Dr. Stuart Sondheimer featured on Fox32 Chicago
Ophthalmologist's gift of sight transforms lives worldwide
A suburban ophthalmologist is delivering the gift of sight to developing nations.
How MIGS benefits those with the greatest of needs
In parts of the world where people have limited access to ophthalmic care, MIGS and cataract procedures are able to provide long-term treatment when follow-up is unlikely.
According to a 2014 study by the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), worldwide prevalence of glaucoma is expected to skyrocket, from 64.3 million in 2013, to 111.8 million by 2040.1 Whether due to lack of diagnosis or limited treatment, patients in the developing world will disproportionately suffer from preventable blindness due to glaucoma.
Dr. Sondheimer becomes new MAC Member
Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) – The roles and responsibilities of our Medical Advisory Committee are to provide board-level oversight and guidance of SEE’s medical and educational standards and practices. The committee is comprised of MDs that provide medical recommendations and insight for anything ranging from pharmaceuticals used during trips and courses, to medical standards and procedures, quality of care and continuity of care measures, best practice tools, medical devices, equipment, etc.
Can Lasik Treat Dry Macular Degeneration
"Macula" is the term for the central area in the back of the retina. The macula focuses vision for the eyes to perform tasks such as reading and recognizing faces, according to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation.
Conditions PRK May Treat
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 12 million people over the age of 40 in the United States have some type of vision impairment, and around 7% of children have a diagnosed eye and vision condition. Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) surgery uses lasers to re-shape your eye, and it can treat certain eye conditions.
Difference Between Farsightedness and Nearsightedness
According to the National Eye Institute, over 150 million Americans have a refractive error—a type of vision problem that makes it hard to see clearly. Two common types of refractive errors are farsightedness and nearsightedness. We asked experts what you should know about being nearsighted vs. farsighted.
How to Correct Astigmatism
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, astigmatism occurs in about 30% of people. So, we asked medical experts for advice on how to correct astigmatism.
Can Lasik Treat Dry Macular Degeneration
Dry macular degeneration is a type of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Approximately 80% of AMD cases are dry macular degeneration, and the condition is a leading cause of vision loss in those that are aged 50 and above.
November 2019
Chicago eye surgeon brings sight to those in need
“DR. STUART SONDHEIMER, a Jewish ophthalmologist and eye surgeon based in Skokie, will journey to Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti in November to bring sight to the indigent blind.
Then, in February, he will arrive in Juayua, El Salvador to perform cataract and pterygium surgeries for people who would otherwise remain blind. Last year, Sondheimer (pic-tured, at left, with one of his patients) was part of a volunteer medical team sponsored by Eye Care International and SEE In-ternational that examined the eyes of over 5,000 patients, dis-pensed over 3,000 pairs of eye-glasses, and performed 84 major eye surgeries over a two-week period earlier this year.
Before going on his first mis-sion many years ago, Sondheimer trained himself to perform small incision cataract surgery without the expensive high technology ultrasound systems and supplies used with modern cataract sur-gery in the U.S.” – JUF News
September 28, 2017
Daniel French Interviews Dr. Sondheimer on WCGO-AM Radio
Dr. Stuart Sondheimer was recently interviewed by Daniel French on WCGO-AM Radio.
June 29, 2016
Eye Surgeon Joins With NU Students to Help the World to See Better
Dr. Sondheimer has for five years been traveling on medical missions with the Santa Barbara, Cal.,-based organization Surgical Eye Expeditions (SEE) International. Founded in 1974, SEE organizes visits by eye surgeons to underserved areas around the world. According to the organization’s website, SEE surgeons have examined more than 3.6 million patients and performed more than 440,000 sight-restoring operations.
June 20, 2016
Northwestern students help lighten Skokie doctor’s load
Skokie ophthalmologist, Dr. Stuart Sondheimer, runs into that problem every time he travels to do pro bono cataract surgery on people who would not typically be able to afford it.
He said his work as a volunteer eye surgeon with an organization called SEE International has taken him to many developing nations including Vietnam, El Salvador and Honduras.
February 23, 2016
North Shore Doctor Performs Life-Changing Surgeries for $2
While many North Shore professionals and their families are preparing to enjoy relaxing spring break escapes from the cold and their daily grinds, North Shore.
