Eye Examinations
The eye is often the window into our bodies and can be a good indicator of overall health. Like many other health conditions, eye conditions in adults and children can be treated if detected early enough. For this reason, children and adults should have regular eye examinations.
Complete eye examinations include:
- Automated pre-testing equipment
- Glaucoma testing (with intra ocular pressures)
- Binocular vision assessment
- New prescription for glasses or contact lenses
- Dilated health assessment of the eye
- Peripheral vision,
- Visual field assessment
- Color vision testing
New Procedures (NOT covered by OHIP / above basic exam)
Our office is committed to having state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment. OHIP covers the fee for a basic comprehensive eye examination (Only ages 19 and under, and 65 and over). Newer diagnostic tests are useful in the early detection of disease but are NOT OHIP insured services.
Glaucoma is the second most common cause of legal blindness in North America. It usually has no early symptoms, and by the time people experience problems with their vision, they have usually lost a significant amount of their vision.
Corneal Pachymetry is the measurement of central corneal thickness. It is useful in determining the risk of developing glaucoma and in interpreting unexpected intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements.
The Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study (results published in 2002) found that central corneal thickness measurements/pachymetry was the strongest predictor for the development of glaucoma. People with thinner central corneas are 3.5 times more likely to have permanent vision loss, resulting from glaucoma.
"The american Academy of Ophthalmology now recommends the use of
pachymetry to determine central corneal thickness
during routine eye examinations."
Central corneal thickness measurements (pachymetry) need to be done only once as they do not change with time. The measurements are not an OHIP insured service, and not included in our basic exam fee (non OHIP insured age group, 20 to 65). The one time fee for pachymetry is $25.
The second new diagnostic test our office provides is retinal digital imaging. Out computer assisted digital retinal camera enables us to provide a more thorough record of the health of your eyes by taking pictures of the inside of your eyes. Digital imaging can assist us in early detection of ocular problems including: central retinal diseases, optic nerve disease, macular degeneration, hypertensive retinopathy, and diabetic retinopathy.
This type of testing also allows us to keep these images stored, to compare with the results of future tests. This will allow us to see minute changes that we may not have been able to identify without these tests. We strongly recommend this test to all of our patients. The fee for this test is $30. For patients under the age of 16, the fee is $20.
