mabelcheng

Important notice to patients: change of billing office after 2/19/26: 518-388-9926

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 15:44:34 GMT

Important notice to patients: change of billing office after 2/19/26: 518-388-9926

Notice of New Billing Office: 518-388-9926

Greetings everyone,

On 2/19/2026 our office transitioned to a new billing firm that will be processing payments for patients.

The new office, Medetech, can be reached at 518-388-9926 for any billing questions, inquiries, or payments made on or after date of service 2/19/2026.

For any billing questions, inquiries, or payments made for dates of service prior to 2/19/2026, please contact the previous billing office, Medical Billing Services, at 518-459-5397

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 518-782-7777, option 2.

-- The office staff of Dr. Mabel Cheng, MD, Dr. Nicole Lemanski, MD, Dr. Helen Le, OD

The office of Dr. Mabel Cheng and Dr. Nicole Lemanski expands language translation to frequently accessed medical literature

Thu, 25 May 2023 04:09:08 GMT

The office of Dr. Mabel Cheng and Dr. Nicole Lemanski expands language translation to frequently accessed medical literature.

As part of a major effort undertaken by practice administrator Brian Lemanski, the office of Dr. Mabel Cheng and Dr. Nicole Lemanski has been rolling out various non-English translations to commonly accessed medical literature in their online patient education library. These languages include: Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Pashto, and Burmese.

“The Capital Region is home to an array of written and spoken languages,” notes Brian. “While real-time language translation services are common in the healthcare setting, they are usually inadequate for patient education purposes. This is because what is routine for healthcare providers is not routine for the patient; most patients cannot fully learn about their medical conditions and treatment options in a single visit.”

The practice’s online patient education library is one of the largest in the Capital Region dedicated to ophthalmology and optometry and is free to access for patient use. All translated materials have been produced by certified medical language interpreters.

Have a particular eye condition that you would like to learn more about? Need a patient education material translated into a different language not seen on our website? Call us at 518-782-7777 .

Dr. Nicole Lemanski presents the management of corneal injuries at the New York State Ophthalmology Society

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 05:20:59 GMT

Dr. Nicole Lemanski presents the management of corneal injuries at the New York State Ophthalmology Society

Photo: Dr. Nicole Lemanski (Podium)

In the first post-COVID in-person meeting of the New York State Ophthalmology Society, our very own Dr. Nicole Lemanski was invited to give a talk on the management of corneal injuries. In attendance were over 80 of the top ophthalmologists and industry representatives in New York State.

“Injuries can happen at any place and at any time,” notes Dr. Lemanski. “In this case, this patient had a combination of specialty treatments, including an amniotic membrane contact lens, that resulted in successful resolution of their injury.”

Dr. Mabel Cheng, also in attendance, attested to the importance of these treatments.

“Amniotic membrane, donated from consenting mothers, has amazing healing properties,” she said. “Many large corneal injuries result in scars that substantially a patient’s vision for the rest of their lives. Injuries can now be healed in such a way that, in some circumstances, little to no scarring can be observed.”

Dr. Lemanski, though not a paid spokesperson for any amniotic membrane company, is one of the largest users of this technique in the Capital Region. She has presented on the use of amniotic membrane therapy at health fairs, optometry, and ophthalmology meetings.

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Have an eye injury? Explore your treatment options with our providers today! Call us at 518-782-7777 or book online at www.mabelchengmd.com

A day trip to New York City: The office staff of Dr. Mabel Cheng and Dr. Nicole Lemanski go to Vision Expo East

brian.lemanski@gmail.com (Brian Lemanski) — Sat, 18 Mar 2023 05:15:26 GMT

A day trip to New York City: The office staff of Dr. Mabel Cheng and Dr. Nicole Lemanski go to Vision Expo East

Photo: Office Staff of Mabel MP Cheng MD PLLC.

Left to Right: Jenny, Katelynn, Briana, Suzanne, Michele, Laura, Dr. Helen Le, Dr. Mabel Cheng, Brian

In a continuing policy set forth by Practice Administrator Brian, the office staff of Dr. Mabel Cheng and Dr. Nicole Lemanski attended Vision Expo East. This conference, the largest of its kind in the Eastern half of the United States, showcases new technologies in the vision and optometric world.

“I believe it is important that all office staff members become immersed in the newest technologies and developments in the ophthalmic world,” notes Brian.

