Early Detection of Glaucoma and the Zeiss Cirrus OCT

To detect glaucoma at its earliest stage, I have combined two modalities; the time tested 90 diopter exam of the optic nerve to assess cupping and neuro-retinal rim tissue; and the Zeiss Cirrus spectral domain OCT (ophthalmic coherence tomography) to capture what is not visible on clinical exam: nerve fiber layer patterns and thickness.

These imaging techniques combined with visual fields, pachymetry and gonioscopy comprise the “stock and trade” of a glaucoma specialist and offer a higher degree of certainty that ever before that diagnoses are being correctly ruled in or out.

Finding and detecting glaucoma early has significant positive impacts for my patients.

With the capability of the Zeiss Cirrus HD-OCT many cases now are found in the pre-perimetric stage—before visual field loss is found or at very early perimetric stages only detectable with SWAP or double frequency methods. Patient so diagnosed can then be treated with a laser treatment or a single eye drop, with no subsequent loss of vision if pressures are maintained beneath a target level.

Our office is proactive in educating patients about glaucoma and communicating to them where they are in the glaucoma trajectory—be it simply a variation from normal with no nerve damage to advanced cupping and field loss. We utilize visual and digital imaging aids and show patients their study results: we found that patients, who better understand their eye health, are more motivated to follow treatment recommendations. Patients regularly exclaim how different their experience at our office is from other specialists that they may have seen, and for this reason seek out our expertise from all different part of the greater Chicago metropolitan area including many from Northwest Indiana.