Optos Wide-field Retinal Imaging VS Pupil Dilation

A full evaluation of the peripheral retina will sometimes reveal problems that are not seen by just examining the optic nerve and macula (central retina). The peripheral retina should be evaluated as a screening every 2-3 years for healthy patients under 60-yrs-old, and every 1-2 years for healthy patients over 60-yrs-old. IT SHOULD BE DONE YEARLY for anyone with diabetes, autoimmune disorders, a history of cancer, or a history of other retina problems. OPTOS IMAGING is retinal photography and DOES NOT REQUIRE DROPS. Therefore the vision is unaffected and we still get a great look at your retinal health, including very large portions of the periphery. The imaging also gives us a view of a very large portion of the retina all at once. Pupil dilation also gives us a great view of your retina, but only smaller areas at a time, and it also requires drops that leave you more light sensitive and with blurrier vision for 4-6 hours. For these reasons, WE RECOMMEND OPTOS IMAGING FOR THE MAJORITY OF OUR PATIENTS. We do this AUTOMATICALLY for ALL NEW PATIENTS and for all of our patients that are 65+ YEARS OLD. For returning patients, when you arrive in our office, we will give you a form that allows you to choose Optos imaging instead of pupil dilation, or pupil dilation, or to decline these services if you recently had it done. There is a $20 fee for Optos imaging or pupil dilation.