“We have reached a point in medicine where we need to look past what a human eye can see when diagnosing disease. To that end, Dr Mabel Cheng and Dr. Nicole Lemanski have always been keen on introducing cutting edge diagnostic technologies to the Capital Region through their practice.”

Interested in an eye exam ? Get to know your eye health with some of the most advanced diagnostic equipment in the Capital Region with our providers today! Call us at 518-782-7777 or book online at www.mabelchengmd.com

Your local office, international: Dr. Nicole Lemanski, MD presents data on the first presented successful case of epithelial off corneal crosslinking in a patient with rheumatologic disease.

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 05:25:53 GMT

Your local office, international: Dr. Nicole Lemanski, MD presents data on the first presented successful case of epithelial off corneal crosslinking in a patient with rheumatologic disease.

In a continued tradition of excellence, cornea specialist Dr. Nicole Lemanski presented a case study on epithelial off corneal crosslinking in a patient with rheumatologic disease. This case study, presented at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery in Portugal, was the first of its kind in the reported ophthalmologic literature.

“Epithelial off Corneal crosslinking is used to treat keratoconus, a disease of the clear part of the eye usually found in younger individuals. Untreated, patients may need a corneal transplant. While the procedure itself is highly successful, it is not done in patients with rheumatologic disease, such as lupus, ankylosing spondylitis (“bamboo spine”), etc because of the risk of complications after the procedure,” Dr. Lemanski noted.

“In this case, a nearly year long effort was made to aggressively control the patient’s systemic disease prior to crosslinking, inspired by data gleaned from high risk corneal transplant patients. In this case, successful treatment halted this patient’s keratoconus without complication” she noted.

Head ophthalmologist, Dr. Mabel Cheng, MD, spoke to the significance of the presentation:

“Pushing the bounds of what we do and how we treat patients is paramount to the success of medicine. Sharing those results is equally important and allows collaboration to extend the population of individuals that can have cornea saving surgeries, such as crosslinking. We are proud to have contributed these novel data to the greater ophthalmologic community.”

If you or a loved one have keratoconus, don’t delay: speak with a corneal specialist today. Call us at 518-782-7777 or book online at www.mabelchengmd.com

Practice administrator / clinical researcher Brian receives the NABA 2021 Volunteer of the Year

Mon, 14 Jun 2021 09:32:29 GMT

Practice administrator / clinical researcher Brian receives the NABA 2021 Volunteer of the Year

On June 10th 2021, practice administrator and clinical researcher for Drs Mabel Cheng, Nicole Lemanski, and Abigail Zielke, Brian, received the NABA 2021 Volunteer of the Year award for work on AlbanyNYPPE, a NYS non-profit that is dedicated to providing free personal protective equipment (PPE) to groups around the Capital Region and beyond. The group has produced 13,000 free face shields, working alongside the Schenectady East Rotary Club for distribution. In addition, they have made numerous novel open source PPE as well as 2 UVC air disinfection units. We thank NABA for the honor and privilege of naming Brian, Volunteer of the Year as well as Congressman Paul Tonko, who gave Brian a certificate of Special Congressional Recognition.

Practice administrator Brian receives the 2021 Northeastern Association of the Blind at Albany (NABA)’s Volunteer of the Year for work on the office’s nonprofit, AlbanyNYPPE. From Left to Right (Dr. Zielke, Dr. Mabel Cheng, Practice Admin Brian, Dr. Nicole Lemanski)

Practice administrator Brian receives the award from NABA representatives on June 10th 2021

A closeup of the award

On display at the front desk

For more information about our non-profit, or to request face shields or other PPE, please contact at www.AlbanyNYPPE.com. To schedule an appointment with our Ophthalmologist, contact our office serving Albany,
Schenectady and Saratoga Springs, NY.

Mask update: still required!

Mon, 07 Jun 2021 09:20:57 GMT

Mask update: still required!

Hi all,

As you are most likely aware, representatives from New York State have stated that masks are no longer required in schools. Nonetheless, we wish to clarify that this does not mean masks are no longer required while in our facility. As of this present time, with the increasing threat of the delta variant, and with a number of patients medically ineligible or unable to be vaccinated (i.e. patients under 12 years of age), we have made the decision that we will still require masks while inside our facility regardless of immunization status.

Thank you for helping us all stay safe. We are all in this together!

