Eye Examinations

Drs. Williams and Hussey recommend a yearly eye examination for vision and visual health assessment. During your comprehensive eye examination the health and function of your eyes will be assessed and various tests of your vision will be performed.

Eye Examination Steps

1. Are you having any difficulty with your eyes?
   The eye examination starts by identifying your vision or eye complaints.
2. Your eye history.
   A careful eye health history is taken and reviewed as well as systemic medical history. Any medications you are taking are noted as many can affect the eyes and vision.
3. How sharp is your vision?
   Visual acuity (the sharpness of your vision) is measured and tests are performed to determine your eyeglass prescription.
4. Measure Up.
   Corneal curvature is measured to allow us to properly fit contact lenses, as well as to detect any abnormal shape of the front surface of your eyes.
5. Coordination & focus tests.
   Eye muscle coordination and focusing ability are tested.
6. Assessing the small stuff.
   A bio microscope, or slit lamp is used to assess the health of the lids, cornea, iris, lens, and other structures of the eye.
7. Inspecting Inside.
   To inspect the inner structures of your eyes, including the retina and optic nerve, two methods can be used:

   Option 1: State of the Art Alternative to Dilation
   A new diagnostic tool, called Optomap allows the doctor to view the retinas without the use of pupil dilation. There are many benefits to using Optomap. Dilating drops are not necessary to view the retinas, so the side-effects of having dilated pupils are not experienced. You can view your retinal imaging with Dr. Williams or Dr. Hussey. The imaging is fast, easy, and comfortable. The image will become a permanent record in your medical file which can be reviewed for comparisons and to track any eye disease. The doctors are concerned about retinal problems including macular degeneration, glaucoma, retinal holes, retinal detachments, and systemic diseases such as diabetes, stroke, and high blood pressure. These conditions can lead to serious health problems, including partial loss of vision or blindness, and often develop without warning and progress with no symptoms.
   Option 2, Dilate:
   Dilating eye drops, which cause the pupils to enlarge, gives the doctor a good view of the internal structures of the eye. The effects of the dilating drops usually begin to subside after a few hours; however, it is wise to bring good sunglasses to help you see in bright sunlight following a dilated eye exam. While your eyes are dilated, close work or reading may be difficult, and bright sunlight may be annoying.

8. What’s right for you?
   After performing all necessary tests, an explanation or the results will be discussed with you. Options such as eye glasses, contact lenses, eye medications, or eye surgery will be presented to you.

Along with protecting your privacy via the HIPAA act, we are protecting your identity by becoming compliant with the federal Red Flag Rule.  The Red Flag Rule has been put into place to help protect against identity theft.  You may be asked to show identification as outlined by the federal government’s Red Flag Rule’s guidelines for medical facilities.  Identification that is required:  1. A current driver’s license or other photo ID card  2. A current health insurance card, and: 3. Utility bill or other correspondence showing current residence if the photo ID does not show the patient’s current address.  If the patient is a minor, the patient’s parent or guardian should bring the information listed above.

The complete outline of the Red Flag Rule can be found at http://www.ftc.gov/os/fedreg/2007/november/071109redflags.pdf