Hurray for retinal scans/OCT’s!
Blog vol 6.41. Hurray for retinal scans/OCT’s!
In 2009, after much research and soul searching, we decided to invest in a new technology: the optical coherence tomographer (OCT). The decision was really made in 2004 when we introduced high-definition fundus photography to the practice and made it mandatory for all our diabetic patients. The wonderful thing about the eye is that it is truly a window into the heart (and blood vessels).
It all started in the late 1980s when two scientists, James Fujimoto and Eric Swanson from MIT, turned their low-coherence interferometer onto the tissue of the eye. This interferometer had limited scanning speed and poor resolution, which were improved over time with the use of broadband light. The 2009 OCT was called spectral-domain, and it had faster scans and clearer images. Learning to use the OCT and interpret findings was a challenge with huge payback in improved patient care.
The OCT improved our ability to diagnose so much that we decided to scan everyone over the age of 18 years for a minimal fee (routine OCT is not usually OHIP covered). The information we receive from the OCT scan allows us to pick up problems early at a tissue level, improving prognosis significantly. This is something that needs to be available to everyone. That was a paradigm shift for the practice.
In 2019, we moved up to the next generation, 3 D-OCT 2000, with higher resolution, wider scans, and now deeper scans. Using different infrared wavelengths and increasing the number of scans has made it possible to do OCT Angiography, a test we use only for specific conditions. This OCT tracks the movement of the red blood cells through the choroid, a fine plexus of capillaries that provides nutrients and oxygen to the retina. So amazing really.
In October of 2025, a local researcher, Dr. Marie E. Pigeyre, in an article from McMaster University, points out the importance of OCT scans in detecting cardiovascular issues and early signs of aging. (Read more here). With the present OCT technology, genetic data, and blood sample analyses, researchers are doing a study on 74,000 participants. So far, they have found that simpler, less branched blood vessels are at increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and show signs of biological aging. OCT as a diagnostic tool for heart and circulatory problems? There is potential here.
Early, regular testing is key. We can look at a scan of the cells at the back of your eye and compare them to the same area in the previous scan. Abnormalities become quite clear. Please come in and get tested; it really is a great preventative. We have been doing this for 17 years and are quite good at it.
Til next week
The good doctor