— The office staff of Dr. Mabel Cheng, Dr. Nicole Lemanski, and Dr. Abigail Zielke

Clarification on recent NYS mask policies – our office still requires masks

Wed, 19 May 2021 09:15:29 GMT

Clarification on recent NYS mask policies – our office still requires masks

Dear patients,

The New York State Department of Health has recently released communication regarding new policies for wearing masks. Per this new policy, individuals who are fully vaccinated do not necessarily have to wear masks when appropriately socially distanced. However, given the nature of our office and the individuals that we see, our office still requires all individuals wear a suitable mask per original CDC and NIH guidelines while indoors. We appreciate your understanding in helping to keep those that were not medically eligible for vaccination, or unable to be vaccinated due to current age restrictions safe while in the office.

At present, our office has no plans to discontinue increased disinfection measures and/or social distancing / other COVID 19 mitigation measures. As the concern of new variants continues to threaten at risk populations, we find it prudent to maintain these mitigation measures.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to talk to a member of our knowledgeable staff.

Stay safe,

–The office of Dr. Mabel Cheng, Dr. Nicole Lemanski, and Dr. Abigail Zielke.

January website updates, new self service pickup

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 09:18:46 GMT

January website updates, new self service pickup

Hi all!

Hope you are doing well. We have some updates on our website that we would like to announce:

We have upgraded our website for better use by visually impaired patients with the userway widget. You will find this on the lower right hand corner of the screen. Simply click on it and it will help transform the website, in conjunction with your operating system’s accessibility functions, to whatever you need to navigate our site better. We hope you find this helpful!
We have rolled out the ability to schedule appointments online for Dr. Zielke! Individuals wishing to have a Vision Exam (i.e. not Medical Insurance visit) for contact lenses and glasses, can now schedule appointments without having a patient portal account. Feel free to check it out here: Go to Online Scheduler

In addition, we are happy to announce the beginning of our Phase III mitigation measures, which includes a new self service pickup system. This system, located in our building vestibule, allows patients to pick up items from the office at their leisure, whenever they want. We implemented this system so that individuals who wanted to come to the office when fewer people are around could do so. To help make the space safer, we have also installed an Upper Air Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation system in the vestibule. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask a member of our staff.

That’s all for now!

–Brian

Practice Administrator

COVID-19 Mitigation Milestones

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 09:07:29 GMT

COVID-19 Mitigation Milestones

Hi all,

Hope you all had a safe holiday / new year.

Unfortunately, it would appear that our earlier suspicions were correct – cases are marching on up at an alarming pace. However, not all is doom and gloom! In fact, our office has been busy working not only on its own mitigation measures, but also in the capital region and beyond. As of today, our office, alongside AlbanyNYPPE, a NYS not for profit, with assistance from the Schenectady East Rotary Club, have delivered over 11,000 pieces of PPE to homeless shelters, hospitals, soup kitchens, assisted living / nursing homes, schools, and many more at no cost. In addition, we have published over 10 open source medical PPE designs in Ophthalmology, Optometry, and Opticianry. You can find more of our designs at www.AlbanyNYPPE.com

In addition, we have also been assisting with protein folding simulations for the COVID Moonshot program, a computational project rooted in the Folding@Home project from Stanford University. To date, our office has contributed over 8100 COVID-19 simulations, representing nearly 10 years of combined computational time from our office. It is hoped that these simulations will help scientists design more effective drugs for treating COVID-19 related illness.

Stay safe, remember to social distance, and wear a mask.

Regards,

–Brian

Practice Administrator

COVID-19 Mitigation Measures

Thu, 10 Dec 2020 09:13:07 GMT

COVID-19 Mitigation Measures

Hi all,

Hope you are all doing well and staying safe.

The office has been closely following the COVID-19 situation in the Capital Region and beyond. Projections after Thanksgiving suggest a large spike will occur. It is likely the Capital Region will be no exception to this. As such, we will be implementing phase II of our mitigation measures.

What were the PHASE I Mitigation measures?

Phase I mitigation measures included disinfecting rooms between patient visits, as well as the installation of touch free faucets, the installation of UV reaction cells to our building air handlers, MERV13 filtration systems, and pressure assist toilets to reduce aerosol concentrations from toilet flushes. We also increased HEPA filtration in areas of the office which had less than 6 air exchanges per hour, the recommended number of exchanges for medical offices. Additionally, we also implemented social distancing measures as well as requiring all patients to wear a mask (for our staff, we had required mask wearing a number of weeks before state mandates).

Phase Ia mitigation measures included peroxide washing of glasses in the optical shop, as well as the roll-out of a optical air curtain system that allows patients to safely try glasses on.

