Dr. Nancy Ann Tanchel M.D.
Ophthalmologist
8321 Old Courthouse Rd Liberty Laser Eye Ce Vienna VA, 22182Rating
5/5
About
Dr. Nancy Tanchel is an ophthalmologist practicing in Vienna, VA. Dr. Tanchel specializes in eye and vision care. As an ophthalmologist, Dr. Tanchel can practice medicine as well as surgery. Opthalmologists can perform surgeries because they have their medical degrees along with at least eight years of additional training. Dr. Tanchel can diagnose and treat diseases, perform eye operations and prescribe eye glasses and contacts. Ophthalmologists can also specialize even further in a specific area of eye care.
Education and Training
Emory University School Of Medicine 1984
Board Certification
OphthalmologyAmerican Board of OphthalmologyABO
Provider Details
Dr. Nancy Ann Tanchel M.D.'s Expert Contributions
How long do I need to wear sunglasses after Lasik?
The sunglasses are there to protect your eyes from trauma. I recommend people wear the sunglasses during the entire first day after LASIK. Beyond that, you do not need to wear sunglasses indoors, but I suggest wearing the sunglasses outdoors to protect from flying bugs and debris for the first month. The sun is not an issue after LASIK, but you need to be very careful about trauma or debris getting in your eyes and moving the flap. It gets stronger every day, but early in the healing, it can be easy to move the flap if you don't protect the eyes. I hope this answer helps - please check with your own surgeon about their recommendations. READ MORE
Can I sleep on my side after Lasik?
Be sure to wear your protective eye shields when sleeping for the first couple of weeks. After the first couple of nights, you can sleep on your side; you should avoid sleeping on your side the first couple of nights because it will put pressure on your eye when the flap is not yet sealed at the edges and could possibly be moved. After a few days, you should be okay to sleep on your side, but don't rub your eyes. Hope this helps. READ MORE
Retinopexy for a 12-year-old child?
It's possible that your child would benefit from a laser retinopexy, but I would seek out a second opinion before undergoing this procedure. Generally, this procedure is performed when there is a hole or tear in the retina, to prevent a retinal detachment. I'm not sure what a "frost patch" is, but I'm guessing it is a lesion known as lattice degeneration, which represents a weak or thin spot in the retina. Generally, this can be monitored, and not treated. However, I'm not sure what your ophthalmologist identified. Nevertheless, for such a young child, I would seek a second opinion before undergoing an invasive procedure, which can have some risks. You should bring your son to a retina specialist to get a second opinion and then make a more informed decision. READ MORE
Would a dr prescribed cephalexin for glaucoma?
No, cephalexin is not for glaucoma - you didn't mention if this is an eye drop or pills. It's an antibiotic, which is for a bacterial infection. It's impossible to speculate what infection he has - you need to have a conversation with him. READ MORE
Can dry eyes cause blurred vision after Lasik?
Dry eyes is the most common reason for blurry vision after LASIK. The surface of your eye is actually not smooth; the tear film smoothes out the surface, so it is "glassy" and clear. In fact, the tear film itself is a complicated, dynamic structure. Basically, there's a protein layer, a water layer and on the very front surface, there is a lipid layer. If any of these components is not sufficient, you will not see clearly. After LASIK, the nerve function is diminished due to the creation of the flap, so your eyes will make less tears temporarily. Over time, the nerves grow back and your sensation gets back to normal. Once this happens, your tear film should normalize, if it was normal before surgery. It takes 6-9 months for the nerves to fully return to normal, so you need to add artificial tears to your eyes to prevent dryness and blurry vision for several months after surgery. Hope this helps you understand why dry eyes can create blurry vision after LASIK. READ MORE
Eye color?
Warm compresses will absolutely not affect the color of your eyes. Your eyes will NOT darken. Also, just soaking cotton balls in hot water is not the best way to utilize hot compresses, since they cool off way too fast. A cheap and easy way to keep the compresses warm for 10-15 minutes (as is necessary) is to wrap a warm hard-boiled egg in a moist washcloth and place that on your closed lids for a full 10 minutes. The cloth will stay warm and the shape of the egg fits nicely on the eyes. You can then eat the egg or put it in the fridge for later... Hope this helps. READ MORE
How many days rest is required after Lasik surgery?
