OptoMap Ultra-Widefield Retinal Examination

As in most areas of medical technology, and certainly in ophthalmic care, the last few years have brought tremendous benefits to patients. New ophthalmic and optometric investigative tools have allowed for earlier detection of glaucoma (Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopes), more accurate laser refractive surgery (Wavefront-guided Systems), more accurate corneal topography evaluation (the Corneal Topographer), and more extensive retinal examination techniques (Optomap Retinal Examination). Our practice aims to deliver the highest standard of optometric eye care possible, and to that end we have acquired both the Optomap Retinal Examination system and a Corneal Topographer (see Ortho-Keratology).

You may recall that there are two parts to the eye examination, the first being to determine the focussing error of the eye, sometimes described as finding the spectacle prescription, and the second part is to determine the health of the eye. In this second part, among other eye problems, the practitioner looks for cataract, glaucoma, and retinal changes.

The retina is the image capturing system of the eye. It is like the film in a camera, while the cornea and lens help to focus the image onto the retina, like the camera itself. The retina lines the inside of the globe, extending from the back of the eye, all the way forward to the sclera at the front of the eye, which is the white of the eye seen in a mirror. A practitioner viewing the retina in a routine eye examination, views mainly the retina at the back of the eye, the central 30', as this is the most important part of the retina and the easiest area to view.

The practitioner will then have the patient move their eyes up, down, etc, to view the peripheral retina, but even so will only manage to view out to about 45'. The Optomap Retinal Examination is a step-up in eye care. It enables the practitioner to view 200' of the retina, all at once.

The retinal image is first captured by the scanning laser ophthalmoscope (pictured here with the patient in position). Then, using specialist software, it is viewed together with the patient on the computer screen (pictured here on the left). The practitioner can enlarge the image to closely examine the retina and optic disc, and can also view the superficial and deeper layers of the retina to determine where a retinal lesion is located. To see an animation of the Optomap Retinal Examination, click on the link below:

Optomap Retinal Examination

The peripheral retina can have detrimental changes which give no warning signs to the patient. Recently David Austen referred a patient for blocked retinal vessels in the far periphery, as captured by the Optomap and pictured below. The patient had no complaints about his vision, and thus had he not had an Optomap scan, the problem might have been overlooked.

In another case, a lady patient was seen complaining of a problem in her right eye. Routine Optomap scanning revealed a retinal hole in her left eye (top arrow of picture below) with an operculum floating above it (bottom arrow). The retinal hole gave no symptoms but it is a serious problem, which required prophylactic treatment to prevent the potentially blinding problem of retinal detachment.

The Optomap Retinal Examination offers patients additional assurance that the health of their eye is good. It is a procedure which all patients, including children, should have to ensure that there are no unknown problems of the eye. It enables early detection and management of eye problems, and sometimes other problems of the body, instead of waiting until troublesome symptoms occur. It is a method of preventative eye care, one which we believe will become the standard of eye care in the future.

It is a procedure that we firmly believe in, and hope that you will too.