Tuesday 21st January 2020
The optomap Retinal Exam
A regular eye exam is important to check the health of the front of your eyes as well as any changes to your glasses or contact lens prescription. In addition a thorough screening of the retina (back of the eye) is also required to check that your eyes are healthy.
Some eye conditions (e.g. age related macular degeneration, glaucoma, retinal tears/holes) and other health concerns (e.g. diabetes, hypertension, risk of stroke) can be found in the retina.
Early detection is essential so that these can be successfully treated.
Traditional ways of looking at the retina only show a small part of the retina at one time. The optomap retinal exam shows nearly the whole retina at once. It is quick, painless and normally does not require dilation drops.
The optomap story: in 1990, 5 year old Leif Anderson went blind in one eye due to an undiagnosed retinal detachment. He was getting regular eye exams, but conventional tests available at the time made a thorough examination difficult.
Distressed by the diagnostic methods available, Leif's father, Douglas, designed the optomap.
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Retinal Photography
This is now the second choice of our optometrists for retinal examinations thanks to the amazing breakthrough technology of the optomap, Daytona laser scanner.
However, the latest digital retinal camera allows very detailed assessment of the central retina. These images are available instantly on the computer screen and saved for future reference or if necessary a high quality print out can be produced.
There is a brief flash of light which does not hurt, we normally take two photos of each eye, although this may vary for some patients.
We then have pictures of both eyes for the optometrist to examine and ensure that they are completely healthy and normal.
If clinically necessary, the optometrist may also examine the eyes using other equipment.
We thoroughly recommend that you have an optomap retinal examination carried out as part of your eye examination.
