What Is Optical Coherence Tomography?

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive imaging test. OCT uses light waves to take cross-section pictures of your retina.

With OCT, your ophthalmologist can see each of the retina’s distinctive layers. This allows your ophthalmologist to map and measure their thickness. These measurements help with diagnosis. They also provide treatment guidance for glaucoma and diseases of the retina. These retinal diseases include age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic eye disease.

What happens during OCT?

To prepare you for an OCT exam, your ophthalmologist may put dilating eye drops in your eyes. These drops widen your pupil and make it easier to examine the retina.

You will sit in front of the OCT machine and rest your head on a support to keep it motionless. The equipment will then scan your eye without touching it. Scanning takes about 5 – 10 minutes. If your eyes were dilated, they may be sensitive to light for several hours after the exam.