PANTAI IMPROVES DETECTION OF EYE DISEASES WITH OCT TECHNOLOGY

 

SEP 30, 2018 @10 PM

​Dr Chong Kheng Yaw demonstrating the capability of the Heidelberg Spectralis OCT Plus.

Pantai Hospital Cheras (PHC) recently unveiled the addition of a new optical coherence tomography (OCT) machine to its range of ophthalmological services. 

OCT is a non-invasive imaging test that delivers a visual cross-section of the retina by way of light waves. The technology allows ophthalmologists to map out each distinctive layer of the back of the eye.

Such measurements are used to diagnose, offer treatment guidance and monitor the progress of various eye conditions. They also result in earlier detection of eye diseases like glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. 

Resident consultant eye specialist, Dr Chong Kheng Yaw, pointed out that many are unaware that vision gradually deteriorates, and it is possible to permanently lose up to 20 percent of it before it is picked up by past methods.

“Spectralis OCT has changed the game in the way optical maladies are uncovered and remedied. It enables us to spot issues that would have otherwise been missed due to it being more precise, more accurate, and more reproducible than any other OCT. Identifying problems in advance means a world of difference in saving a patient's eyesight.” 
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Its chief executive officer, Rachel Yew said in Malaysia, cases of blindness and vision loss are preventable. 

“Most people afflicted by such disorders as cataract and uncorrected refractive error often are unaware or choose to neglect symptoms, leading to irreversible and permanent damage to the optic nerves. Timely intervention in the form of either medication or surgery would have been able to slow down any further impairment.”