Retina expert wins over patients with expert care and warm, welcoming manner

It would be easy for Floyd M. Johnson of Searcy to dread his visits to Cedric Pratt, DO, at the Magie-Mabrey Eye Clinic, PA.

“When you have a needle stuck in your eye, you wouldn’t think it would be very pleasant,” said Johnson. “But I look forward to seeing Dr. Pratt every month. He is just very professional. We have developed a great relationship. We’ve even gone out and had dinner together. When you find a doctor who will hug you when you see each other, that says a lot about him. He is very warm and welcoming, and his staff is the same way. They reflect his attitude.”

Johnson also deeply appreciates the help with his central vein occlusion that can cause blurry vision. Pratt diagnosed the condition and has been treating it for two years. Johnson is very pleased with the results.

Pratt is board certified in ophthalmology, and specializes in the medical and surgical treatment of the retina and vitreous. He completed his vitreoretinal surgery subspecialty training at The Ohio State University in 2012 before moving to Little Rock with his family to start practicing with Magie-Mabrey Eye Clinic, PA, one of the largest eye clinics in the state with nine ophthalmologists practicing in Little Rock, Conway, Fort Smith and other smaller towns in central Arkansas.

Pratt did his undergraduate work at Abeliene Christian University in Texas where he had the opportunity to go on a medical mission trip to a very impoverished area of Guatemala. That stoked his interest in practicing medicine.

“I originally wanted to do cardiology because I was fascinated by the heart,” Pratt said. “But when I saw my first cataract surgery, I was just amazed. Within 15 to 20 minutes, you could make someone go from non-seeing to seeing. How can I learn more about that? As a profession, it fit my personality. I love interacting with patients, and it is surgical so I get to use my hands. I feel fortunate I get to use both of those skills. I feel privileged, honestly. People trust me a lot. I take that very seriously.”

He decided to become a retina specialist because the challenges are different than with general ophthalmology, and the potential benefits are tremendous.

“You are sometimes the last hope when people have vision problems,” Pratt said. “You get to see people at their worst, when they are very frightened about losing their eyesight, and then at their best after they are healed. When you are able to help them get better, there is a lot of gratitude there. It is very nice.”

The two most common things seen in his practice are diabetes and macular degeneration. In his less than 55-year-old patients, he sees more diabetes than anything else. It is a major medical problem increasing in frequency. At the age of 65 and above, macular degeneration becomes a bigger issue.

“We have newer treatments for macular degeneration to improve vision, and sometimes extend vision,” Pratt said. “A lot of people with a condition that would have blinded them ten years ago are retaining a lot of sight.”

Retinal detachment is another eye problem he treats. Pratt said

usually referral doctors recognize the problem and refer patients to a specialist for urgent treatment that has the potential for saving vision.

“But, unfortunately, there is no perfect cure,” Pratt said. “Some people don’t get perfect vision back. But, for the most part, people are pretty happy.”

The type of healthcare available in the U.S. is far above what can be found in many other countries in the world. Pratt’s parents are from Sierra Leone, a very impoverished country in Africa. There is not a retina expert in the entire country. In the future, Pratt, who was born in Washington D.C., would like to do mission trips, possibly one back to the homeland of his parents. But that is on the back burner for now after the birth of Pratt and his wife Adama’s third child, Ian, about a year ago. They have two other children, Christian, 8, and Kaden, 4.

Pratt loves outdoor recreation, particularly biking along the Arkansas River and fishing on lakes. The leisure time activity he is most passionate about is basketball.

“I really like basketball,” Pratt said. “I probably play too much basketball for my own good. I tore my Achilles tendon playing basketball in the first six months in practice, and had to have surgery. The doctor became the patient very quickly. I learned a lesson from that. Now I give way to the young bucks when they are charging to the goal.”

Pratt earned a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine at University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, Texas. After medical school he did a one-year internship at SUMMA Health in Akron, Ohio. He then completed his residency and fellowship training in Ophthalmology at The Ohio State University Havener Eye Center. During his training, Pratt was elected chief resident. He also participated in several research projects involving anti-VEGF agents.