Thomas Spoor, MD


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Thomas C. Spoor, M.D. FACS

 

Oculoplastic, Orbital & Neuro-Ophthalmic Surgery

 

27450 Schoenherr Road
Warren, MI 48088
TEL: 586-582-7860
FAX: 586-582-7861

Retina Institute
3400 Bee Ridge Rd
Sarasota, Fl 34239
941-921-5335

 

NATIONALLY RENOWNED MEDICAL EXPERT

  • Dr Spoor is known by his fellow professionals the world over for his pioneering work in oculoplastic, orbital and neuro-ophthalmic surgery.  He is especially noted for his outstanding work in optic nerve surgery and innovative treatments of patients with optic nerve dysfunction.  His surgery is respected for its excellent results and for the innovative ways he has personally modified procedures for increased effectiveness.  His practice is limited to oculoplastic, orbital and neuro-ophthalmic surgery.

CHANGING THE FACE OF MEDICINE AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE

  • It’s important to Dr Spoor that he spreads his talents and the results of his pioneering research in various techniques, procedures and disorders in order to benefit the most people that he can. 
    Over the past 25years of practice, he has trained scores of resident physicians, lectured to hundreds of medical students and trained 17 American and 3 foreign fellows in a year long, one on one preceptorship.   His fellows have gone on to serve their patients throughout the world with innovative treatments. 

  • He has not only practiced excellent medicine for his own patients, but he’s made it a priority to share his knowledge with fellow specialists around the world through textbooks (7), published articles (over 60) , textbook chapters (over 50) and presentations(over 200).  Recent textbooks include:

Facial Rejuvenation Ophthalmic Trauma Optic nerve disorders
     
  Atlas of Neuro-ophthalmology
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr Spoor’s new book entitled “Atlas of Oculoplastic and Orbital Surgery will be published this fall by Informa Medical Publishers.  This shares his expertise acquired over a busy 30 year career with other ophthalmologists

PRESENT APPOINTMENT:

1998 Private Practice/St. John Macomb Hospital

Oculoplastic, Orbital, and Neuro-ophthalmic Surgery

2006

Sarasota Retina Institute

In 2006, Dr Spoor joined the Sarasota Retina Institute in Sarasota, Florida.   He has established an active practice in Sarasota while maintaining his active practice in metro Detroit with the help of his three associates.  His practice remains exclusively oculoplastic/orbital surgery and neuro-ophthalmology

     

 FACULTY APPOINTMENTS:

1979-1980     Assistant Professor of Surgery, Division of Ophthalmology; University of South Carolina School of Medicine; Columbia, South Carolina

1980-1983     Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology; University of South Carolina School of Medicine; Columbia, South Carolina

1983-1984     Associate Professor of Surgery/Ophthalmology, and Associate Professor of Neurosurgery; University of South Alabama College of Medicine; Mobile, Alabama

1984-1992     Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology; Kresge Eye Institute of Wayne State University; Detroit, Michigan

1984-1998     Director, Neuro-ophthalmic/Orbital Service; Kresge Eye Institute of Wayne State University; Detroit, Michigan

1984-1998    Director, Oculoplastic Service; Kresge Eye Institute of Wayne State University; Detroit, Michigan

1990-1992     Associate Professor, Department of Neurosurgery; Wayne State University; Detroit, Michigan

1992-1998     Professor, Department of Ophthalmology; Kresge Eye Institute of Wayne State University; Detroit, Michigan

 PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES:

  • American Academy of Ophthalmology

    • Honor Award: 1989

  • American Association for the Advancement of Science

  • American Medical Association

  • American Society of Oculoplastic & Reconstructive Surgery

  • Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology

  • Diopter and Decibel Society

    • President:                      1987-1989

    • Vice-President:             1985-1987

    • Program Chairman:      1985-1989

  • FB Walsh Society (Neuro-ophthalmology)

  • International Society of Orbital Disorders

  • Michigan Ophthalmological Society

  • Neuro-ophthalmic Surgical Society (NOSS)

    • President                     1995-present

  • North American Clinical Dermatology Society (Honorary)

  • North American Neuro-ophthalmologic Society (NANOS)

  • Sigma XI

  • AAO Senior Honor award 2003

 OPTIC NERVE SURGERY

Dr Spoor has performed more optic nerve surgery than most anyone in the world.  He has modified the once formidable task of optic nerve sheath decompression into a 20  minute procedure performed as an outpatient under local anesthesia.   He has published and presented to national and international audiences the results of his extensive experience treating patients with these potentially blinding disorders.

 

Patients with papilledema and visual loss due to pseudotumor cerebri and brain tumor benefit most from this procedure.  This procedure may also offer salvation of visual function in patients with central retinal vein occlusions.  Dr Spoor’s results operating on patients with this otherwise untreatable condition have been very gratifying.

16 year old boy with severe papilledema and visual loss before and after optic nerve sheath decompression.  Note the marked decrease in the optic disc swelling and the improved visual function only 10 days after surgery. 



