About Your Appointment

A technician might begin by taking digital Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) images of the inside of your eyes. These images can help your doctor screen for changes in your retina, as well as diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration.

• Complete medical history: You and your technician will review your overall health and eye history, including any problems you are currently experiencing and any medications you are taking. Your technician will also ask about any previous eye or health conditions you have had, as well as your family and social history. This information will be used to tailor your exam and treatment plan.

• Full examination of visual function: Next, your technician will check your eyes. Several tests will be performed to assess your vision, intraocular pressure, pupil function, motility, and confrontational visual fields. This exam will give your doctor a baseline for your overall visual function.

• Dilation: For the next part of the exam, you will need to have your eyes dilated. Dilation allows your doctor to fully examine the optic nerve and retina and is also required for many diagnostic tests. This process takes about 15 minutes and will make your vision blurry and your eyes more sensitive to light for several hours.

Once the retinal images have been reviewed, your doctor will perform a dilated eye exam, which allows him/her to evaluate the inside of the eye (including the retina, optic nerve, blood vessels, and other internal structures) in great detail.

During the exam, your doctor may recommend additional diagnostic testing (such as imaging or bloodwork) to confirm a diagnosis, rule out potential problems, or gather more detailed information. Additional testing may be performed the same day.

Based on the results of the exam, your doctor may recommend treatment such as medication, laser therapy, or surgery. Most treatment options are considered outpatient procedures and many can be performed in our office the same day.