Phase Ib mitigation includes the installation of a FDA EUA approved temperature screening system for both staff and patients.

What are the PHASE II Mitigation measures going to be?

Phase II mitigation measures include the design, fabrication, and installation of Upper Air Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) units, which will be installed in each exam room. These units will exchange the entire air in an exam room within 1-2 minutes, allowing for the entire air in an exam room to be sanitized between patients. Larger units will increase the number of air exchanges in the waiting room and sub-waiting room. The goal is a minimum of 20 air exchanges per hour in every room of the office. This number is substantially more than what is required in a medical office, and is considered the minimum number of air exchanges required in a hospital operating room.

Phase II also sees the upgrading of the optical air curtain with a custom UVGI module, the design, fabrication, and installation of custom UV sanitization chambers for office and optical equipment, the installation of laser particle counters for monitoring aerosol particulates, and custom chair dividers on all chairs in the waiting room and sub waiting room.

Because the office feels very strongly about the safety of individuals, the designs of the UVGI system will be released open source through the non-profit AlbanyNYPPE, which is affiliated with our practice. These designs will be provided at no cost, allowing anyone who wants to build one the ability to fabricate their own.

Will there be a Phase III?

Although a vaccine rollout is very close, the office anticipates that vaccination will be bottle necked. We therefore anticipate that COVID cases will continue even in 2021. Therefore, a Phase III mitigation program is anticipated. Stay tuned.

That is all for now! In the meanwhile, I hope you all have a safe December, Holiday, and New Year.

–Brian

Practice Administrator

Dr. Mabel Cheng and Dr. Nicole Lemanski welcome Dr. Abigail Zielke to the practice

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 08:55:27 GMT

Dr. Mabel Cheng and Dr. Nicole Lemanski welcome Dr. Abigail Zielke to the practice

We are excited to announce Dr. Abigail Zielke has joined our practice!

Dr. Abigail Zielke was born and raised in Frankenmuth, MI where she graduated from Frankenmuth High School. She went on to attend Saginaw Valley State University and received a Bachelor of Science in Biology. She received her Doctorate of Optometry from the Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State University. Dr. Zielke continued her training at the Aleda Lutz VA in Saginaw, MI as well as Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD and the Andersen Eye Associates in Saginaw, MI.

Dr. Zielke‘s training includes primary eye care, ocular disease, and a special interest in contact lenses. She was a past Recipient of the Excellence in Contact Lens Patient Care Award from Johnson & Johnson. She is a member of the the American Optometric Association. When she is not working, Dr. Zielke enjoys hiking, baking, and spending time with her family.

Dr. Zielke is available for comprehensive eye exams and comprehensive vision exams at our office, Monday through Friday.

For more information, or to schedule an appointment, please call our office at 518-782-7777

Drs. Mabel Cheng and Nicole Lemanski deliver 2200 3D printed COVID shields, performs 2100 COVID protein simulations

Fri, 05 Jun 2020 09:03:34 GMT

Drs. Mabel Cheng and Nicole Lemanski deliver 2200 3D printed COVID shields, performs 2100 COVID protein simulations

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we figure we share some good news about the efforts the office has undertaken to fight COVID-19 in our community. As of today, the office has delivered 2200 3D printed 3DVerkstan shields. These shields, created in the office’s 3D print lab, have been given to a number of local physicians, ophthalmologists, optometrists, hospitals, medical transportation agencies, and other allied health care workers. In addition, these shields have been delivered to local businesses, homeless shelters, food banks / kitchens, free clinics. We are proud that we have been able to provide these shields at no charge while we fight the PPE shortage during the pandemic.

Left: Stacks of 3D printed face shields assembled and ready for delivery. Right: Director of the medical print lab, Brian Lemanski delivers an order of 200 face shields for The Food Pantries for the Capital District

Meanwhile the office’s computers have been busily performing protein folding experiments for the Pande Lab of Stanford University through Folding@Home. “At present, our office has completed 2130 protein simulations, chiefly related to COVID-19” states Dr. Cheng. “Based on Folding@Home’s point’s award system, our office’s endeavors represents the top 0.9% of all computer donors (2.7 million).” You can follow our folding efforts at: https://stats.foldingathome.org/donor/MabelMPChengMDPLLC

Finally, we would like to remind all patients that our office remains open during normal business hours. “Although Phase II has just started in Albany NY, it is critical to maintain good hygiene, social distancing practices, and other activities that limit the spread of COVID-19” notes Dr. Nicole Lemanski. “We do not want to undo all of the efforts that everyone has collectively made over the past few months.”

