OCT Scanning

Our Alloa and Alva practices have state of the art OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) machines. OCT is an advanced eye scan that allows us to view the different layers that make up the structures at the front and the back of your eye. The scan is similar to an ultrasound scan except OCT uses light rather than sound waves to image the inside of eye.

The OCT scan goes over and above the minimum requirements for an NHS eye exam. Many opticians charge an extra fee for an OCT scan but we have decided simply to include it as part of your NHS funded eye exam if we feel you would benefit from it.

An OCT scan allows us to detect and monitor changes in Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), Diabetes, Glaucoma as well as other retinal diseases.

Here’s a video showing an OCT scan of some drussen, an early indicator of AMD. The drussen are the yellow spots on the orange retina. You can see how the yellow spots are buried beneath many layers of retinal tissue.

This second video shows the layers of the retina being peeled back to reveal the drussen more clearly. This allows us to monitor them for changes that may affect vision in the future.

If you have any questions about OCT scans please ask your optician!