Los Altos Optometric Group is the first eye care practice in Los Altos to offer its patients the Optomap retinal exam. This revolutionary modality captures and analyzes an image of virtually the entire retina, for the early detection and management of eye disease.

Since Optos first introduced the Optomap exam, nearly 2 million exams have been conducted worldwide, diagnosing serious sconditions - such as diabetes, retinal detachments, melanomas and macular degeneration - that could have otherwise gone undetected and often progress without symptoms.

The exam takes a computer-generated image of the retina, which can be immediately evaluated by the doctors at Los Altos Optometric Group. There is no pupil dilation, eye drops, blurred vision or sensitivity to light. The Optomap retinal exam is a simple, quick and important way to maintain good eye health.

“The Optomap increases the quality of the retinal exam by allowing us to view almost the entire retina at the start of the eye examination, which can have important implications, not only for detecting eye disease but also in detecting and managing other medical conditions such as diabetes,” said Dr. Stephen Anderson.

“We recommend all of our patients have this exam, which has already detected issues in some of our patients that could have otherwise gone undetected.”

Because of its clinical patient and practice benefits, physicians said the Optomap retinal exam has the potential to become part of the standard of care in practices throughout the world. The Optomap also allows doctors to spend more time with patients. It provides a permanent photo documentation that can be sent to a patient’s primary care physician or specialist if needed, to be compared with subsequent future Optomap images, and can also be used to educate patients.

“One of our first patients screened with the Optomap retinal exam came in for his annual eye exam and was not experiencing any symptoms or problems,” said Dr. Samuel Pesner. “The Optomap allowed us to see the very early onset of a small retinal detachment, which might not have been detected using other conventional methods. As a result, we were able to properly diagnose the problem, treat it early and prevent any loss of vision for the patient.”

Most patients who have a problem in their retina can see and actually feel fine.

Various studies have concluded that the Optomap exam is effective in increasing the quality of a clinical evaluation of the retina in a primary eye care setting; is a reliable tool for the detection of retinal disease; and has sensitivity similar to the current gold standard - clinical evaluation through a dilated pupil.

This study also concluded that the Optomap exam detected three times more retinal abnormalities than a clinical evaluation through an undilated pupil. A separate study sponsored by the American Optometric Association in 2000 showed that 52 percent of patients presenting for an eye exam are not dilated.

For more information, visit the Optos Web site at www.optos.com.

Los Altos Optometric Group has been located in Los Altos since 1969. For more information or to schedule an Optomap exam, call Los Altos Optometric Group at 948-3700.