WHY OCT IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR VISIT TO THE OPHTHALMOLOGIST.

WHAT IS OCT?

OCT or Optical Coherence Tomography is a non-invasive imaging test which uses light waves to take cross-section pictures of your retina. If you’ve had an appointment with us at The Retina Centre we will most likely have used this machine as part of your diagnosis.

Using OCT, our orthoptist can see each of the retina’s distinctive layers and measure their thickness. These measurements allow our ophthalmologist Dr Saf Bassili to diagnose a range of retinal diseases including age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy. OCT can also provide treatment guidance for glaucoma, an eye disease which causes vision loss due to damage to the optic nerve. At The Retina Centre we use some of the latest OCT technology to provide patients with fast and accurate diagnosis.

OCT IMAGE FROM A PATIENT WITH A MACULAR HOLE 

WHAT HAPPENS DURING AN OCT EXAM?

During your appointment you may have had dilating eye drops placed in your eyes; this is usually done to prepare your eyes for an OCT exam. These drops widen your pupil and make it easier to examine the retina by allowing more light to enter the eye.

Throughout the OCT exam you will be asked to sit in front of the machine and rest your head on a support to keep it motionless. The equipment will then scan your eye without touching it. Scanning usually takes about 5 – 10 minutes and is completely painless.

ZEISS CIRRUS OCT MACHINE, USED AT THE RETINA CENTRE, EPPING

After your examination your eyesight may be slightly blurry, this is due to the eye drops and will wear off after a couple of hours. However it is important to remember that you should not drive why your eyesight is blurry so we often recommend you bring a friend/family member to your appointment or relax in our waiting room or nearby cafe until you eyesight has returned to normal. You may also wish to bring a pair of sunglasses to your appointment as your eyes may be sensitive to light for up to several hours after the exam.

If you have any questions about this exam or any of the other examinations we perform at The Retina Centre please call us on (03) 9455 0700 or send an email to info@retinacentre.com.au