Category: Blog

A team of surgeons from Hawaii, Dr. Michael Bennett of Retina Institute of Hawaii and Dr. Michael McMann of McMann Institute, has successfully implanted the FDA-approved eye telescope, a first in Hawaii, at one of the leading medical centers in Honolulu. The first-of-kind telescope implant is integral to CentraSight™, a new patient care program for… Read More

On January 10, 2012, Merrill Smith underwent the first IMT surgery in Honolulu, Hawaii. Since then, he has been working on his vision and training with Dr. Kellen Kashiwa bi-weekly in Hilo on Hawaii’s Big Island. Prior to receiving the telescope implant, Smith was nearly blind. His vision has improved remarkably from 20/200 to 20/80… Read More

Many people slather on sunscreen before hitting the waves but don’t give a thought to eye protection while in the water. Chronic sun exposure can lead to a common eye condition called pterygium, a noncancerous growth on the cornea that can affect vision. Surfers and others who spend a lot of time outdoors and in… Read More

An icon in a world full of icons.  The BEI concept. Fashions, trends, styles.  Here today and gone tomorrow, too many are often short lived.  Only a very few concepts really stand the test of time.  In order to persevere, they need to be greater than the prevailing spirit, to withstand the test of time;… Read More

PERCEPTUAL SPEED Training Hawaii’s Players to Perform like World-Class Athletes Superhuman, out-of-this-world, unbelievable; these are the words reserved for the most spectacular of athletic feats. For a few years now, researchers have been zeroing in on the magic that allows special athletes to seemingly defy nature with uncanny anticipation, jaw-dropping blind passes, and astoundingly accurate… Read More

Dr. Michael Bennett Only Private Sector Surgeon Selected Nationwide. Dr. Michael Bennett MD, FACS, founder of The Eye Center of Hawaii, has been named one of thirteen prestigious surgeons across the United States to conduct the procedure for the Argus® II Retinal Prosthesis System. The Argus II (also called the “bionic eye”) is an implantable… Read More

Dr. Kellen Kashiwa Completes His 6th Medical Mission Becoming a doctor takes hours of educational preparation and financial sacrifices. It also takes passion. Born and raised in Hawaii, Doctor Kellen Kashiwa of the Retina Institute of Hawaii concentrated his optometry studies in low-vision and retinal disease at Pacific University College of Optometry. During his first… Read More

Paul Sibley runs in memory of Trevor Sims While the doctors at Retina Institute of Hawaii have consistently been recognized for awards, the supporting team makes amazing contributions as well. Paul Sibley, Chief Financial Officer, completed a 135-mile run from New Orleans to Baton Rouge to honor the memory of a little boy whose last… Read More

The Retina Institute of Hawaii is proud to be a part of Surgicare of Hawaii’s “Day of Giving” on May 11, 2013. Dr. Karl E. Waite, MD and Sara Lynn Doolin, RNFA are pioneering the initiative on behalf of Retina Institute of Hawaii and Hawaii Cataract and Laser Institute by performing FREE surgeries at Surgicare… Read More

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Ophthalmic Devices Panel recently reviewed and approved the groundbreaking ARGUS II Retinal Prosthesis System. Manufactured by Second Sight Medical Products, Inc., the device will allow partial vision restoration to patients who are blind due to Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). This is the first treatment for this condition that is… Read More