Dr Zack Oakey, MD

Call Directions Website Contact the practice

Dr Zack Oakey, MD Dedicated to advanced surgical and medical treatments and public education.

Board-certified retina specialist and ocular oncologist specializing in retinal diseases, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachments, and ocular tumors.

10/10/2026

Do GLP1 medications cause blindness?

10/09/2026

How quickly does someone go blind from a retinal detachment?

10/08/2026

what do we do for retinal tears?

Stargardt disease is the most common inherited form of juvenile macular dystrophy, primarily caused by mutations in the ...
10/07/2026

Stargardt disease is the most common inherited form of juvenile macular dystrophy, primarily caused by mutations in the ABCA4 gene passed down in an autosomal recessive pattern, meaning a child must inherit a faulty copy from each parent. In a healthy eye, this gene produces a specialized protein that functions like a molecular trash collector within the retina, the light-sensitive tissue lining the back of the eye. Every time the eye detects light, it consumes vitamin A, which naturally creates chemical byproducts that must be cleared away and recycled. When the ABCA4 protein is defective, this cleaning mechanism stalls, causing toxic fatty waste called lipofuscin to build up inside the retinal support cells. Over time, this toxic accumulation starves and destroys light-detecting photoreceptors in the macula, the center of the retina responsible for sharp, detailed sight, leading to progressive central vision loss, blind spots, and difficulty reading or recognizing faces.

While there is currently no approved cure, recent clinical trials are demonstrating significant promise to slow or stabilize the condition. The most advanced front of research involves oral medications designed to halt the accumulation of toxic retinal debris at its source. A leading candidate, tinlarebant, works by selectively restricting how much vitamin A enters the eye, successfully slowing the rate of retinal damage in global Phase 3 trials. Another major oral therapy under investigation, gildeuretinol (ALK-001), supplies the body with a chemically reinforced form of vitamin A that functions normally for sight but resists clumping into toxic waste. Alongside these daily oral treatments, scientists are testing gene therapies designed to deliver healthy ABCA4 genes directly into retinal cells, as well as stem cell transplants that aim to replace damaged retinal cells, together marking one of the most hopeful eras of development for Stargardt disease.

10/07/2026

Let’s talk about pressure in the brain, pseudotumor cerebri otherwise known as idiopathic intracranial hypertension.

10/06/2026

Why is the vision still bad after eye injections for diabetic retinopathy?

Part 2

10/06/2026

Why is the vision still bad after eye injections for diabetic retinopathy?

Part 1

This is a retinal tear among whose first signs is a vitreous hemorrhage.
10/05/2026

This is a retinal tear among whose first signs is a vitreous hemorrhage.

10/05/2026

how do we treat diabetic retinopathy?

10/04/2026

Why don’t we perform a laser for retinal detachments instead of going to the OR?

Address

114 Pacifica Suite 390
Irvine, CA
92618

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 5:30pm
Thursday 8am - 5:30pm
Friday 8am - 5:30pm

Telephone

+19498680144

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Dr Zack Oakey, MD posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Dr Zack Oakey, MD:

Shortcuts

Share

Category