A thorough retinal exam is a crucial part of a comprehensive eye exam.  

The retina (located at the back of your eye) is the only place in the body where blood vessels are visible. By examining the retina, our eye doctor can detect early warning signs of eye diseases as well as other health issues. 

What is an Optomap® retinal exam? 

The Optomap® retinal exam is a revolutionary diagnostic tool that captures high-resolution, ultra-widefield digital images of the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. The Optomap® allows our doctor to offer the most comprehensive exam possible by capturing 82% of the retina in a single shot. 

The scan is fast, easy, and painless, and nothing touches your eye at any time. During the exam, you will look into the device one eye at a time, and a flash of light will let you know when the retina image has been taken. The image capture takes less than a second. 

What are the benefits of an Optomap® retinal exam? 

The Optomap® captures a detailed view of the retina, allowing our doctor to view areas of the retina they can’t typically see using traditional methods. While traditional retinal imaging methods only capture 15% of the retina, the Optomap® captures over 80% of the retina in one panoramic image. 

Looking at these images, our eye doctor can spot early signs of eye diseases, including glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy. Early detection can lead to earlier treatment, which may help prevent vision loss. These images can also reveal signs of other health conditions hiding in the body, such as stroke, heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. 

We recommend getting an Optomap® retinal exam every time you have a comprehensive eye exam. By doing this, we can compare changes in your eyes over time using this digital record of your retinal health.  

Contact our office in Plymouth today to schedule your appointment and ask our doctor about Optomap® retinal exams.