Retinal imaging and OCT scanning
Most of what can go wrong inside an eye gives no warning. Vision does not blur, nothing aches, and the first noticeable symptom often arrives long after the point where treatment would have been simplest.
Retinal imaging is how we look before there is anything to notice.
What we use
OCT — optical coherence tomography
An OCT scan produces a cross-section through the layers of your retina. Rather than photographing the surface, it shows the structure beneath it, in detail measured in microns.
That distinction matters. Several conditions — macular degeneration and glaucoma among them — begin as changes below the surface. An examination that only sees the surface sees them later.
The scan is quick, non-invasive and involves nothing touching your eye.
Widefield retinal imaging
A conventional retinal camera captures the area around the centre of the retina. We use an iCare EIDON, which captures a widefield view — substantially more, including the far periphery where changes such as retinal tears and some early disease often appear first.
The EIDON is a confocal scanner rather than a conventional camera, which means it produces clear images through smaller pupils and, in many cases, without dilating drops.
Why it is part of a standard eye test
Both scans are a standard part of our comprehensive eye examination rather than an optional extra offered at the desk.
The reason is simple. Screening only the people who already have symptoms means finding things late, because the conditions that matter most are the ones that stay silent longest. Imaging as a matter of course is how you find the exception.
Where an optometrist judges that imaging is not necessary in a particular case, it is not performed and not charged.
The record matters as much as the scan
A single scan shows what your retina looks like today. Two scans, two years apart, show what is changing.
That comparison is often where a problem first becomes obvious — not because any one image looked alarming, but because something is different from last time. Your scans stay on file, and at each visit we compare directly rather than relying on memory or description.
This is also why we do not charge under-25s for imaging. A baseline established at nineteen is worth a great deal at forty-five, and it costs nothing to build if you start early.
What it costs
| Included in a comprehensive eye test, under 25 | No charge |
| Included in a comprehensive eye test, 25 and over | $50 |
Medicare does not provide a rebate for retinal imaging, which is why it is charged separately from the bulk billed consultation. Full detail on our eye test costs page.
What happens if we find something
Both of our optometrists have particular clinical interests here — Paul Fell in glaucoma, macular degeneration and cataracts, and Jai Bakshi, who is therapeutically endorsed, in glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, macular degeneration, retinal conditions and inflammatory eye conditions.
Much can be managed within the practice. Where further investigation or specialist treatment is needed, we refer directly to ophthalmologists, and work alongside your GP where that is appropriate.
You will be shown your own scans and told plainly what they show.
Book an eye test
A comprehensive eye test takes about 30 minutes and includes your imaging.
Book online at any time, or call (07) 3278 8300.
We are at Shop 15, 235 Forest Lake Boulevard, inside Forest Lake Shopping Centre.