OCT 3D Eye Scan

We are always looking for new and innovative services to offer to our wonderful patients here at Coleman Opticians and from the start of 2020, we will now be offering OCT scans to everyone. The health of your eyes matters to you and it matters to us too and this new, advanced imaging system will allow us to keep a better record of your continued eye health. 

But what is an OCT scan?

OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) is an advanced eye scan that can be used by anyone of any age. Similar to an ultrasound, OCT uses light rather that sound waves to image the different layers of the eye. The OCT scan captures both a photograph and a 3D cross-sectional scan of the eye at the same time. This allows both instant and early diagnosis of a number of common conditions.

The scan is non-intrusive, painless, simple and quick. What’s more, the software can automatically detect even the most subtle change in your retina with every subsequent scan. This helps us build an invaluable ongoing record of the health and condition of your eye.

What does the scan check for?

Age-related macular degeneration or AMD

AMD is the leading cause of blindness in the UK. It causes gradual deterioration of the macula, the central portion of your retina which enables detailed vision. There are two types of AMD: dry and wet. An OCT scan can help to identify the earliest signs of AMD, determine whether it’s dry or wet type and help monitor its progress over time.

Diabetes

Over 4 million people are now diagnosed with diabetes in the UK with an expected further half million currently suffering with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of blindness in people of working age in the UK. An OCT scan helps to detect diabetic changes early, allowing for referral and management with the local hospital and greatly improving the success rate of treatment.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a condition which causes damage to the optic nerve, the part of the eye which connects to the brain, and causes gradual loss of the peripheral vision. Recent studies show 2 in every 100 people over 40 and 1 in 10 people over 75 are effected by a form of glaucoma. The OCT scan measures numerous features at the back of the eye and can facilitate early diagnosis of glaucoma. Furthermore, it can enable close monitoring of your eye health year-on-year, allowing identification of glaucomatous changes over time.

Vitreous Detachments

An OCT can provide invaluable information about the current relationship between the vitreous and the retinal surface of the eye. As we get older, the jelly-like vitreous inside the eye starts to change, becoming less firm and moving away from the back of the eye towards the centre, often ‘pulling’ at the retina. The danger of a vitreous detachment it is painless and will cause no change in your vision but can be damaging the back of your eye.

Macular Holes

A macular hole is a small hole in the macular, the part of the retina which is responsible for our sharp, detailed vision. Macular holes can often develop during a complicated vitreous detachment, when the vitreous pulls away from the back of the eye, causing a hole to form. An OCT will allow our optometrist to detect this and refer onwards for treatment by an ophthalmologist in hospital.

Having an OCT eye scan is simple and painless, simply mention to our staff either when booking your appointment, during your preliminary checks or in your consultation with your optician that you would like an OCT scan and it can be carried out there and then at the same time as your regular eye test. The optician will then review your results, and when happy, will email you a copy of the scan.  Any future scans can then be compared with the previous ones for comparative diagnosis, helping us to ensure you have many more years of happy, healthy eyes.

The OCT 3D-Eye Scan forms part of every Gold Plan package which costs £5.25 a month by direct debit.