retinal exam

[davinaj]

Good morning Doctor

I recently had a dilated exam by an ophthalmologist who said my eyes were healthy.

My question is, is him just looking into my eyes enough to exclude serious disease or does he need to do other tests?

I am worried that he might have missed something in the underneath layers of my eye that he can't see.

Is that likely or am I worrying for nothing.

The doctor told me i don't  need to go back for a year and I don't want to be stressing for all that time.

Thank you in advance. I hope you can give me some perspective on this.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

Hello davinaj   You are asking too much from an eye examination. Many diseases do not show up in the eye. Many diseases that affect the eye can be present without the eye being damaged yet-examples diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol. Your examination was adequate to determine that there were no EYE diseases manifest at this time in your eye.  Special eye tests are only necessary if the findings of the initial eye examination or your complaints suggest a need for them.

JCH III MD Disease and Surgery of the Eyes.

[davinaj]

Ah, ok. THat makes sense.

But the doctor would be able to see EYE diseases?

[davinaj]

I guess what I am scared of is that there might be an eye disease that he can't see, one that was in the deeper layers? Or is that not how it works. Excuse my ignorance ...

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

Almost everything in the eye is transparent, so the ophthalmologist can see the retina, the choroid and if any abnormalities develop in the inner sclera it makes the retina and choroid exam abnormal. About the only thing that we can't see is the back of the back of the eye and the eyemuscles and eye socket (orbit). If you exam was normal and you do not have specific new symptoms I would relax and spend no more time or money courting trouble.

JCH III MD