Personal Complete Eye Exams are administered by Troy Elander, MD. There are three main steps to the exam. You should expect the dilation and exam to take about 40 minutes.
Dilation drops are put in your eyes to make the pupils larger. This allows a better view of the internal structures of the eye. The pupil is like a window to the inside of the eye, and basically, dilating drops are used to “open the window” so the doctor can see inside.
Refraction is the process of determining the eye's refractive error, or need for corrective glasses and/or contact lenses. Refraction is necessary to help determine the general health of an eye. For example, if a patient is experiencing blurred vision or a decrease in visual acuity on the eye chart, refraction would be needed to see if this is because glasses are needed or due to a medical problem. It can also help determine when a patient is ready for cataract surgery. During refraction, the doctor puts an instrument in front of your eyes and shows you a series of choices. He or she will then ask you which of the two lenses in each choice looks clearer. Based on your answers, the doctor will continue to fine-tune your power until reaching a final prescription that is then used in your eyeglasses or contact lenses.
Slit Lamp Examination is a corneal microscope which provides a narrow beam of strong light for examination of the eyes.