Laser Optic Nerve Fiber Analysis (OCT) in Manlius and Syracuse, NY

The optic nerve is a bundle of nerve fibers that transmits visual information from the retina at the back of the eye to the brain. The brain then processes those signals and uses them to construct the picture you see. When the optic nerve becomes damaged due to an ocular disease, trauma, or other condition, vision is significantly impaired.

Laser optic nerve fiber analysis, also known as optical coherence tomography (OCT), is a non-invasive imaging technique used to diagnose and manage eye diseases that impact the optic nerve, including glaucoma. As a part of our full lineup of vision services at Savedoff, Ciccone & Davis, Doctors of Optometry, P.C., we perform OCT testing for glaucoma at our eye care centers in Manlius and Syracuse, NY. Discover more about this non-invasive imaging technique offered by our team of certified optometrists and who can benefit from it.

What Is Optic Nerve Fiber Analysis?

Optical coherence tomography produces high-resolution cross-sectional images of the eye to help assess the optic nerve and retina. OCT uses reflected laser light to create images of the eye’s layers. The instrument captures about 100,000 images in one second. The results are averaged, resulting in an accuracy of measurement within one micron accuracy (a human hair is 200 microns thick). This imaging technique can show the thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and other layers of the retina, which helps doctors assess the risk of glaucoma progression and other troubling conditions.

Other conditions optic never fiber analysis can help to identify and diagnose include:

• Age-related macular degeneration: A chronic eye disease that damages the macula as a person ages, causing vision problems.
• Multiple Sclerosis: Causing thinning of the nerve fiber layer of the retina
• Concussion: Detecting loss of nerve fiber from trauma
• Diabetic retinopathy: Damage to blood vessels in the retina caused by high blood sugar
• Abnormal blood vessels and blood vessel blockage
• Macular holes, puckers, and edema: Breaks, holes, or fluid build-ups in the macula that can result in blurred vision
• Central serous retinopathy (CSR): An eye condition that causes fluid to build up under the retina and impair vision
• Vitreomacular traction: A condition that occurs when the vitreous, the jelly-like fluid that fills the eye, pulls on the macula, causing blurred vision
• Drusen: Proteins, lipids, and cellular debris that appear as small yellow or white spots in the retina

The imaging procedure involves a patient sitting in front of the OCT machine and resting their head on a support. The equipment scans the eyes without ever coming into contact with them. Patients must remain motionless during the test to produce clear images. The entire test takes five to 10 minutes to complete.

About Our Laser Optic Never Fiber Testing

At Savedoff, Ciccone & Davis, Doctors of Optometry, P.C., our mission is to provide our patients with cutting-edge services to address their vision concerns. For over seventy years, our optometry practice has kept up with and utilized the latest medical instruments and vision-related equipment, including laser optic nerve fiber imagining machines.

During an appointment, patients will be seen by our team of highly trained eyecare professionals. We will go over details about the imagining procedure before positioning you in front of the OCT machine. In some cases, patients may be administered dilating eye drops to widen the pupils and enhance the imagining of the retina. The OCT machine will then scan your eye using a low-powered laser light. This produces 3D images of the structures inside your eye, which an optometrist will show you and discuss once the test is complete.

Depending on the results, our optometrists may recommend further testing or treatment options, including therapies to help correct vision limitations. In addition to imaging services, the team at Savedoff, Ciccone & Davis, Doctors of Optometry, P.C., specializes in vision therapy to improve visual skills and abilities that are impacted by conditions affecting the eye’s optic nerve. This vision solution involves a series of eye exercises and activities that help improve a range of vision setbacks.