The most important test after tumor treatment is the ultrasound. That is what we use to know how effective our treatment is. Having new blood, having an increase in retinal detachment and even having a decrease in vision may not have anything to do with how well the ocular melanoma has been treated.

Get your copy of the one-page Ocular Melanoma: Start Here Guide, it will be emailed to you immediately.

Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go!

For Tara McCannel's resources (including webinar links and link to my book!), visit my website: https://seyhart.com/ocularmelanoma

The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice.

Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.

It is very common to have a drooping eyelid (called "ptosis") after ocular melanoma surgery. The most common reason is post-operative edema. The second reason is mechanical ptosis from the surgery itself. The time to start looking into treatment options by an oculoplastics (eye-lid and eye-socket) specialist is at least 4-5 months after your surgery so that you give yourself time to heal naturally. There are excellent treatment options for drooping eyelid if you need them.

Get your copy of the one-page Ocular Melanoma: Start Here Guide, it will be emailed to you immediately.

Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go!

For Tara McCannel's resources (including webinar links and link to my book!), visit my website: https://seyhart.com/ocularmelanoma

The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice.

Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.

In your reading about ways to treat an ocular melanoma, you may have come across a technique called "tumor endoresection". This is essentially removing the ocular melanoma from the eye by either an external technique, or an internal technique. The reason tumor endoresection is not offered in North American ocular oncology centers is because of the significant risk of morbidity to a patient's health - stroke, cardiac ischemia, air embolism and death - in order to reduce bleeding complications in the eye during the procedure. In contrast, ocular radiation treatments or enucleation (eye removal), do not increase a patient's risk of severe systemic complications. Most of the world's endoresection surgeons are in Europe and claim that patients have better vision when the tumor is cut from the eye. Would you really want the possibility of better vision if it meant severe illness or death during the procedure?

Get your copy of the one-page Ocular Melanoma: Start Here Guide, it will be emailed to you immediately.

Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go!

For Tara McCannel's resources (including webinar links and link to my book!), visit my website: https://seyhart.com/ocularmelanoma

The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice.

Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.

The most common and best way to treat an ocular melanoma where the tumor has not grown past the point of treatment, and where there is still vision in the eye is plaque brachytherapy. We discuss how surgery works, and review what to expect.

Get your copy of the one-page Ocular Melanoma: Start Here Guide, it will be emailed to you immediately.

Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go!

For Tara McCannel's resources (including webinar links and link to my book!), visit my website: https://seyhart.com/ocularmelanoma

The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice.

Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.

Welcome! For those of you who are new to me and my mission, I want to share a little about my background, experience and my philosophy toward patient care. Welcome back if you are visiting again!

Get your copy of the one-page Ocular Melanoma: Start Here Guide, it will be emailed to you immediately.

Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go!

For Tara McCannel's resources (including webinar links and link to my book!), visit my website: https://seyhart.com/ocularmelanoma

The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice.

Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.

Many people worry that relying on a better-seeing eye may wear it out, make it see less well and also make the better-seeing eye more susceptible to disease. This is entirely not the case. Listen to understand how the eye works, how our brains process the information, and what we know happens to people with one well-seeing eye and one weaker-seeing eye. The better-seeing eye is meant to be used fully, so that you can enjoy your best vision.

Get your copy of the one-page Ocular Melanoma: Start Here Guide, it will be emailed to you immediately.

Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go!

For Tara McCannel's resources (including webinar links and link to my book!), visit my website: https://seyhart.com/ocularmelanoma

The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice.

Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.

Among the leaders in medicine, and specifically people who have changed the field of Ophthalmology, Dr. Bradley Straatsma stands out as a legendary giant. The list of his contributions is lengthy. Dr. Straatsma was meticulous, he had the highest standards, and he cared deeply about ophthalmology and ocular oncology. He was visionary, open-minded, and generous. I am honored to be one of his mentees and to have worked alongside him for so many years. May his legacy carry on.

Get your copy of the one-page Ocular Melanoma: Start Here Guide, it will be emailed to you immediately.

Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go!

For Tara McCannel's resources (including webinar links and link to my book!), visit my website: https://seyhart.com/ocularmelanoma

The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice.

Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.

Many people worry that relying on a better-seeing eye may wear it out, make it see less well and also make the better-seeing eye more susceptible to disease. This is entirely not the case. Listen to understand how the eye works, how our brains process the information, and what we know happens to people with one well-seeing eye and one weaker-seeing eye. The better-seeing eye is meant to be used fully, so that you can enjoy your best vision.

Get your copy of the one-page Ocular Melanoma: Start Here Guide, it will be emailed to you immediately.

Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go!

For Tara McCannel's resources (including webinar links and link to my book!), visit my website: https://seyhart.com/ocularmelanoma

The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice.

Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.

Here is a simple one-page guide to use as a starting point. Wherever you are in your journey - you have a suspicious growth; you've just been diagnosed; you've already been treated; you have been diagnosed with metastasis. Learn as much as you can. Knowledge will give you the confidence to be in control and advocate for yourself.

Get your copy of the one-page Ocular Melanoma: Start Here Guide, it will be emailed to you immediately.

Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go!

For Tara McCannel's resources (including webinar links and link to my book!), visit my website: https://seyhart.com/ocularmelanoma

The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice.

Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.

You may wish to update your glasses prescription after having eye surgery. This may be the case after cataract surgery, retinal detachment surgery (scleral buckling and/or vitrectomy), plaque brachytherapy surgery, and even during a course of getting eye injections. The accuracy of the prescription is determined mostly by the smoothness of the external surface of your eye. The stability of the inside parts of the eye - your retina and macula - have less effect on the prescription. Therefore, the best time to get the prescription is when: 1) you are off all post-operative eye drops; 2) your eye looks and feels back to normal without any swelling, without redness or discomfort; 3) your vision has stopped noticeably improving. Depending on the procedure, this can be as soon as about 2 weeks (after a straightforward injection) or as long as 2-3 months if you still have some redness or discomfort. It is completely OK to get glasses sooner than this time, but know that you may benefit from more fine-tuning of the prescription later.

Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go!

Click here for my one-page Ocular Melanoma: Start Here guide to help you take the next steps wherever you are at.

For Tara McCannel's resources (including webinar links and link to my book!), visit my website: https://seyhart.com/ocularmelanoma

The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice.

Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.