Florida Retina Specialists Welcomes New Practice Administrator Samantha Paquette

providing comprehensive medical and surgical retinal eye care

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Samantha Paquette has joined Florida Retina Specialists as Practice Administrator.

Florida Retina Specialists has offices at 280 N. Sykes Creek Pkwy, Suite B, Merritt Island, at 1978 U.S. Hwy 1, Suite 105, Rockledge and in Viera at 2329 Medico Lane, Suite 103.

Paquette is originally from Beckley, West Virginia and relocated to Florida several years ago. She has a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and is currently working toward a Master of Science in Accounting and Financial Forensics degree at the Florida Institute of Technology.

She is a member of the American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators and has enjoyed working in the healthcare field for eight fulfilling years.

Paquette spends most of her free time with her husband, friends, family and pets. She also likes to read books, travel, and go hiking in the great outdoors.

“Samantha will be a great asset to Florida Retina Specialists as we grow and expand our business for years into the future,” said Dr. Frank Venzara III.

“She is committed, just as we are, to humbly serve our patients and community.”

ALL ABOUT RETINAS

As the name of the practice explains, Florida Retina Specialists is all about the retina, the wondrous thin layer of tissue that lines the back of the inside of the eye.

Located close to the optic nerve, the retina converts the light received by the lens into neural signals that the brain uses for visual recognition. In short, it makes sight possible.

Unfortunately, this miraculous tissue is fragile and prone to problems. That is when Florida Retina Specialists steps in to help.

“We focus on all aspects of the retina,” said Dr. Venzara.

The practice’s mission is to prevent disease progression and preserve vision for individuals with macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and macular holes. Additional treatment options encompass vision problems caused by eye trauma, cataracts, intraocular lens complications and floaters.

Brevard’s significant mature population commonly has to cope with macular degeneration, which typically affects individuals 50 and older and can cause permanent loss of detailed vision.

“In the Space Coast, age-related macular degeneration affects the largest percentage of our patients,” said Dr. Venzara.
Treatment modalities such as intravitreal injections, medication and laser are very effective in the battle against vision loss.

Revolution in Retina Treatment

The prospect of injections into the eye may cause initial squeamishness, but in reality, injections of medications such as Avastin and Eylea are a largely pain-free experience that have revolutionized the treatment of the insidious disease.

“Intraocular eye injections for macular degeneration and severe diabetic retinopathy have greatly improved the vision and quality of life of patients,’ said Dr. Venzara.

Although injections must now be repeated every couple of months, current research points to medications with increased length of effectiveness.

“Just in the past few years, two long-acting intraocular steroid treatments have been approved by the FDA for diabetic bleeding and swelling of the retina,” said Dr. Venzara.

“These long-lasting medications can last up to three years. In the near future, we expect to offer similar long-lasting medication for macular degeneration.”

Macular degeneration is usually age-related, but other retinal issues such as retinal detachments routinely affect younger patients. Although the specialists have hospital privileges, a large majority of the surgeries are performed as outpatient and in-house.

To accurately assess retinal issues, Florida Retina Specialists depends on cutting-edge diagnostic technology such as the Heidelberg Spectralis OCT retinal imaging system and the Iridex Laser System with micropulse technology.

“Recent advancements in diagnostics and surgical equipment have resulted in improved surgical time, safety and outcomes,” said Dr. Venzara.

Annoying Eye Floaters

Although not as serious as macular degeneration, floaters, pieces of vitreous debris, can be more than annoying.

They can become so dense as to impact visual acuity. Some disease processes can cause hemorrhaging within the vitreous gel of the eye as well. Florida Retina Specialists offers vitrectomy surgery to remove vitreous opacities and floaters.

“It is a simple outpatient surgical procedure performed with vitrectomy in less than half an hour. Some of our happiest patients are those that have their floaters removed. In some cases patients have been bothered by their vision for decades prior to having vitrectomy surgery,” says Dr. Venzara.

Not that long ago, this type of surgery was not readily done due to a lack of adequate instrumentation.

“With older technology, it was considered too invasive and risky to remove vitreous debris,” said Dr. Venzara. “This has changed greatly with the advancement of small gauge suture-less surgical equipment and technology.

“With small gauge instruments and cut rates three times faster than a decade ago, vitreous floaters can be removed in a safe, predictable fashion.”

New Location Now Open at Viera Medical Park

Viera residents are now able to conveniently access Florida Retina Specialists’ services in their own backyard as the practice has opened its new location at Viera Medical Park across from Viera Hospital.

The new 5,000-square-foot Viera office marks the third location for Florida Retina Specialists.

“Many of our patients and many of our referring doctors are from the Viera area, so we wanted to make it as convenient as possible for them,” said Dr. Venzara.

By combining compassionate healing with the latest technology and treatment modalities at offices never too far from patients’ homes, Florida Retina Specialists is the go-to practice for whatever can affect the retina.

“Our goal is to provide the highest quality retina care to our patients, along with a humble-servant attitude,” said Dr. Venzara.

For more information, visit FloridaRetinaSpecialists.com or call 321-735-8800.

Similar Stories