Dr. Ryan Corte
Jul 13, 20186 min
Updated: Jun 15, 2022
Did you know the inside of your eyeball, on the back (i.e. your retina) is the only place in the body where your blood vessels can be seen directly? Pretty cool, right?! Even cooler, optomap is now available at Northlake Eye!
Optomap is a unique technology that captures more than 80% of your retina in one panoramic image! This is the same area (the retina) that your eye doctor looks at when they dilate and look inside of your eyes.
Optomap first became available in the US in 1999 and is now being used in almost 13,000 eye doctor offices worldwide.
This amazing technology gives our doctors a comprehensive, ultra-widefield view that is not possible with traditional imaging methods. Also, optomap provides a historical record of your retinal health, allowing us to track and monitor any changes in your retina, year over year.
Why is this important? The light-sensitive tissue that makes up your retina is susceptible to a variety of diseases and is essential to detect problems early on. Also, because we can see your blood vessels, we may also be able to detect other health issues based on what we see in your eye!
Optomap is a 200-degree image of your retina, which is captured in under ½ second. There is no pain, discomfort, or blurry vision associated with getting an
optomap image taken. Not to mention, there are many other benefits of an optomap eye exam (see below).
On the other hand, during a dilated eye exam, your eyes are dilated with eye drops that may sting. This process leads to blurry vision up close that often lasts for 4 - 6 hours. After your eyes are dilated, which can take up to 30 minutes, your eye doctor will use specialized equipment and lenses to look into the back of your eye. Below are 15 awesome benefits of getting optomap digital retinal imaging.
As mentioned above, it provides us with a 200 degree or 82% view of the retina and has incredible tools to help us best monitor your eye health over time! This includes enlargement and isolation of specific areas as well as side by side comparisons of past images.
If you elect to get the optomap, and don't have any retinal disease symptoms or risk factors, there is a very good chance you will not need to be dilated.
Note: In some cases our doctors may recommend the optomap AND dilation to complete their evaluation of the retina.
This procedure is very safe and sanitary, as our team cleans the device with alcohol wipes between each patient. Also, it only takes 1/2 second to capture an optomap image that will be immediately available for interpretation by our doctors.
In case you forgot, dilation stings (ouch)! The optomap does not. However, as mentioned previously, dilation and/or optomap may be required based on the doctor’s evaluation of your retina.
Our eye care team has experience taking optomap photos on thousands of patients. This includes toddlers, kids, young adults, adults, and senior citizens.
Our doctors LOVE to educate patients on their overall eye health. Optomap images are another wonderful tool to help us do so.
Have important plans after your eye exam? Dilation will leave you with blurry vision up close that often lasts for 4 - 6 hours. During this time, you will also be sensitive to light. However, as mentioned previously, dilation and/or optomap may be required based on the doctor’s evaluation of your retina.
Did you know that most retinal disorders do not cause pain or other symptoms? When detected early enough, many retinal problems can be treated to avoid vision loss. Once a retinal problem causes a loss in vision, it's rarely reversible. As a result, early detection is vital to preserving good eye health. Also, some non-eye related conditions may be identified based on your optomap image.
Why? A picture is worth 1000 words! Optomap technology allows our doctors to compare past year's photos side by side.
For the safety of your baby's development, our doctors prefer not to dilate pregnant women (unless absolutely necessary).
Our eye doctors are residency trained and have detected countless eye diseases through optomap retinal imaging.
If dilation is not required because it can take up to 30 minutes for your eyes to fully dilate.
With a single optomap image we can capture up to 82% of your retina (as compared to 15-60% with a traditional imaging device). And, if we need to, our technicians can take directional optomap photos to zone in on areas our doctors want to evaluate further.
This way you can share it with family, colleagues, or friends as well as keep it for your own personal records
Note: We can also email you a copy of your optomap photo at your request.
This allows our doctors to best monitor change over time.
Below are the top frequently asked questions (FAQs) about optomap digital retinal imaging that we get at our office.
Yes. However, we find it’s best to have you remove them before the exam.
We recommend including optomap in every comprehensive eye exam. On average, we recommend our patients get their eyes examined once a year.
Note: If you have diabetes or other known eye diseases, it is important to follow the exam scheduled recommended by our doctors.
The light-sensitive tissue that makes up your retina is susceptible to a variety of diseases and is essential to catch any problems early (to avoid vision loss)
It depends. Prior to having optomap technology, there was no technology available that gave our doctors a comprehensive image of your retina. Now that we have optomap available, it’s unlikely our doctors will have to dilate your eyes if they are healthy. Optomap will assist our doctors in the evaluation of your retina.
On the other hand, our doctors may use optomap AND dilation to complete their evaluation of the retina. This is at our doctors discretion based on your exam findings and eye health.
Of course, our doctors will still give you an excellent eye exam! However, optomap is a tool that has proven to help eye doctors detect problems earlier. Also, without optomap, you will not have the same visual opportunity to learn about your own eye health
Prevention, prevention, prevention! You never know what is going on inside your eyes unless you have a comprehensive eye exam.
Yes. Optomap is particularly important for those who are at risk for diabetes since they are particularly prone to problems in the retina that can lead to vision loss
Only $39!
Unfortunately, most vision plans do not offer coverage for optomap at this time, unless it's medically necessary.
Absolutely! In fact, we have many patients who come to see us simply because we have this state of the art technology. It's a HUGE part of the complete digital eye exam experience that you only get at Northlake Eye!
Interested in scheduling an eye exam with one of our optometrists? Give us a call or simply schedule online: Northlake Mall | Concord Mills | Biltmore Park | Asheville Mall
*The images used above are the property of optos*