Ophthalmologist Dr. Stuart Sondheimer has just returned from his seventh trip abroad with Eye Care International, performing eye surgeries and providing eye care services in underprivileged communities
April 15, 2015
Niles Bugle News Article
…More than one million Americans are diagnosed as having glaucoma, and another million are unaware they have the condition.
It is estimated that nearly 120,000 U.S. citizen are legally blind in both eyes resulting from glaucoma, and about 1.5 million Americans have some loss of peripheral vision from glaucoma. According to the AGS, glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the U.S. and around the world.
October 11, 2013
Sondheimer On Sight: Advances in Cataract Surgery
Forty years ago, it was considered successful when patients could see clearly following cataract surgery. Cataracts are a cloudiness of the lens of the eye that causes a decrease in vision.
When the loss of vision from a cataract interferes with important visual tasks such as driving or reading, cataract surgery may be warranted. Since the adoption of intraocular lens implants at the time of cataract surgery, most patients have enjoyed excellent vision without the need for thick, heavy spectacles. Intraocular lenses replace the power of the human lens to focus light on the retina so we can see.
September 13, 2013
Sondheimer On Sight: What In The World Is Keratoconus?
Keratoconus is a progressive disease that causes the outermost layer of the eye, known as the cornea, to become steeper, thinner, cone shaped, and distorted. The name “Keratoconus” is derived from the Greek words “Kerato” meaning cornea and “Conus” meaning cone shaped.
Keratoconus usually affects both eyes but it can be far more advanced in one eye or the other. An ophthalmologist can determine steepening of the cornea through the use of corneal topography (a topographical map of the cornea) or keratometry (an optical instrument that measures the steepness, flatness, astigmatism, and regularity of the cornea).
May 30, 2013
Wilmette Doctor has traveled the globe with treatment
Without the suggestion of a cliché, it could be said that Dr. Stuart Sondheimer of Wilmette is a man of vision. Yes, he is a surgeon and ophthalmologist, but Sondheimer, who grew up in Glencoe and Evanston, says he’s driven by a passion to serve others.
With several office locations on the North Shore (Skokie, Park Ridge and Deerfield), Dr. Sondheimer, a 1970 New Trier H.S. graduate, is grateful for American medicine, especially after having traveled two years ago to Vietnam and last year to the Honduras to treat patients there for typically routine procedures. Some of those patients might have gone blind without Dr. Sondheimer’s intervention.
May 22, 2013
Dr. Stuart Sondheimer Discusses Advances in Eye Care on Comcast Show Contempo
Wilmette resident and ophthalmologist Dr. Stuart Sondheimer was the featured guest on a recent episode of Comcast Cable TV’s Contempo show.
Sondheimer was interviewed by host Roberta Markbreit about the advances in diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases, LASIK surgery, and the importance of regular eye exams. Sondheimer also discussed his charitable missions to Vietnam and Honduras, where he donated his professional services to the poor. The National Institutes of Health have declared the month of May as National Healthy Vision Month and are urging Americans to be mindful of their eye health.
Statistics show that most people do not visit an ophthalmologist unless they are currently experiencing eye problems. For some people, it may have been years since they had a comprehensive eye exam.
“Glaucoma is an eye condition that can permanently destroy vision,” Sondheimer said. “It can only be detected during an eye exam. And, glaucoma is hereditary, meaning that if a blood relative has it, you will likely have it too.”
The Contempo show is broadcast on the Comcast Cable TV network. In Wilmette, the show may be seen on Channel 19 at 7:30 p.m. The show featuring Sondheimer will air on May 30 and again on June 6. His website is www.drsondheimer.com.
Dr. Stuart Sondheimer is a surgeon and ophthalmologist who lives in Wilmette and grew up in both Glencoe and Evanston. | Karie Angell Luc for Sun-Times Media
Dr. Stuart Sondheimer (right) is a surgeon and ophthalmologist who lives in Wilmette and grew up in both Glencoe and Evanston. | Karie Angell Luc for Sun-Times Media
Dr. Stuart Sondheimer is a surgeon and ophthalmologist who lives in Wilmette and grew up in both Glencoe and Evanston. | Karie Angell Luc for Sun-Times Media
