info@jtmopticians.co.uk
0191 4561552
New Eye testing Equipment
for detection, monitoring & management of eye disease.
Over the last 8 years, under the ownership of Mr McClements, the practice has seen a substantial £65k investment in eye testing equipment alone. Our latest addition is the Revo FC OCT scanner which is making one of the biggest changes to how we manage patients in a very long time. It allows us to see a level of detail in the eyes that we simply couldn’t see previously with traditional eye testing techniques.
Optometrists would often have to use their best clinical judgement along with the traditional eye test to gauge whether to refer a patient to a specialist or monitor patients in the practice. But naturally, we err on the side of caution which could result in some patients having to take a trip to the eye infirmary only to be told that their eyes were healthy after all. Of course, this is a good scenario, but we also appreciate the worry patients may go through while they await their hospital appointment and some inconvenience making the journey there too. A simple OCT scan does in fact go some way to change that. In many ocular conditions, in particular many macular conditions, we can now definitively differentiate between some of those more urgent conditions that need referred immediately and the conditions that are stable and therefore we can more confidently reassure patients and monitor them in our practice.
OCT has also demonstrated significant abilities in the earlier detection of eye disease like glaucoma by mapping out, in more detail than ever before, the optic nerve & the thickness of the nerve fibre layer on the retina. As we build up more data over the years of eye tests with returning patients, we can then detect more subtle differences or thinning in this nerve fibre layer with the OCT scans. Essentially meaning that glaucoma may be detected up to 4 years earlier than with traditional tests.
OCT has lots of benefits but simply too many to mention here. We are looking forward to seeing the benefits of this new technology in practice and are already thinking about further enhancements to the eye test with other equipment for the future!
My aim has always been to have my own independent practice that I can shape in the way I want and deliver eye care in the way I want, and from the feedback I’ve had so far, it’s also what patients want too.
We don’t just invest in fancy eye testing equipment. We invest in each patient by giving them our time in every eye examination. A thorough 45minute eye test is what we think eyecare should be, not a UK industry standard 20 minutes!
