Our Services

Standard eye exams involve a series of tests performed by our ophthalmologists to detect problems early and protect your vision. How often you need an exam depends on your age, health, and risk factors.

Adults without risk factors generally need exams every two years; contact lens wearers should be seen yearly. More frequent exams are recommended for patients over 65 as well as patients with diabetes, a family history of eye disease, prior eye injuries, or systemic conditions that affect vision.

Eye exams for infants and children are crucial because they ensure proper visual development, which is directly linked to learning, social interaction, and motor skills. Early exams detect, prevent, or treat conditions like lazy eye (amblyopia), misaligned eyes (strabismus), and refractive errors (nearsightedness) before they cause permanent vision loss or academic struggles.

A baseline examination by an ophthalmologist before age 5 is recommended. Earlier eye exams may be necessary if abnormalities are noted by pediatrician or parents. Dr. Anna Allen specializes in eye care for children, including amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus (crossed eyes), and pediatric refractive errors.

After age 5, children with normal development need exams every 3–5 years, though school screenings should occur annually.

Diabetes is the leading cause of preventable vision loss in the United States. Diabetic eye exams are similar to comprehensive exams but focus closely on the structures most vulnerable to diabetic damage.

Testing includes a review of your medical and eye history, visual acuity measurement, eye pressure checks, and a dilated eye health evaluation. The dilated exam allows our doctors to closely examine the optic nerve, macula, and retina for early signs of diabetic damage — often before symptoms appear.

Annual diabetic eye exams are strongly recommended for all patients with diabetes.

Albany Eye Associates is an Accredited Dry Eye Center. Persistent dry, irritated, or burning eyes can significantly impact your quality of life and, if left untreated, may damage the surface of the eye.

We use advanced diagnostic technologies to evaluate the underlying cause of your dry eye, including TearLab for tear osmolarity testing, Lipiscan for meibomian gland imaging, and Lipiflow for thermal pulsation treatment of evaporative dry eye.

Treatment is tailored to your specific type and severity of dry eye and may include prescription eye drops, punctal plugs, in-office procedures, and nutritional support.

Glaucoma causes irreversible damage to the optic nerve and can result in blindness if untreated. While there is no cure, treatments effectively manage the disease by lowering eye pressure. Most patients respond well to prescription eye drops alone.

Laser Treatments

• LPI — Creats and opening in the iris to increase drainage in narrow-angle glaucoma
• SLT — Treats the trabecular passages to improve drainage in open-angle glaucoma

Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS)

• iStent — Tiny stent inserted during cataract surgery; over 85% success rate
• ECP — Laser treatment of ciliary tissue to reduce fluid production
• XEN — a 6-mm, gelatin microstent designed to lower intraocular pressure (IOP) in more severe glaucoma patients by creating a new drainage pathway

Over 20 million Americans have diabetes, and roughly one-third are unaware of their condition. Diabetes is the leading cause of vision loss in people aged 20–74. Early detection is critical because diabetic retinal damage is often asymptomatic in its early stages.

Controlling blood glucose, maintaining blood pressure at or below 130/80, and managing cholesterol significantly reduce the risk of diabetic retinopathy. Modern treatments are highly effective when the condition is caught early.

We use advanced diagnostic imaging to monitor and manage diabetic retinopathy and coordinate care with retinal specialists when more advanced intervention is needed.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

AMD is common in adults over 60 and involves deterioration of the retinal macula. It exists in dry (more common) and wet forms. Wet AMD features leaking blood vessels causing distorted central vision. Detection includes dilated exam, OCT and angiography. Treatment goals include stopping new vessel formation; newer laser, surgical, and drug treatments are continuously advancing.

Retinal Detachment

Must be surgically repaired to prevent vision loss. Most common cause is vitreous gel retraction with age. Risk increases after 50, with nearsightedness, family history, or prior injury. Symptoms (flashes, floaters, dark curtain) are a medical emergency. Treatment uses scleral buckling, vitrectomy, or pneumatic retinopexy.

Neuro-ophthalmology addresses vision problems related to the nervous system — specifically the visual pathways from the eye to the visual cortex of the brain. When routine exams don't explain vision loss, neuro-ophthalmology determines if nerve or brain problems exist.

Conditions Treated

• Blepharospasm
• Double vision (diplopia) and eye movement disorders
• Vision-related migraines
• Myasthenia gravis and multiple sclerosis
• Optic neuritis and papilledema
• Pseudotumor cerebri and pupil abnormalities
• Thyroid eye disease
• Visual system tumors

Evaluation & Diagnosis

Detailed history and physical form the basis. Testing may include cerebral angiography, electrophysiologic testing, lab studies, MRI/CT, OCT, fundus photography, and visual field testing.

