Eye Exams Without Dilation - The Optomap Retinal Exam

The optomap Retinal Exam provides a panoramic view of the back of a person's eye (the retina). The view provided by the optomap displays up to 80% of the retina without dilating the patient's eyes.
How Does the Optomap Work
The patient places their eye to be photographed up to the instrument and the doctor's assistant positions the patient for a photograph and takes the picture. The optomap captures its image in only 1/4 of a second. The photographer takes two photos and evaluates the images. If the images look good the same thing is repeated on the second eye. The image captured allows the doctor to view up to 80% of the retinal fundus at one time. The image may be magnified or manipulated for a better view. Written notes can accompany the image file should it need to be emailed to the patient or another doctor. Different wavelengths of laser light used to take the image can be filtered allowing different layers of the retina to be evaluated.
Why is This Better Than Dilation
The optomap is not necessarily better than dilation. The optomap Retinal Exam is a great tool to use in addition to dilation or when a patient can't, or does not want to be dilated.
In some cases the view provided by the optomap is superior to that of pupil dilation. For example, a patient that is very light sensitive will often refuse to have their pupils dilated because of the pain they experience due to the bright lights. The dilated view afforded the doctor of a very photosensitive patient is often poor because it is difficult for the patient to keep their eyes open or to look in the appropriate direction. The optomap captures an image with a brief flash that even light sensitive patients do not object to, allowing the to doctor view the results without discomfort to the patient. The optomap allows for a more comfortable retinal exam. The optomap can be used as a retinal health screening tool, allowing the doctor to focus the dilated retinal exam on areas that require a better view or further investigation.
When comparing the doctor's view of your eye through an undilated pupil, with an instrument called a direct ophthalmoscope, approximately 10% of the retinal fundus is viewable. However, to attain this view requires a cooperative patient with good fixation. A wider view is achieved, through a dilated pupils, with an instrument that is worn on the doctor's head called a binocular indirect ophthalmoscope (BIO). To attain this wider view, requires a cooperative patient, with good fixation and 20 minutes to allow the drops to dilate the pupils. The patient's eyes will remain dilated for 4 to 6 hours and they may experience some blurriness during that time. By having the patient look in different directions, while the doctor readjusts his or her light and a lens that they hold in their hand, the view given by the binocular indirect ophthalmoscope can be increased to almost 100% of the retinal fundus. One of the biggest advantages of a dilated retinal fundus exam with a binocular indirect ophthalmoscope is that it allows the doctor to see the fundus in 3D or a "stereo view". A good retinal camera will allow the examiner to see about 30% of the back of a patient's eye at one time. By taking numerous images and piecing them together up to 60% of the fundus is viewable with a retinal camera.
For Whom is the Optomap Recommended
The short answer is almost everyone is a good candidate for the optomap Retinal Exam. We find, however, that some of the best candidates for the optomap are those patients that can't or don't want to be dilated, children, anyone with a history of retinal problems and people that are light sensitive.
It is in the best interest of your ocular health to have a retinal eye health evaluation during your yearly eye exam that is more comprehensive than a traditional, undilated eye exam. Both the the optomap Retinal Exam and a dilated eye exam meet that standard.
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