Did you know that your retina, which is in the back of the eye, is the only place in the body where your blood vessels can be seen directly? Your eyes are a window to your health.

Examining your retina during a comprehensive eye exam allows your doctor to spot signs of eye disease, but also reveals other issues of which you may not be aware, such as heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. For this reason, a thorough examination of your retina is a crucial part of a comprehensive eye exam.

What is an Optomap Retinal Exam?

The Optomap retinal exam is a digital image of the retina produced by Optos scanning laser technology. It is the only technology that can capture an 82% view of your retina at one time.

An Optomap retinal exam provides:

• An overview or map of the retina, giving your eye doctor a more detailed view of your retina.
• The opportunity for you to view and discuss the Optomap images of your eye with your doctor at the time of your exam.
• A permanent record for your medical file, enabling your optometrist to make important comparisons if potential problems show themselves at a future examination.

Getting an Optomap retinal exam is painless and is safe for both children and adults. Nothing touches your eye at any point during the scan. During the exam, you will be asked to look into the device one eye at a time, and you’ll see a flash of light letting you know that the image of your retina has been taken.

The scan takes less than a second to complete, and your doctor will review the digital image of your retina with you during your comprehensive eye exam. Depending on the results of the scan, you may not need to have your eyes dilated during your exam. The doctors at Clarin Eye Care and Coral Gables Eye Care will make that determination based on your individual eye health and vision needs.