Dr. Chu is a fellowship-trained corneal specialist in cataract, refractive and corneal surgery. Having performed thousands of LASIK procedures to help people reduce their dependency on eyeglasses and contacts, his latest project is an FDA clinical trial designed to reduce or eliminate the need for reading glasses. He serves on numerous editorial boards and has lectured around the world. At the end of the day, though, it is always about the patients he sees at his Bloomington clinic. “My goal is to empower our patients through education so that they can make the best decisions possible to improve their vision and transform their lives whatever their specific eye condition or concern.”
One of the leading reasons people visit their eye care professional is Dry Eye Syndrome. It’s a source of discomfort (burning, irritation), frustration (blurred vision), and annoyance (sensitivity to light) for the 20 million Americans who suffer, many of which are middle-aged women.
“Chu Vision Institute is one of the first 15 sites in the country to take advantage of the revolutionary Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) therapy treatment for dry eye,” says Dr. Y. Ralph Chu, founder and medical director, Chu Vision Institute, and adjunct associate professor of ophthalmology at the University of Minnesota.
IPL started as a dermatology treatment for patients with the skin disorder rosacea. It works on dry eye by creating a significant amount of superficial heat, targeting the abnormal blood vessels and increasing the flow of impacted meibomian secretions. It’s comfortable and quick. “One of the pleasant side effects of this procedure is younger, healthier looking skin,” says Dr. Chu.