Your reports
What all those eye scans actually mean
You were handed a stack of printouts and nobody explained them. Here is what each one looks at.
60 sec“Your OCT in one minute, without the jargon.”
NetraSure doctor panel
What the doctor says
“Your OCT in one minute, without the jargon.”
NetraSure doctor panel · Patient guide
- OCT is a side-on slice of your retina, measured in microns.
- A fundus photo is the wide picture of the back of the eye.
- Topography maps the front curve. Fields map what you can see.
The filmed clip is being recorded. The words above are the same points the doctor makes on camera.
Ask a doctor about my own scansOCT — a slice through the back of the eye
Like an ultrasound made of light. It shows the layers of your retina from the side, so a doctor can see swelling, fluid or thinning that no photo would reveal. It is also used to measure the optic nerve in glaucoma.
On the printout, look for a small signal strength or quality number. A weak scan can look alarming and mean nothing.
Fundus photo — a picture of the back of your eye
A plain colour photograph of the retina, the blood vessels and the optic disc. It is the best record for comparing this year with next year.
Topography or Pentacam — a map of the front window
Colour maps of the shape and thickness of your cornea, like a contour map of a hill. Red means steep, blue means flat. This decides whether laser vision correction is safe.
Visual field — the flashing lights test
You press a button when you see a dot. The result is a grey-and-black chart of your side vision. Dark patches mean you are missing vision there. The first test is often poor simply because it was your first; doctors repeat it.
Biometry — measurements before cataract surgery
Measures the length of your eye and the curve of the cornea, so the right power of artificial lens is chosen. If it is wrong, you end up needing glasses afterwards anyway.
How to photograph a report properly
- Flatten the page and put it on a plain table.
- Bright, even light. No shadow of your head across it.
- Hold the phone straight above, not at an angle.
- Include the whole page, edge to edge, including the date and your name.
- Send every page. The second page usually holds the numbers.
Ask for your reports, always
You are entitled to copies of your own tests. Keep them in one folder on your phone. When a doctor can compare today with two years ago, the advice you get is far better.
Not sure if you need surgery?
Send us your scans. A senior eye doctor who will never operate on you reads them and tells you the truth in two days.