Practice News

Optomap Technology Arrives

In our continued efforts to bring the most advanced technology available to our patients, InSight Vision Care is proud to announce the option of an Optomap Retinal Exam as an integral part of your eye exam today.
Many eye problems can develop without warning and progress with no symptoms. Early on, you might not even notice any change in your vision. However, diseases such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, retinal tears or detachments, as well as other health problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure can be detected with a thorough exam of the retina. The retina is the part of your eye that catches the image of what you are looking at, similar to the film in a camera.
An Optomap Retinal Exam provides:
• A scan to confirm a healthy eye or, to detect the presence of disease.
• An overview or map of the retina, giving your doctor a more detailed view than he can achieve by other means.
• The opportunity for you to view and discuss the Optomap images of your eye with your doctor at the time of your exam.
• A permanent record for your medical file, enabling your Doctor to make important comparisons if potential problems show themselves at a future examination.

The Optomap Retinal Exam is fast, easy, and comfortable
Your Doctor strongly believes the Optomap Retinal Exam is an essential part of your comprehensive eye exam and highly recommends t for all patients. We will be performing the Optomap Retinal Exam for an additional fee of $30. Your Doctor will discuss this in more detail in the exam.

Examples Of Optomap Images

Age-related Macular Degeneration
A leading cause of blindness in older people is a condition called age-related macular degeneration. The macula is located in the center of the retina (back of the eye) and is responsible for the sharp, central vision needed to see straight ahead. Aging can cause the macula to slowly degenerate and reduce central vision in people over 50 years of age. It is estimated that 8.5% of individuals between 43-54 years and 36.8% of those over 75 years have some degree of macular degeneration.

Diabetic Retinopathy
Approximately 5.7 million people in the United States have diabetes, which is a leading cause of blindness, yet only half of these individuals know they have the disease. Bleeding inside the eye may be the first sign of its presence. The major cause of blindness in people with diabetes is called diabetic retinopathy, a term used for all the abnormalities of the small blood vessels of the retina caused by diabetes.

Retinal Detachment
The retina is the light-sensitive layer of tissue that lines the inside of the eye and sends visual messages through the optic nerve to the brain. When the retina detaches, it is lifted or pulled from its normal position. If not promptly treated, a retinal detachment can cause permanent vision loss. Anyone can get a retinal detachment; however, they are far more common in nearsighted people, those over 50, those who have had significant eye injuries, and those with a family history of retinal detachments.

Glaucoma
An estimated 1.6 million individuals over 40 years of age in the United States have glaucoma, and the risk increases significantly with age. Sadly, approximately half of these people don’t know they have the disease. Almost every case of glaucoma develops without symptoms. Long-standing glaucoma without treatment can lead to severe vision loss. Early detection and treatment can reduce the severity of vision loss.