State of the art equipment arrives at Wilmslow Opticians

Here at James Doyle Opticians in Wilmslow Cheshire, we have recently installed the most up to date scanning equipment for your eyes, an Ocular Coherence Tomographer or OCT for short. 

We are one of the first opticians to have this technology in the North West of England, until now OCT have been primarily used in macular clinics within eye hospitals.

As you will appreciate, this it will enable us to take our patient care to the next level.  

OCT  is a painless, non-contact, non-invasive imaging technique, used to obtain high resolution cross-sectional and three dimensional images of the retina, cornea and anterior chamber of the eye.

It is effectively ‘optical ultrasound’, imaging reflections from deep within the eye tissue to provide high quality cross-sectional images.

Using our OCT equipment will enable us to see below the surface of your retina and pick up on changes long before they become problems, meaning patients will be referred for treatment at the earliest stages of a condition, leading to the best long term prognosis.

We would recommend OCT scans for the following groups of people

• If you are over 60
• If you are over 40 and shortsighted
• If you have high blood pressure
• If you have diabetes
• If you have any retinal abnormalities
• If there is any family history of eye problems

Of course, anyone can have a scan even if it is just for your own interest


Remember up to 80% of vision impairment and blindness can be prevented by early detection.

The scan only takes a few minutes and can usually be done during your eye examination. It is totally safe, as the OCT uses visible light to scan the retina. Anyone can have an OCT scan done. It is totally safe, painless and nothing touches your eye.


Here are just some of the conditions OCT screening as part of your eye examination can help us monitor

• Macular drusen [dry AMD], 
• Wet macular degeneration, 
• macular hole, 
• vitreous detachment, 
• epiretinal membrane formation, 
• corneal thickness, 
• anterior chamber angle, 
• retinal naevus, 
• retinal nerve fibre thickness.

AMD is the most common cause of blindness in the over 50 age group in western society. Wet AMD can cause sudden loss of sight over a matter of days, fortunately it is less common than Dry AMD which is often described as “wear & tear”.
 
OCT can not only identify which type of AMD is present but can monitor progress, for example if you are undergoing treatment.

Macular holes are fairly rare but if caught early can be treated successfully. If untreated they affect the very centre of your vision.
OCT clearly shows even very early macular holes when they are invisible with conventional viewing techniques.

So, to summarise, here are the reasons that an OCT is recommended

• The opportunity to have the most advanced technology screen the most important part of your eye.
• Early detection of preventable changes.
• Accurate comparison of your eye health from one year to the next.
• Improved referral if necessary.

For more information or to book your appointment today please call 01625 548848 or contact us by email via our website at James Doyle Opticians, Wilmslow.

James Doyle Opticians Celebrating 21 Years in Wilmslow

We are delighted to be celebrating 21 happy years in Wilmslow and want to say a huge thank you, to you, our loyal customers for your continued support.

Over the last 21 years we have seen many changes in our town, businesses have moved,  expanded and some have sadly closed down.

Who can remember when The Ian Anthony Porsche dealership was based in the centre of the town ? We can also cast our minds back to when Rex buildings housed our local cinema and pubs that used to be banks….much has changed, whilst much has remained the same.

So we are very proud to have been here at 53 Alderley Road, adapting to an ever changing world and continually striving to provide the very best eye care for our patients. 

We would love to hear your thoughts about what Wilmslow has been like over the last 21 years and what you are hoping the next 21 will hold ?

Thank you again for your custom and we look forward to seeing you in the near future.