Dr. Schlussel and Dr. Canuto Now Offer the Optomap® in West Orange!
Optomap®: The retina exam that doesn’t touch your eye. Oftentimes, dilation drops are not even needed, but you suffering from Cataracts? Get Treatment in West Orange, NJ West Orange, NJ eye doctor will decide if your pupils need to be dilated for the eye exam.
Retinal imaging is at the cutting edge of eye care technology, as it can detect the development of serious eye diseases before they cause symptoms so treatment can begin early enough to prevent vision loss. Dr. Alan Schlussel and Dr. Canuto provides optomap® retinal exams. Quick and painless, this eye exam is suitable for patients of all ages. To have a retinal eye exam, you just look into the device one eye at a time. You will see a low-intensity flash as the camera captures an image of your retina.
The digital retinal imaging takes less than a second and the images are available immediately for review. You can see your own retina in 3D animation, along with your optometrist. The optomap® generates an ultra-widefield image of your retina. The panoramic view includes the optic nerve, macula, and blood vessels.
Decrease Vision Loss: Treat eye diseases before symptoms present
There are a number of eye diseases that develop without symptoms. Often they are detected early by optometrists during a comprehensive eye exam. Treating eye diseases early can make all the difference when it comes to preventing blindness.
Here are a few serious eye diseases that can be detected in their early stages by an optomap® eye exam: Diabetic Retinopathy, Glaucoma, Cataracts, Macular Degeneration.
Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetes can cause blindness. In fact, it is the major contributor to new cases of blindness in adults. Over 25,000,000 people in the United States have diabetes. Having diabetes type 1 or type 2 puts you at increased risk for developing diabetic eye disease, including diabetic retinopathy, so eye exams for diabetics should be at least once a year.
Glaucoma
“Glaucoma is the silent thief of sight.” Typically, glaucoma can progress for months or years without noticeable symptoms. But once the person becomes aware of their eye sight deteriorating, it is often too late to recover vision loss. On the other hand, if caught early, treating glaucoma can prevent blindness.
Macular Degeneration
AMD – Age related macular degeneration – is the leading cause of blindness in older adults, over age 65. The macula is the part of the eye involved in detailed, central vision, so its deterioration can have devastating repercussions. Individuals at risk for developing AMD, whether due to age or family history, are encouraged to have regular comprehensive eye exams with detailed retina scans.
Other conditions that can be detected by a retina eye exam with an optmap are: retinal detachment, melanoma, and hypertension.
Watch “Denise’s Story” and find out how our colleague Dr. Denise Kniefel detected a melanoma on her own eyes using the Optomap..
Dr. Schlussel says: Our patients are very impressed with the technology. Complete eye exams were always an essential component to maintaining eye health, but with technological advances like the optomap® eye exam, earlier diagnosis of potentially sight-threatening conditions is now a reality.
We recommend an optomap® exam to all of our patients that come for a routine eye exam. Maintaining a regular baseline of images is important in diagnosing subtle changes in ocular health.
Are there certain indications that point to a need for retinal imaging?
- Patients with a family history of eye diseases such as macular degeneration, or glaucoma.
- Patients currently taking medications for diabetes, hypertension or long term high dose medications for arthritis or other chronic rheumatologic conditions.
- Patients that present with a sudden onset of floaters or change in vision.
When asked about success stories, Dr. Alan Schlussel describes finding benign “freckles” in the middle layer of the retina that have the potential to become larger and potentially cancerous. The New Jersey optometrist has also diagnosed a few retinal detachments on patients that were asymptomatic. Early referral to retinal specialist saved them from partial or complete vision loss.
Optos is the only manufacturer of this type of panoramic retinal imaging. They have an excellent reputation in manufacturing innovative, unique imaging technology. That’s why we use it at Dr. Alan Schlussel.