On the tail of January’s Glaucoma Awareness month, Grabill Eye Center has installed and trained on the new Octopus Visual Field testing system. The implementation of the new technology is to further aid in Glaucoma detection, treatment, and management. Detecting peripheral vision loss at the earliest possible stage can help identify glaucoma and other eye diseases before a patient even notices the blind spots. Dr. Laughlin notes, “as the technology advances, not only are we able to test more accurately with a faster test time for the patient, but we are also able to use the connected software to better be able to look for changes over time.” These ‘progression analysis’ features along with the quicker testing were their main reasons for the upgrade. In addition to testing for glaucoma types of peripheral vision losses, the Octopus also helps Dr. Laughlin and Dr. Callow find and monitor neurological diseases like strokes, brain tumors, and multiple sclerosis.
The system works by having a patient subjectively click a button in response to seeing a type of light or flash inside of the Octopus. Screening tests take about 1 minute per eye and full testing is reduced dramatically to about 2 to 4 minutes per eye instead of the old 6 to 12 minutes. Areas of reduced sensitivity are plotted immediately and saved to the networked database where the results can be viewed by the doctor and patient on the exam room computers.
Ultimately the goal of glaucoma treatment is to keep the blind spots from growing and hopefully keep them unnoticeable to the patient. This is generally achieved by lowering a patient’s eye pressure with drops or surgery. In addition to watching the visual field, the doctors at Grabill Eye Center watch these intraocular pressure numbers carefully and use additional technology, like their iVue Optical Coherence Tomographer (OCT) to scan for cell loss at the optic nerve. This machine also has change analysis features that can let us know how successful a treatment plan is.
It’s important to remember that Glaucoma is a disease that Dr. Laughlin terms ‘sneaky’. “No one walks in our door and says, ‘I think I have glaucoma’.” The elevated eye pressure and blind spots are not noticed until the disease is very advanced, and losses can only be prevented, never repaired. Blindness is a real concern in the lifetime of a patient that is caught too late. If it has been awhile since your last eye exam, or if you have a family history of glaucoma or have been told you are at risk and need yearly monitoring or even treatment, Drs. Laughlin and Callow can be reached at 260.627.1091 or www.grabilleye.com. Because glaucoma is medical eye issue, exams and testing are often covered under Medicare plans and other major medical insurances, even if a patient doesn’t have a vision plan.
