FAQ
At the Jack McGovern Coats’ Disease Foundation, we are often contacted by anxious parents or patients who are seeking information after receiving a diagnosis of Coats’ Disease. The questions below are provided as a resource to assist you as you and your doctor decide the best approach for treatment. These questions do not constitute any form of medical advice or diagnosis. Each patient is unique. An experienced retinal specialist who has examined the patient is the best source of information for diagnosis and treatment. We always recommend getting a second opinion.
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Ahead of any treatments or procedures, it is important to ask yourself and the doctor the following questions:
How do you know that this is Coats’ Disease?
Has your doctor treated other patients with Coats’ Disease?
Have you sought a second opinion? If not, please consult our Doctor Directory for knowledgeable doctors in your area.
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What Stage of Coats’ Disease is he/she in?
Will his/her vision get worse over time?
Will the eye have pain?
Will his/her eye start to turn out? Is muscle corrective surgery an option?
Are cataracts likely?
How likely is glaucoma? (due to retinal detachment)
Is there calcification?
What is the anticipated disease progression?
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Is there a thorough vision exam available?
Where is the vision affected? (central/peripheral/distance)
Does he/she have depth perception? (3D visibility)
What about the non-Coats’ eye?
To what extent is his/her vision affected?
Will we be able to use this as a baseline to measure progress/decline?
Find a Doctor
The Jack McGovern Coats’ Disease Foundation provides this directory of doctors who are familiar with Coats’ Disease as a service to individuals who have Coats’ Disease, and family and friends of those individuals. The directory also has been created to provide resources and information for doctors and medical personnel who need to confer with other doctors, or want to refer their patient to another doctor for treatment of Coats’ Disease or any other medical condition. The information provided in this directory does not include any guarantee or certification that any listed doctor is appropriate for the care required by any particular patient. We are not a service that reviews and certifies the competency, expertise, or special training of any doctor. That type of certification can only come from medical organizations, such as the Medical Board of California (http://www.mbc.ca.gov/lookup.html), and other organizations devoted to determining the competency and specialization of doctors. The Jack McGovern Coats’ Disease Foundation expressly disclaims all liability for damages of any kind arising out of the use of this directory to select a doctor, or as a result of reliance on diagnoses provided by any doctor listed here.
No other use of the material found in this directory is permitted without the express written consent of the Board of Directors, together with the written consent of the individuals who provided the material. The Jack McGovern Coats’ Disease Foundation is a California nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation. The Internal Revenue Service has determined that the organization is exempt from Federal income taxes as a not-for-profit charitable organization formed under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. The Internal Revenue Service has also determined that donations to Jack McGovern Coats’ Disease Foundation are tax-deductible for the donor as charitable contributions. There are no limits or restrictions on these donations.