After LASIK, you can usually watch TV within 2-4 hours and should be able to get back to most activities by the next day. Nancy A. Tanchel, M.D. READ MORE
Do eye drops help after LASIK surgery?
It is very important to follow the recommendations of your LASIK surgeon and use the drops as prescribed. You should be using an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drop for a few days after surgery, to help you heal well. For several months, you will need to use artificial tears to keep your eyes moisturized; when the flap is created, the nerve endings are temporarily disrupted, so your brain doesn't know how much tears to create until the nerves grow back. Until then, you need to add tears to assist the healing and keep the surface of your eyes healthy. Once the nerves are back to normal, you can just use artificial tears when your eyes feel dry. Hope this information helps - just follow your surgeon's eye drop instructions and you will do great. READ MORE
What happens if I wear contacts too long?
It might sound gross, but it's the same as wearing your underwear too long! Your contact lenses are floating on the tear film of your eyes. As time passes, the lenses are coated with proteins, bacteria as well as debris from your tear film. The longer you wear your lenses without cleaning them, the more gunk will coat the lenses. For some people, they will form a reaction to the protein on the lenses, and become unable to wear contact lenses at all. You can also get bad infections from the bacteria that coat the lenses. So, you should only wear your contact lenses during the day, not overnight, and the lenses should be cleaned or for daily lenses discarded. Hopefully, this information is helpful. READ MORE
Can I watch TV after Lasik?
You absolutely should be comfortable to watch TV within 2 - 4 hours after your LASIK procedure. Your vision will be a little hazy, and will improve over the next few hours days and weeks, but you will easily be able to enjoy TV very quickly. Just be sure to use your preservative free artificial tears at least every 1 hour over the first week or more. You will really enjoy your new vision and be able to wake up the next morning and see the clock! READ MORE
How long does laser eye surgery last?
You will really enjoy your vision without glasses or contacts. You can expect to have great distance vision for many years, until you develop cataracts - hopefully in your 80's. Your up-close vision for reading and small things will become a problem at about age 45; at that time you will likely need over the counter reading glasses. So, for the next 8 years you can expect great far and near vision, with excellent distance vision for 40 or more years. Congratulations on getting laser eye surgery - it will be one of the happiest decisions you make for many years to come! READ MORE
How can I hydrate my eyes after LASIK?
During LASIK, there is a flap created on the surface of the eye, so laser can be delivered underneath, to correct our vision. The nerve endings in the flap have been cut, so the flap does not have sensation; the nerve endings will grow back and your tear film will eventually get back to normal. However, early in the healing process, your brain doesn't feel the surface of your eyes, so you make less tears than normal. You need to use artificial tears every 1 - 2 hours at the beginning to keep the surface healthy. The best tears to use are tears that help replace the fat layer of the tear film. You can find many good options at the drugstore or any place they sell artificial tears. Since you will be using the tears very frequently, you should only use preservative-free tears until your doctor tells you to decrease to four times a day or less. Hope this helps! READ MORE
What should your eye pressure be?
Normal intraocular pressure should be between 10 - 22mmHg. The thickness of the cornea (the clear circle in the front of the eye) affects the pressure reading, so this should also be measured to get an accurate reading. I hope this info helps. READ MORE
How much does vision correction surgery cost?
The cost of laser vision correction varies, depending upon the type of technology and level of correction needed. When you see ultra low prices advertised, it's not real - the fine print indicates those prices are really for people who don't need or would likely not even qualify for a procedure. The average real price for laser vision correction, with the latest technology by a reputable physician is around $2000/eye - a little more or less, depending upon the level of correction. This includes follow-up care, which is very important, as well as some type of touch-up policy for the future. I hope this helps. Now days, the safety and precision of laser vision correction is amazing - you should get it done and enjoy the freedom of waking up each morning with clear vision! READ MORE
How often should you use eye drops for dry eyes?
How often you should use the drops depends upon the reason you have dry eyes and they type of drops your are using. Therefore, it's a complicated question. If you are finding you must use the drops more than every 2 - 3 hours during the colder winter months, when the humidity is quite low, you should see your ophthalmologist to determine a better solution than just using drops, or possibly changing the type of drops you are using. Unfortunately, I can't be more specific, since the underlying reason for your dry eyes is very important to the answer. READ MORE
What do watery eyes indicate?
