OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography)

OCT is a high-resolution scanning of the eye’s retina and optic nerve, cross-sectionally, using low-energy laser beams.

Diagnosis and treatment evaluation of retina, macula (yellow spot) and glaucoma diseases require high technology.

What are the advantages of OCT?

OCT is a completely harmless diagnostic method. It does not emit radiation.
It can be easily applied within 2-3 minutes without touching the patient’s eyes.
There is no need to administer any medication intravenously as in Eye Angiography.
Retinal thickness measurements can be made with OCT, and macular edema that may occur especially in diabetes and after surgery is evaluated.
Apart from retinal diseases, it helps the ophthalmologist in the diagnosis and monitoring of glaucoma by measuring the thickness of the optic nerve fibers.

What is the Role of OCT in Glaucoma?

Observation of thinning of optic nerve fibers in OCT makes us think that glaucoma is progressing.

Diagnosis can be made after 40% of the nerve fibers are damaged in visual field tests used as standard in glaucoma follow-up. Optic nerve damage can be prevented by diagnosing glaucoma very early with OCT and planning treatment.

What are the Benefits of OCT in Diabetes and Macular Disease?

OCT allows the regulation of treatment protocols in the diagnosis and monitoring of retina and macular degeneration. Macular edema in diabetes and retinal vascular occlusions can be measured with OCT at the micron level by creating thickness maps.

OCT is of great importance in retinitis pigmentosa (chicken black) disease, which causes retinal bleeding, new vessel formation, intraretinal fluid accumulation, cystoid macular edema, macular holes, epiretinal membranes and thinning of the retina layers. In addition, thanks to OCT’s special computer program, it provides important information in the treatment of MS (Multiple Sclerosis) and Alzheimer’s disease.

ZEIS SPECTRAL OCT, which uses the highest technology in its class in my practice, has many superior features. Glaucoma can be diagnosed at an early stage by measuring macular ganglion cell thickness with the posterior pole analysis program. OCT has become an indispensable technology in the early diagnosis of retinal and glaucoma diseases in today’s eye clinics.