Stay safe everyone,

–The staff of Dr. Mabel Cheng, MD and Dr. Nicole Lemanski, MD

Dr. Cheng and Dr. Lemanski donate 3D printed PPE, design custom shields, donate computer time to fight COVID-19

Thu, 07 May 2020 08:35:56 GMT

Dr. Cheng and Dr. Lemanski donate 3D printed PPE, design custom shields, donate computer time to fight COVID-19

Dear all,

As the COVID 19 pandemic continues to affect us all, we here at Dr. Mabel Cheng and Dr. Nicole Lemanski’s office thought we would share some good news with you. As some may be aware, our office’s 3D printing labs, normally used for research, retuned to produced Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE. We are happy to announce that in the past 4 weeks, our office has produced 1200 face shields, visors, and mask “ear” protectors. These items have been distributed at no charge to multiple places in need, including: The Niskayuna Police Department, the Albany VA, hospitals in NYC (through NYCPPE) and Florida, physicians practicing in the Capital Region, Restaurants in Schenectady, and the UAlbany CEHC print group (which assembles and distributes to other first responders and health care groups in the greater capital region). We are happy to continue providing this service free of charge during these extraordinary times.

“These 3Dverkstan visors are arguably the most popular 3D printed face shields in the US, and have been validated for emergency use from the National Institutes of Health” notes Dr. Mabel Cheng. “Without a doubt, they are critical in addressing the severe PPE shortage in the US that COVID-19 has brought to light.

A Lulzbot TAZ6 (left) busily produces much needed face shields in the 3D print lab while a stack of 100 visors (center) is prepped for assembly and shipment.

“In addition to producing 3D printed designs, the office has also been busy redesigning ophthalmology PPE designs for ophthalmologists and optometrists to use” adds Dr. Nicole Lemanski. “It is important that we act in whatever capacity is possible to also protect our colleagues.” The designs, reworked from an Israeli group, are available on the NIH Print hub for anyone to use: https://3dprint.nih.gov/users/bcplemanski

Dr. Lemanski, wearing an office remixed design of a shield for an Keeler All Pupil II Indirect Ophthalmoscope (a device used to examine the retina).

But the fight against COVID does not end at the office. As Dr. Cheng notes, “the office has also been donating computational power to fight COVID-19 through protein folding simulations. These calculations are done through the distributed computing project known as Folding@Home, run by a team of computational biologists out of Stanford University in California.” More information can be obtained from https://foldingathome.org/

A screenshot of the current contribution of the office’s computer network to the Folding@home computational folding grid.

Our office will continue efforts to fight COVID-19 for as long as necessary. Please stay safe, continue practicing social distancing, wear a mask, and stay at home whenever possible.

–The staff of Dr. Mabel Cheng and Dr. Nicole Lemanski

Dr. Mabel Cheng and Dr. Lemanski welcome Optician Laura Erwin

Mon, 20 Apr 2020 08:24:40 GMT

Dr. Mabel Cheng and Dr. Lemanski welcome Optician Laura Erwin

Dr. Cheng and Dr. Lemanski welcome Optician Laura Erwin to Focus Optical Shop, an independent optical shop located conveniently adjacent to Dr. Cheng and Dr. Lemanski’s practice.

Laura is a New York State Licensed Optician who has happily served the Capital District in the optical field for over 30 years.

Her knowledge of lens technologies and eyeware trends gives her dynamic insight in all eyeware needs. Similarly, she has worked alongside contact lens patients to help them learn care and handling procedures, educating patients in all areas of contact lens use.

Laura’s experience include an in-depth understanding of insurance in order to optimize patient’s benefits. Her positive approach to complex insurance details and communication skills provide help and insight to all she assists.

When Laura is not at work she enjoys traveling with her family.

To learn more, visit www.focusopticalalbany.com

Optical shop hours are Monday-Friday from 8 am to 5 pm, closed for lunch from 12:30pm to 1:30 pm.

An update on COVID-19 from Dr. Mabel Cheng and Dr. Nicole Lemanski

Thu, 19 Mar 2020 08:20:20 GMT

An update on COVID-19 from Dr. Mabel Cheng and Dr. Nicole Lemanski

Dear patients,

As you are all undoubtedly aware, COVID-19 (Coronavirus) has declared a global pandemic, meaning that the disease is now spreading across all continents globally. As part of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, many businesses across New York State and the country are shutting down. However, patients should be aware that our office will remain open at normal business hours (8 am to 5 pm) to handle urgent visits, as well as handle appointments for patients that are currently on drug therapy or are being followed for certain eye diseases. These include patients who have glaucoma, ocular hypertension, rheumatological eye diseases, corneal melts, or patients who have recently had eye / laser surgery who require followup. Patients who are scheduled for routine appointments, however, will be rescheduled by our office staff accordingly. If you have any questions, I encourage you to contact our office at 518-782-7777 option 2.

