About Our Practice and Our Lenses…

For over 40 years Dr. Boshnick has developed and maintained a cutting edge Optometric practice covering all types of vision care including non-surgical vision improvement, contact and scleral lens care, children’s vision and vision rehabilitation for the partially sighted.

Dr. Boshnick received his B.A. degree from the University of Miami and his Doctor of Optometry degree from the Southern College of Optometry. Dr. Boshnick went on to serve as a Captain in the U.S. Army Medical Service Corp during the Vietnam War. It was during this period that Dr. Boshnick gained experience in restoring vision to many of the troops who suffered vision loss due to ocular trauma.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Dr. Boshnick was asked by the Department of Defense to take care of the vision needs of members of the entire National Guard that was stationed in Miami-Dade County. For 6 months following this disaster, Dr. Boshnick examined and treated over 500 National Guard troops.

At the present time Dr. Boshnick has one of the largest specialty contact and scleral lens practices in North America. In addition, for over 20 years, Dr. Boshnick has been a clinical investigator for both the F.D.A. and several major contact lens manufacturers. In addition, Dr. Boshnick has lectured extensively throughout the United States and has authored a number of professional articles dealing with contact and scleral lenses, orthokeratology and corneal diseases. In recent years Dr. Boshnick has expanded his services to include providing vision care to patients with disabilities and special needs. These service include technologies to restore vision and comfort to patients who lost vision due to keratoconus, complications resulting from refractive surgeries such as Radial Keratotomy and LASIK, corneal transplant surgeries, chronic dry eyes and many ocular degenerations and dystrophies.

Many of Dr. Boshnick’s patients have lost significant vision due to glaucoma and macular degeneration. His specialty practice is associated with some of the best fellowship trained glaucoma, corneal and retinal specialists. Some of the new technologies that have been incorporated into Dr. Boshnick’s practice include:

1. OrCam. A wearable computerized device designed to harness the power of artificial vision in patients who are blind. This amazing technology allows patients who are blind to read, identify faces and items at home and in stores. This technology was developed and introduced into the United States in 2016.

2. EyePrintPRO. There are many patients who have lost quality vision and ocular comfort due to a number of conditions including keratoconus, corneal transplant surgery and refractive surgeries such as LASIK to name just a few. Many of these corneas are so irregular that conventional contact and scleral lenses are unable to be worn by these patients. The EyePrintPRO is a scleral lens that is made from an impression taken of the front surface of the eye. This lens is designed to match the exact contours of the individual eye providing the best vision and comfort possible. 3-D printing technology is used in manufacturing these one of a kind lenses.

3. Optical Coherence Tomography is a new technology that allows us to examine both the front surface of the eye and the retinal in cross-section as never before. Early detection of corneal, retinal and optic nerve disease is made possible with this technology. In addition, fitting of special contact and scleral lenses is much more exacting. Measurements between the back surface of a lens and the front surface of the cornea can now be done in high definition and with an accuracy of 4 microns.

4.Computerized Corneal Topography allows for the mapping of the front surface of the cornea. This computer generated map allows us to measure the exact shape ( the hills and valleys) of the entire corneal surface. This information is used to determine the contact or scleral lens technology that will best serve the visual and comfort needs of our patient.

5. Pascal Computerized Tonometer allows for the exact measurement of the pressure with the eye. This technology has become the “gold standard” for measuring the intra-ocular pressure. This is the only technology that measures the blood flow into the eye and interprets that reading into a pressure reading.

6. Oculus Keratograph is a technology that not only measures and maps the shape and contour of the front surface of the eye, it also allows us to measure the integrity of the tear film, and to image the meibomian glands. These glands are responsible for producing the oils that are needed in our tear film. Without these oils, our tears would evaporate creating a dry eye. There are therapies available for patients suffering dry eyes due to a variety of conditions including compromised meibomian glands.

7. Computerized Visual Field instruments which help us to detect and measure any areas in a patient’s visual field that may be compromised or missing. Visual field defects can be indicative of glaucoma, optic nerve disease, brain tumors and a host of other condtions.

New technologies are here now which are allowing us to restore quality vision to so many of our “high need” patients. We will continue searching the globe to bring the latest and most innovative technologies to our very special patient population.

My Philosophy

My philosophy to scleral lens fitting is to use the best of what modern technology has to offer, not just in the use of the newest materials and technologies available But also in the installation and use of the best diagnostic instrumentation, computers and specialty software to help us address the many vision issues facing our “high need” patient population.

The unique scleral lenses used in my practice along with the high tech equipment used to aid in the design of these lenses represents a major advancement in the field of specialty lens care. My practice deals with the most atypical corneas. Many of the eyes and corneas that I work with have been compromised and damaged from trauma, disease and surgery.

Specialty contact and scleral lens design and fitting is one of the most challenging and time consuming activities facing most eye care practitioners who do not fit such lenses on a regular basis. It requires innovation, imagination, extraordinary care and an eye for detail. For this reason, the overwhelming majority of eye care professionals are unable to provide these lenses and services.

I have been fortunate enough to have treated patients from all over the world who have sought care for a number of ocular conditions such as keratoconus, post-surgical complications and severe dry to name just a few. My most shocking finding is how difficult it is for so many patients to find doctors specializing in treating patients with complicated ocular and corneal conditions.

Many eye doctors and corneal specialists hesitate to refer “high need” patients to eye care providers such as myself for fear that their patients will not be sent back to them at the end of their patient’s treatment. It should be understood that all patients referred to our practice for specialized lens care will be referred back to the patient’s referring eye doctor for continuing routine eye care. It is my feeling that my specialized practice should be viewed as a useful and necessary extension of the referring eye doctor’s practice.