Albany Eye Associates offers a full range of ophthalmic imaging and diagnostic testing services in our office.

• OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography)
• Visual field testing
• Fundus photography
• Corneal topography
• OCT angiography
• Tear osmolarity testing (TearLab)
• Meibomian gland imaging (Lipiscan)
• Electrophysiologic retinal and optic nerve testing

Albany Eye Associates offers HydroEye, a patented nutritional formulation for continuous dry eye relief. It delivers omega fatty acids (GLA, EPA, DHA), antioxidants, and nutrients supporting healthy tear film and reducing inflammation.

More potent than flaxseed or fish oil alone. Includes pure fish oil omega-3s and unique GLA from black currant seed oil. GLA has been studied across seven clinical trials.

HydroEye raises lactoferrin levels, a protective tear protein. Results typically appear within 30–60 days. Published in the peer-reviewed journal Cornea.

Available for purchase in our office. Call (518) 434-1042 to learn more.

Modern cataract surgery can greatly improve vision. When cataracts cloud the eye's natural lens, our surgeons use laser-assisted techniques to remove it and replace it with a clear intraocular lens (IOL). Most patients experience dramatically improved vision within days.

Cataract surgery is one of the safest and most commonly performed procedures in the United States. Our surgeons will guide you from pre-operative evaluation through recovery.

During cataract surgery, the natural lens is replaced with an IOL. Standard monofocal lenses focus at one distance. Premium lens implants can significantly reduce or eliminate the need for glasses.

Multifocal IOLs

Rings of different power provide near, intermediate, and far vision. Options include PanOptix, ReSTOR, and Tecnis.

Toric IOLs

Designed for patients with astigmatism. Options include PanOptix Toric, Vivity, Eyhance, and Tecnis Symphony.

Insurance covers standard monofocal implants but not premium lenses. Patients may use HSA/FSA funds or CareCredit financing.

Our corneal specialist Dr. Jordan Kassoff provides surgical and medical treatment for corneal diseases including keratoconus, corneal dystrophies, and conditions requiring corneal transplantation.

Refractive surgery corrects nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism by reshaping the cornea, reducing or eliminating dependence on glasses and contact lenses.

We perform eyelid procedures for functional and medical conditions. Age-related stretching and muscle weakening cause sagging lids that reduce peripheral vision.

Procedures We Perform

• Blepharoplasty — Removes excess skin, muscle, and fat from drooping eyelids
• Ptosis Repair — Corrects drooping from weakened levator muscle
• Chalazion & Lid Cyst Removal
• Ectropion & Entropion Correction — Repairs eyelids that turn outward or inward
• Brow Lift — May accompany blepharoplasty

The TearLab Osmolarity System measures the concentration of the tear film to objectively diagnose and monitor dry eye disease. Hyperosmolarity has been described as the primary marker of tear film integrity.

The test requires only 50 nanoliters of tears and delivers results in seconds.

Based on a 300-patient clinical trial, osmolarity testing correctly identified 88% of normal subjects, 75% of mild-to-moderate disease subjects, and 95% of severe disease subjects at a cutoff of 308 mOsms/L.

The Humphrey Visual Field test maps peripheral vision to detect disorders affecting the optic nerve and brain, including glaucoma, strokes, and tumors.

During the test, you fixate on a central target and respond when detecting flashing lights at various locations. Results create a detailed map of your visual field that our doctors track over time.

The Humphrey Matrix uses Frequency Doubling Technology (FDT) to detect early glaucoma-related vision loss — often before standard testing reveals it.

FDT targets retinal ganglion cells believed to be the earliest damaged by glaucoma, identifying subtle functional loss when treatment is most effective.

Digital ophthalmic photography documents and monitors conditions of the cornea, iris, and retina using high-resolution imaging. These photographs allow doctors to track disease progression over time.

Particularly valuable for evaluating diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), helping assess vascular damage, identify leaking vessels, and determine treatment.

Illuminated rings reflected off the cornea are analyzed by computer software to create a precise 3D map of the cornea's shape and curvature.

This map reveals irregularities, astigmatism meridians, and distortions. Essential for refractive surgery candidates, specialty contact lens fitting, and monitoring keratoconus.

Two types of ophthalmic ultrasound are offered:

• A-Scan — Measures precise eye length (axial length) for calculating the correct IOL power during cataract surgery
• B-Scan — Provides 2D cross-sectional imaging to diagnose vitreous, retinal, choroidal, and optic nerve conditions, especially when the view is obscured by a dense cataract

OCT produces detailed cross-sectional images of the retina with 8 to 25 times greater resolution than other imaging modalities, enabling visualization of individual retinal layers.

Precise retinal thickness measurements can be tracked over time. Indispensable for managing macular degeneration, diabetic macular edema, glaucoma, and other retinal diseases.