As it is critically important that we not only monitor the health of our patients but also prevent the spread of COVID-19, patients who come to our office during this time period may notice some changes to their appointment. All patients will have to answer a brief COVID-19 risk assessment questionnaire in addition to having a minimally invasive temperature check to ensure that they do not have any fever. You may also be asked to wear a mask should your physician determine that you need one. You will find that we have increased the number of hand sanitizer stations around the office as well as increased the number of times staff routinely come around and wipe down office spaces with bleach or Clorox wipes. We apologize in advance for any intrusion, but we feel that it is necessary to minimize the spread of COVID-19.

Finally, if you become ill before your appointment, please call the receptionists at 518-782-7777 option 2 and inform them that you are ill. Patients who may still need to be seen may be contacted for a tele-health visit , which can be conducted on a patient’s smartphone or a computer equipped with a high resolution webcamera.

If you have any additional questions about COVID-19, please visit the CDC webpage for Coronavirus here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Be safe, be healthy, and we will all get through this together.

Regards,

Brian, Practice Administrator

You asked for it: online e-bill payments are now available - Dr. Mabel Cheng, MD & Dr. Nicole Lemanski, MD - Eye Care Professionals | Latham, NY

Mon, 03 Feb 2020 08:17:04 GMT

You asked for it: online e-bill payments are now available

After receiving many requests from patients, the office of Dr. Mabel Cheng and Dr. Nicole Lemanski is proud to offer online e-bill payments for your convenience. This payment portal, now accessible through our office’s Patient Portal , will allow you to make a payment at your convenience as well as receive an instant receipt.

Please note, to pay online, you will need an activated patient portal account. If you do not have a patient portal account, please call the office at 518-782-7777

If you have questions on how to use your patient portal, we recommend viewing the patient tutorial videos here: https://bit.ly/2UixDRk

Cheers,

–The office staff of Dr. Mabel Cheng and Dr. Nicole Lemanski

Dr. Mabel Cheng and Dr. Nicole Lemanski introduce Epithelial Mapping and Widefield Digital Angiography

Fri, 27 Dec 2019 08:13:53 GMT

Dr. Mabel Cheng and Dr. Nicole Lemanski introduce Epithelial Mapping and Widefield Digital Angiography

In a first for patients in the Capital Region, Dr. Mabel Cheng and Dr. Nicole Lemanski are proud to announce the introduction of high resolution anterior segment OCT with epithelial mapping and Widefield Retinal Digital Angiography.

Widefield OCT Angiography Montage (image courtesy of Zeiss).

“These two upgrades, released by Zeiss in November 2019, greatly expand the diagnostic capacity afforded to our patients,” states Brian Lemanski, practice administrator. “Digital OCT Angiography allows us to conduct vascular studies of the back of the eye that usually required a dye solution to be injected into a patient. Now a fair majority can be performed using just light, making it easier for hassle free routine imaging. The widefield aspect is equally important, as it affords examination of a larger portion of the retina, making it more likely for disease processes to be detected. Diabetics in particular, who are recommended to have a dilated eye exam at least once a year, will greatly benefit from this technology to look for more subtle diabetic eye disease.”

High Resolution Epithelial Mapping (image courtesy of Zeiss).

“Meanwhile, the epithelium, the outer-most layer of the clear part of the eye, is poorly visualized with traditional imaging techniques. High resolution epithelial mapping greatly enhances our understanding of certain corneal pathologies, and affords more tailored treatments for conditions such as recurrent erosion and enhanced detection of sub-clinical keratoconus.”

Have a question on any of our technologies? Feel free to contact us at 518-782-7777 for more details.

–The office staff of Dr. Mabel Cheng and Dr. Nicole Lemanski

Dr. Lemanski presents pilot study research in infrared imaging at ESCRS, 2019

Wed, 02 Oct 2019 08:07:46 GMT

Dr. Lemanski presents pilot study research in infrared imaging at ESCRS, 2019

On September 16th 2019, Dr. Nicole Lemanski presented research at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive surgery in Paris. This work examined the use of infra-red imaging techniques on measuring the horizontal corneal diameter, known as white to white (WTW), a variable required in modern day cataract surgery lens calculations. This research was compared against other non-infrared techniques currently used to assess WTW.

