About Us
Your Ophthalmologist & Optometrist
Dr. John C Pokorny, MD
Dr. Pokorny attended the University of Kansas receiving his B.A. in Chemistry in 1985 and his M.D. in 1989.
He completed an Internal Medicine internship at St Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, MO in 1990.
His residency was at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, department of surgery Ophthalmology, 1990-1993.
He is certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology.
General practice of Ophthalmology, Hays, Kansas, 1993 to date.
Dr. Travis Kinderknecht, OD
Dr. Kinderknecht received his Bachelor’s degree at Fort Hays State University in 1995, and his Optometry degree from Indiana University-School of Optometry in 1999
He is a member of the American Optometric Association and the Kansas Optometric Association.
General practice of Optometry, Hays, Kansas, 1999 to date.
Frequently Asked Question's
Contact lens and glasses prescriptions are not the same. A contact lens must match the size and shape of your eye. Therefore, a prescription for contact lenses contains information like base curve and diameter, as well as brand.
No, unless it’s required by your insurance plan.
One year for contacts and two years for glasses.
A refraction test is usually given as part of a routine eye examination. It may also be called a vision test. This test tells your eye doctor exactly what prescription you need in your glasses or contact lenses.
One of the most prevalent reasons for watery eyes is dry eye syndrome. Extremely dry eyes can cause you to produce excess tears. Because your eyes are not receiving proper lubrication, you continually produce an abundance of tears, which continues the cycle.
The only way to get a good view of all the structures in the eye is to dilate them, or open the pupil up very big. If the eyes weren’t dilated with eye drops and we tried to look in them with a light, the pupils would just get very small making it very hard to see inside. It would be like trying to look through a keyhole, we would only see a small area, but when dilated, it opens up the door to the eye so we can view everything.
We recommend a complete eye exam every year.
- An Ophthalmologist (MD) has a medical degree and is licensed to practice medicine and perform eye surgery. An ophthalmologist has had at least 12 years of education and training beyond high school and is qualified to diagnose and treat all eye diseases; perform surgery; prescribe and fit glasses and contact lenses.
- An Optometrist (OD) has a degree in optometry and is licensed to practice optometry. An optometrist has had at least six years of education and training beyond high school and is qualified to determine the need for glasses and contact lenses; prescribe optical correction; and screen for some eye conditions.
- An Optician usually has a combination of college (or two years of opticianry school) and on-the-job training. An optician is trained to fit and dispense eyeglasses or contact lenses based upon a prescription from a licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist.
Yes, viral conjunctivitis (pink-eye) is very common and is extremely contagious. Avoid touching eyes with your hands, wash hands frequently, do not share towels, and avoid work, school or daycare activities for a least five days or as long as discharge is present.
- The risk of cataracts, also known as a clouding of the eye’s lens that can blur vision, can be caused by extended UV exposure — an estimated 20% of cases are caused by exposure to the sun.
- Risk of macular degeneration- This is from damage to the retina that impacts central vision and causes blindness.
- The risk of pterygium is that it causes astigmatism. Pterygium is a tissue growth over part of the eye surface and can change the curve of the eyeball.
