New technology brings advanced eye care to the Southern Lake

New technology brings advanced eye care to the Southern Lakes

A new state-of-the-art eye examination machine in Wanaka has opened up the opportunity for specialist outpatient services to be accessed in the resort.

Wanaka optometry practice Eyes on Ardmore has purchased the $75,000 Ocular Coherence Tomography (OCT) machine – becoming the only optometrists in the Southern Lakes to offer advanced preventative examinations.

Eyes on Ardmore principal optometrist Danielle Ross with the clinic's new Ocular Coherence Tomography (OCT) machine

Operating in much the same way as an ultrasound machine, but using light as opposed to sound, OCT allows optometrists to see much deeper into the eye than previously possible with a retinal photograph. It gives them the ability to identify eye disease earlier and offers the ability to treat any problems before they develop into serious eyesight issues.

Eyes on Ardmore principal and nationally-respected optometrist Danielle Ross says the new machine will be a game-changer for optometry in the region. She is already talking to surgeons in Dunedin who are now considering setting up outpatient services in Wanaka as a result. Currently, patients must travel to Dunedin or Christchurch to see eye specialists for this service.

"By being able to get a much more in-depth idea of what is going on in the eyes of our patients I can identify any problems before they begin to manifest themselves as eye problems. I can't imagine how I ever practiced without it. It's amazing how much I've seen that I was simply unable to pick up before.”

Often eye damage can only be identified by the time it has worked its way to the surface of the back of the eye. With OCT, optometrists and eye specialists can see much deeper into the eye and detect preventable diseases such as macula degeneration, glaucoma, retinal detachment and keratoconus - all of which can lead to blindness - up to five years earlier than previously possible.

“It is absolutely heartbreaking watching someone go blind, and even more so when the cause is something that could have been treated if it had been diagnosed earlier. With the OCT machine, we are able to move from a reactive model to a system of proactive eye examinations and care," Ross adds.

While OCT is standard in other parts of the world, it is relatively new to New Zealand, with only a handful of optometrists in the South Island having access to this state-of-the-art equipment. Eye scans using the OCT machine cost about $170 per scan.

“A quality eye examination is a health necessity, even if you can see clearly, because you’ll never know what’s going on with your eyes without a thorough eye exam. Together with our extensive clinical expertise and use of the best and most advanced clinical equipment, people have the confidence they’ll receive the highest possible level of eye care at Eyes on Ardmore," Ross says.

ENDS

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