A 3yo with itchy, watery eyes is most likely suffering from an allergy of some sort. However, it could be other things, like a tear duct drain blockage or some sort of infection. The best option is to bring your child to a pediatric ophthalmologist to assess the problem. At that age, it's also good to assess the vision and just be sure the eyes are developing normally. READ MORE
When should you have cataracts removed?
In general, you should not remove cataracts until you are unable to do the activities you want to do comfortably, despite wearing glasses or contact lenses. You are very young to have cataracts, but I've seen people like you before. If your every day activities are unaffected, and your night vision for driving is okay, you should just wait. The intraocular lenses that are used to replace your natural lens are very good today, as are the surgical techniques, but in time they'll get even better; so, if you don't have a problem today, just wait, and take advantage of better technology in the future. READ MORE
Has my vision increased or decreased?
-1.25 is a lower prescription than -1.75, so you would think that your visual ability has improved. However, it's more likely that the -1.75 was an over-correction and you were actually -1.25 all along. READ MORE
How to help boyfriend who had battery acid in eye?
Go to the ER or to an ophthalmologist IMMEDIATELY! READ MORE
How do you treat blurred vision?
Your son should see an ophthalmologist to determine why is vision is blurry. He likely needs glasses, but there can be other causes. READ MORE
Clinical Trials
Dr. Nancy Ann Tanchel M.D.'s Practice location
Nancy Tanchel
8321 Old Courthouse Rd Liberty Laser Eye Ce -Vienna, VA 22182Get Direction
Dr. Nancy Ann Tanchel M.D.'s reviews
Write ReviewPatient Experience with Dr. Tanchel
Recommended Articles
![]()
What Is HSV-1?Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV-1)HSV-1 or herpes simplex virus type 1 is a type of herpes simplex virus that causes cold sores. It is called "oral herpes" because it often causes sores around the mouth or on the lips. Cold sores are also called as fever blisters. However, the sores can also be found...
![]()
What is Blepharitis?What is Blepharitis?Blepharitis is the inflammation of the eyelids, usually affecting both of the eyelids where eyelashes grow.The inflammation of the eyelids is often a chronic medical condition, which is very hard to treat. Blepharitis is a condition that does not affect vision. It is also not...
![]()
![]()
How is Conjunctivitis Contracted?Conjunctivitis is a very common and unpleasant condition, especially for people that use contact lenses. Children can be equally affected by this disease, as well as adults. People who have conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye, can transmit the disease to their family or friends or anyone else...
![]()
Pink Eye vs. AllergiesIntroductionThe eye is one of the sensitive parts of the body, and it easily gets affected by any irritants such as microbes. Eyes turning red would be due to not getting enough sleep or not blinking enough in a day. In certain cases, it can also be a sign of some kind of infection or...
- What are Gonococcal and Chlamydial Conjunctivitis?
Conjunctivitis is an infection of the eyes. It is easily contracted, but if treated in the right way, could be cured easily. There are several types of conjunctivitis, and two of them are Gonococcal and Chlamydial Conjunctivitis. These types of conjunctivitis are usually bacterial and may affect one...
Nearby Providers
![]()
Dr. Kenneth Schwartz MD5454 Wisconsin Ave Chevy Chase MD 20815![]()
Dr. Alisa Kim M.D.6430 Rockledge Dr Bethesda MD 20817![]()
Dr. Anna Park MD106 Irving St Nw Washington DC 20010![]()
Dr. Craig Geist M.D.2150 Pennsylvania Ave Nw Washington DC 20037![]()
Dr. Marshall Phillip Keys MD121 Congressional Ln Rockville MD 20852![]()
Dr. Jeevan Mathura MD2150 Pennsylvania Ave Nw Washington DC 20037
Nearest Hospitals
VIRGINIA HOSPITAL CENTERl
1701 NORTH GEORGE MASON DRIVE ARLINGTON VA 22205INOVA FAIRFAX HOSPITALl
3300 GALLOWS ROAD FALLS CHURCH VA 22042