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Optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans are important for establishing early diagnoses for many serious eye diseases. Learn why we have invested in advanced technology for the care of your eyes and vision.
If you are over 25 years of age or at risk of developing ocular diseases, your comprehensive eye examination may include an OCT scan. OCT scans enable your doctor to compare the images from previous years in order to detect any abnormalities or thickening of the retinal layers.
The information provided by an OCT scan will also be useful for monitoring your treatment if you have been diagnosed with ocular disease. In case you have any questions about the OCT exam, do not hesitate to contact our office at (360) 491-2121.
The optometrist may recommend an OCT scan if you have any of the following eye diseases or family history of eye disease.
There are many conditions that may benefit from an OCT scan. Below we provide a more comprehensive list.
An OCT is one of the most expensive technologies in a modern optometry office, ranging in price from $30,000-$80,000. When an optometry office has invested in this equipment it is a strong indication of the office's commitment to the healthcare of their patients. Furthermore the benefits of an OCT in allowing for a baseline of your eyes is important as you age, with every visit your eye doctor is able to look at previous scans and assess for any change. For patients with eye disease the benefits of an OCT are exceptionally high, the high resolution 3D images allow the optometrist to identify early signs of disease progression before permanent vision loss occurs.
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) provides detailed images of the layers in the optic nerve and retina. In the same way as an ultrasound, OCT uses light waves rather than sound waves to direct focused light beams into the eye. The beams then get reflected out from the eye. After processing, eye care professionals can view detailed cross-sectional images of various structures within the eye. An OCT takes roughly 15 minutes to complete. It is an easy and non-invasive test.
The OCT test gives highly detailed and accurate 3D imaging of the inner workings of your eye while being super comfortable for the patient. The OCT is:
Many retinal conditions can be diagnosed with OCT. It is generally easier to image lesions in the macula than in the mid and far periphery. Among the conditions OCT is most useful for diagnosing are:
It is possible to diagnose certain conditions using only an OCT (e.g. macular hole). For other disorders, particularly vascular disorders of the retina, additional tests may be necessary (such as fluorescein angiography or indocyanine green angiography).
OCT is becoming increasingly popular for evaluating retinal nerve fiber layer and ganglion cell layer thickness to diagnose optic nerve disorders:
Cataract surgery is one of the most common surgeries performed in the US, the OCT is an incredibly powerful tool in pre operative and post operative care for cataract patients.
Utilizing OCT imaging as a tool for pre and postoperative assessment can provide invaluable information for the surgical management of macular holes and retinal detachments. By using OCT, surgical outcomes can be visualized, confirming reattachment and normal contour. Post-surgical imaging can sometimes be challenging because of reduced OCT signal strength caused by ocular turbidity; however, images are adequate for subjective, if not quantitative, interpretation. In cases of poor ocular media, pre-surgical scanning can reveal pathologies that can complicate surgery, such as an undetected macular hole, choroidal neovascularization, edema, or vitreomacular traction syndrome. Due to the OCT's scanning beam technology, it is possible to image even through a small pupil or tiny peripheral opening in a dense cataract that otherwise would obstruct a thorough examination.
OCT has several characteristics that point to its future importance as biomedical imaging technology.
OCT images can have axial resolutions of one to fifteen micrometers, which is a significant increase over conventional ultrasound. Contrary to ultrasound, imaging can be performed directly through air, without direct contact with the tissue or a transducing medium.
Imaging can be performed in situ, without the need to excise a specimen. By doing so, it is possible to image structures where a biopsy would be dangerous or impossible. As a result, it also allows better coverage, reducing the sampling errors associated with excisional biopsy.
In contrast to conventional biopsy and histopathology, imaging can be performed in real time without the need to process a specimen. In this way, pathology can be monitored on screen and stored as high-resolution videos. By coupling real-time imaging with surgery, it is possible to provide surgical guidance based on real-time diagnosis.
The new spectral-domain (SD) OCT devices use a spectrometer in the receiver to analyze the spectrum of reflected light on the retina and calculate the depth of the structures, according to the fourier principle. The time-domain (TD) OCT uses this technology to eliminate the need for mechanically moving the reference arm, thereby increasing the speed of image reception and axial resolution. SD-OCT uses different algorithms than TD-OCT, and the retinal thickness measurements are not comparable between the two. SD-OCT also offers a faster rate of capturing images and higher definition. In contrast to TD-OCT which measures retinal thickness from the internal limiting membrane to the highest hyperreflective band, i.e., that combines the inner and outer segments of the photoreceptors, SD-OCT measures this near the RPE. As a result, SD-OCT measures retinal thickness values much higher than that obtained by TD-OCT.
Patients searching for advanced medical eye care visit our clinic from all over Washington, and we are proud to be a leading provider of medical eye care services for patients from Olympia, Lakewood, Tacoma, and Lacey.
Such a nice optician. My grandson is only 4 and needs glasses. We were so sad, but he explained the issues, and we will follow up as he suggested.
I had such a good experience with the clinic. Very friendly staff and doctor, did not have to wait for long to be called, and was treated respectfully. Thanks, American Family.
Dr. Zurcher has gone above and beyond what any other eye doctor has ever done to figure out what is going on with my eyes. Very happy with American Family Vision.
Family Vision Clinic changed our lives! My daughter was frequently car sick, and she was getting headaches every day, often painful enough that they brought her to tears. We saw a string of doctors and therapists, but we made no progress. Finally, we found Dr. Levi Zurcher and his eye therapist Rain. After ten weeks of eye therapy my daughter no longer gets headaches, and she no longer gets car sick. Daily tears are a thing of the past. I really can’t say enough about this clinic. It was fascinating to watch Dr. Zurcher work. For the first time, someone who knew what they were doing was intently studying my daughter, really trying to figure out all of her eye issues, and his therapist Rain is one of the most patient and lovely people that I’ve ever had the good fortune to meet. We’re finished with eye therapy—yay!—and I have switched to American Family Vision Clinic for all of my family’s other eye health needs.
Very professional, yet kind and helpful. They do what they can to make the appointment comfortable. I was running a bit late, I made sure ti call. They were able to switch me with a patient who was already there, they treated me with respect, and helped my son have confidence by getting him the eye care he needed that day. Thank you so much! Would recommend to anyone. It's a blessing that they care enough to work with people who have all different types of insurance from work to state coverage.
The staff is friendly. The Doc is very knowledgeable. The office is family friendly and everyone is so patient with the little ones.
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