Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/976263
She Can See Clearly Now For more than a decade, Jacqueline Cline, 67, had been retreating from doing several things she once enjoyed. Her double vision had led to her being almost home-bound, relying on friends and family for outings and transportation. Even watching television was difficult. "It was amazing how much I was limiting my lifestyle because of my eyes," says Cline, whose husband, Byron, is an obstetrician and gynecologist. She saw other doctors who tested her for diabetes, multiple sclerosis and other diseases and underwent three MRIs over the years. Finally, she was connected with neuro-ophthalmologist Michele Riggins, MD, of Grene Vision Group, who diagnosed the cause and provided a treatment option in late 2017. "No one else had been able to tell me why I had double vision," she says. While there are several reasons for double vision or diplo- pia, Cline's condition was caused by divergence insufficiency, a rare ophthalmological disorder found in older adults. For Cline, her brain couldn't get her eyes to line up properly and diverge outward when looking in the distance. For several years, Cline had placed a prism on the eyeglass lens of her left eye to get rid of the second image, but eventually her condition worsened to where she needed to cover the eye completely to avoid double vision. Specializing in adult strabismus, which is eye misalign- ment, Dr. Riggins performed a 10-minute surgery on an extraocular muscle to help align Cline's eyes. Cline recalled she was told it may take 24 hours for her eyes to align properly, but within hours, "I could see Jacqueline Cline will be able to see clearly on the golf course again following surgery by Grene Vision Group's neuro-ophthalmologist Michele Riggins, MD. perfectly," she says. "Not only did it correct my double vision, but I didn't even need my glasses anymore. Things that others take for granted — like looking at someone and not seeing two of them — are now clear to me. It's been life-changing." ■ M D N E W S . C O M /// M D N E W S G R E AT E R K A N S A S ■ 2 018 2 9