“Continuing to do pilot studies is critical to pushing the bounds of known equipment in obtaining precise, accurate, and, most importantly, reproducible biometric measurements of a patient’s eye” notes Brian Lemanski, practice administrator and lead study director. “To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time an infrared imaging device of this nature has been utilized in this manner. The results and information obtained from this study may be useful in designing a larger experiment examining inter-observer variability, which we have published on previously with respect to quantifying astigmatic function.”

(Inter-observer variability is the difference in measurements between two separate observers, with the idea that a good instrument obtains good data regardless of the operator.)

— The office staff of Mabel MP Cheng MD PLLC

Ophthalmologists join HixNY network for greater communication with patient’s physicians

Thu, 30 May 2019 07:56:03 GMT

Ophthalmologists join HixNY network for greater communication with patient’s physicians

Our office is proud to announce that we have completed integrating our electronic medical records system with HixNY, the health information exchange of NY. After a one time consent, this integration will allow patients to share their information automatically to other physicians involved in their care. To learn more about HixNY, please see the video on our Education page, or visit https://www.hixny.org/

“Integrating medical records and sharing data automatically improves the ability for other physicians involved in the patient’s care to make more immediate medical decisions” writes practice administrator Brian Lemanski. “For example, if a diabetic patient were to have a diabetic eye exam, the data generated from a visit with our ophthalmologists would be available to any physician’s group that is also integrated with HixNY, assuming that that physician’s group also participates and has a signed consent on file. It also reduces the need to wait for records to be faxed or transferred for continuity of care.”

//The office of Dr. Mabel Cheng and Dr. Nicole Lemanski is the first ophthalmology group in the Capital Region to offer eye exam data to the HixNY Network. We encourage all patients to sign up for HixNY at the time of your visit. If you are a current patient, please speak to a member of our staff for more details.

November 10th is World Keratoconus Day

Sun, 11 Nov 2018 07:52:41 GMT

November 10th is World Keratoconus Day

The National Keratoconus Foundation has elected that November 10th to be World Keratoconus Day. The designation of this date is to be used as a platform for raising awareness of Keratoconus, a potentially visually devastating corneal disease.

Keratoconus, which affects 1 in 400 individuals, is an eye disease of the cornea, the clear tissue of the front part of the eye. In normal eyes, the dome shaped cornea focuses light into the eye allowing for clear vision. In Keratoconus, the cornea progressively thins and weakens, causing the cornea to bulge forward. This bulge can change the patient’s vision rapidly, especially around early adolescence, and can cause poor visual quality. In the beginning patients with Keratoconus may have few symptoms. As the disease progresses, patients may become very nearsighted (myopic) and have a high degree of astigmatism that is not always correctable by glasses or contact lenses. Continued progression may necessitate a corneal transplant to restore useful vision.

Corneal Crosslinking is the first and only FDA approved treatment to halt the progression of Keratoconus, thereby preventing a corneal transplant. It is the only proven method of halting progression.

Corneal specialist Dr. Nicole Lemanski, who took part in clinical trials for corneal crosslinking, spearheads the Capital Region’s first and only designated Center of Excellence for Keratoconus treatment at Mabel MP Cheng MD & Nicole Lemanski, MD, located at 3140 Troy Schenectady Road, Schenectady, NY. She provides treatment with the Avedro KXL Corneal Crosslinking unit, the FDA’s first and currently only approved device for procedures in the United States.

Dr. Lemanski with the FDA approved Avedro KXL Unit for Corneal Crosslinking and Post-Surgical Ectasia.

Congratulations Dr. Nicole Lemanski, Best of the Best award for Ophthalmology

Sat, 03 Nov 2018 07:48:40 GMT

Congratulations Dr. Nicole Lemanski, Best of the Best award for Ophthalmology

We are honored and privileged to announce that Dr. Nicole Lemanski has been voted Best Ophthalmologist in the Capital Region by The Daily Gazette! Thank you again to all of our patients who voted for us.

