, laser treatment can destroy these vessels. We have the latest instruments used to detect changes in the back of the eye. If we discover advancing diabetic eye disease that can be treated or needs further evaluation, we will refer you for consultation and further testing to a board certified retinal specialist.