Appearance of optic nerves prior to surgery

   
Appearance of optic nerves 10 days after surgery

A patient with a central retinal vein occlusion and markedly decreased vision(20/200). 
Three months after optic nerve sheath decompression the fundus is normal and the visual acuity has improved to 20/20.

central retinal vein occlusion prior to optic nerve sheath decompression

fundus appearance 3 months after surgery

ORBITAL SURGERY

  • Dr. Spoor was one of the first fellows training with Dr John S. Kennerdell (1978-1979) to practice orbital and neuro-ophthalmic surgery.  Since his fellowship years, Dr Spoor has acquired extensive experience in treating patients with a wide variety of orbital disorders ranging from thyroid orbital disease to removable orbital tumors.  Few surgeons have done more successful orbital surgery than Dr Spoor.

 

CT scan demonstrating a large encapsulated orbital tumor, safely removed from a one eyed patient.
CT scans demonstrating a large encapsulated orbital tumor causing proptosis and optic nerve compression in the patients only sighted eye

Appearance of patient one month after successful removal of orbital tumor.

CLOSED HEAD INJURIES

  • Over the past 20 years, Dr Spoor has devoted a significant portion of his practice to treating patients with neuro-ophthalmologic sequelae of closed head injuries.  These patients may experience visual loss due to optic nerve dysfunction, double vision, blurry vision,  dry eye from medications and constant headache and neck spasms.  Dr Spoor’s Innovative treatments with Botox injections, punctal occlusion and timely surgical and medical intervention have resulted in a large following of very happy patients who had been previously neglected by other practitioners.

  • As the head strikes an immovable object the skull stops; but the brain keeps moving.  
  •  The shearing forces may cause decreased visual function by damaging the optic nerve, optic chiasm or occipital lobes of the brain. 
  • Damage to the brainstem or the cranial nerves involved with eye movements may result in double vision, facial palsy and dry eye

   

Dry Eye and Tearing

      Dr Spoor’s interest in dry eye and tearing problems evolved from his experience with patient’s closed head injuries.  These patients often complain of ocular irritation, intolerance to light, tearing and dry scratchy eyes. 

      In efforts to resolve these issues, Dr Spoor has popularized the use of Lissamine green vital stain to diagnose and document surface abnormalities on both the eye and the eyelids.  This has greatly facilitated diagnosis and management of dry eyes, tearing and ocular irritation caused by floppy eyelids.

Dry eye diffuse stippling of the exposed conjunctiva is diagnostic of moderate dry eye.  If the cornea stains severe dry eye is present.

2.        Only a thin line demarcating the mucocutaneous junction of the eyelid should stain with Lissamine green.  This diffuse staining is diagnostic of floppy eyelid syndrome and windshield wiper epitheliopathy 

3.        Lissamine green stain facilitates detection of subtle punctual ectropion as the cause of tearing. (photo)

 

Dr Spoor has shared his expertise with other ophthalmologists worldwide by teaching a course at recent American Academy of ophthalmology meetings on the management of dry eye and tearing.

 

COSMETIC AND FUNCTIONAL EYELID SURGERY

  • The “bread and butter” of oculoplastic surgery is functional and cosmetic eyelid surgery.  The oculoplastic surgeon has the knowledge and ability to alter all the components of the upper eyelid to obtain the desired cosmetic and functional result.  Over the years Dr Spoor has successfully performed thousands of functional and cosmetic surgeries on the upper and lower eyelids.

Before and after upper eyelid surgery  

Before and after upper and lower eyelid surgery

SKIN CARE AND SUN PROTECTION

  • The sun is your skin’s worst enemy.  If you are not willing to commit to being sun smart, do not waste time, effort and money on facial rejuvenation medications or procedures. 

  • Sun smart does not mean sun avoidance.  A visor, sun block of SPF 15 or greater and a little common sense are really all you need to be sun smart. Look at the skin on your face and the skin on your bottom. 

  • They have the same parents and the same number of birthdays, the only difference is sun exposure over the years.

FACIAL REJUVENATION

  • You do not have to pay a huge amount of money for a face  lift to enhance your self esteem and self image.  Many patients can improve their self-esteem and self-image by making minor changes in their appearance and enhancing their present attributes.

Severe actinic keratosis before and after facial rejuvenation

BOTOX

  • Botox injections are safe and effective for decreasing wrinkles due to contraction of underlying muscles (fig ).  Botox is a potent neurotoxin that weakens the underlying musculature and decreases the overlying wrinkles. 

  • Dr. Spoor has been using Botox for over 15 years and has extensive experience using Botox for a large variety of cosmetic and functional conditions ranging from wrinkle reduction to migraine headaches and neck spasms.

Patient with dynamic rhytids (wrinkles) before and after treatment with  Botox injections.

LASER RESURFACING

Dr Spoor was one of the first physicians in the midwest to introduce and popularize facial resurfacing with the erbium-yag laser.  He is now offering non-ablative wrinkle reduction with the Diolite 532 laser.  This laser also effectively removes abnormal blood vessel and pigmented lesions from the skin.   Dr. Spoor has recently published several papers describing his extensive, successful experience treating pigmented and vascular lesions with this type of laser. 

Periocular region before, one week and 3 weeks after Erbium-Yag laser resurfacing

Perioral region before and after Erbium laser resurfacing

 Thermage

Restylane

 

 
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