Welcoming Dr. Maureen Sienko, OD

Sun, 12 Mar 2017 09:45:48 GMT

Welcoming Dr. Maureen Sienko, OD

Dr. Maureen Sienko, OD

Dr. Maureen Sienko began her eye care career as an optician and ophthalmic technician in 1974, in a program at the Massachusetts College of Optometry. After receiving her biology degree in 1980 and briefly teaching high school biology, she became an optometry student at the New England College of Optometry in Boston, MA, graduating in 1985 and became a diplomate of the American Board of Optometry later that year.

Dr. Sienko spent four years training with the world-renowned contact lens specialist Dr. Donald Korb in Boston and did additional low vision training at Lighthouse International in New York City with Dr. Eleanor Faye. She completed her residency in Hadassah Hospital’s (Jerusalem, Israel) ophthalmology department, which gave her extensive experience in ocular pathology. Dr. Sienko then moved to the Capital Region where she taught contact lens fitting and refraction to Albany Medical College’s

Ophthalmology residents.

Dr. Sienko has lent her extensive expertise in optometry to patients of numerous institutions around the Capital Region including the New York State Department of Correction’s Maximum Security Prisons as well as psychiatric facilities and the New York State Division of Disability Determination.

Dr. Sienko does both routine and comprehensive eye exams, contact lens fittings, low vision exams, and diagnoses and treats common eye diseases including glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, and macular degeneration. She is in the office Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 AM to 5 PM and is accepting new patients.

Dr. Nicole Lemanski and medical students run free eye clinic.

Mon, 16 Jan 2017 07:45:51 GMT

Dr. Nicole Lemanski and medical students run free eye clinic.

On January 13, 2017 Dr. Nicole Lemanski and practice administrator Brian Lemanski joined forces with the Albany Medical College’s student chapter of the Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA) to run an ophthalmology screening clinic. The clinic, held at the Mosque, Masjid as-Salaam, in Albany, NY sought to examine the status of ocular health in the community while also serving to teach the next generation of medical students. At the clinic, the medical students tested visual acuity, measured eye pressure, tested participants with Amsler grids , performed blood pressure screenings and learned the signs and symptoms of common eye diseases, such as glaucoma and cataracts . The students further provided education to the community through discussion and posters on preventative eye exams and general eye health.

Dr. Nicole Lemanski with AMC IMANA students at Masjid as-Salaam, in Albany, NY

“Community outreach is critical to assess the status of a population’s ocular health,” states Dr. Mabel Cheng, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at Albany Medical College and Asian Pacific American Medical Students Association (APAMSA) advisor. “Frequently we find that there are areas of the population that do not have access to a doctor, especially when those individuals do not speak English or can not read. Such situations may intimidate individuals to seek medical care, thereby exacerbating preventative conditions.”

–Posted by the staff at Mabel MP Cheng MD, PLLC

Introducing the new Mabel Cheng MD website – a commitment to furthering eye health education.

Tue, 27 Sep 2016 07:30:16 GMT

Introducing the new Mabel Cheng MD website – a commitment to furthering eye health education.

After a considerable amount of work over the past year, we are proud to offer all current and prospective patients our website as a free resource guide for their eye health. On our state of the art website, you will find information about the different services that we offer, how those services are carried out, and an extensive library of physician approved informational videos, brochures, and written literature on a variety of eye diseases and treatment regimens.

“Eye health education has been an integral part of who we are and how we translate excellence in eye care to the patient,” states comprehensive ophthalmologist Dr. Mabel Cheng. “We believe that one of the paths to years of happy vision begins with good education – by having the patient read brochures or watch videos on their eye conditions, the patient becomes better informed on the importance of their treatment regimens for their ocular health. Additionally, by having these resources available to the patient at any time, the patient can learn at his or her own rate. This extends education past the clinic walls and facilitates the passing of accurate information from physician to patient, and helps to dispel the fear, uncertainty, and doubt that may accompany certain eye conditions.

The website has also proven beneficial for patient’s family members as well. “If you are someone who takes care of a loved one, you know how difficult it can be keeping up with all aspects of their healthcare,” notes cornea and comprehensive ophthalmologist Dr. Nicole Lemanski. “Frequently, different family members will bring a loved one to our office. This has presented a logistical challenge because each family member is seeing a different part of the treatment regimen out of context to the other. By having a resource for family members as well, individuals responsible for the care of a loved one can better take part in their healthcare.”

As part of our commitment to continuous improvements, we welcome feedback as to which eye conditions, tests, treatments, and / or services individuals would like to learn more about. To submit an inquiry or comment, please feel free to drop us a few words under the “Contact Us / Directions” tab.

–The staff at Mabel MP Cheng MD, PLLC