Age-Related Macular Degeneration clinic (ARMD)
On the initial visit to the department for suspected age-related macular degeneration, you will undergo full investigation tests.
Your vision will be checked by the nurse and some drops instilled to dilate the pupils. You will then have an OCT scan and the doctor will review the results and decide if a fluorescein angiogram (FFA) needs to be completed.
If you do need a FFA, dye will be injected into your blood stream and a sequence of photographs will be taken to see the blood vessels at the back of your eye for assessment. If you meet the criteria you will then be offered a course of injections into the eye with the aim of preserving your vision.
Once your course of injections have been completed you will be regularly reviewed by our doctors along with repeat OCT scans. This is to make sure we are can accurately monitor the disease progress. Further injections will be offered if the doctor feels further treatment is needed.
(Wet) Age Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD)
A new eye disease treatment is now available on the NHS for patients in Essex called wet ARMD – to find out more, ask your healthcare professional.
Botox clinic
Our consultant injects botulin toxin into the muscles of the face around the eyes in the case of blepharospasm.
Blepharospasm is the uncontrollable twitching of the muscles which can be uncomfortable.
Cataract
If the you have been referred by an optician to have a cataract removed, you will be seen in the cataract clinic.
The doctor will assess the cataract to decide if it’s ready to be removed and if so the nurse will go through all the pre-operation questions and health assessment with you. You will then be put on the waiting list for cataract surgery.
Corneal clinic
The cornea is at the front of the eye and allows light into the eye.
A staff nurse will help a specialist consultant by completing assessments of this area using a pentacam to assess the shape of the cornea and the cell check assesses the health of the corneal cells.
Diabetic eye screening service
The diabetic eye screening service offers diabetic patients a yearly photographic screen of their eyes in the community.
During this test, you will have dilating drops, an OCT scan of the eyes which is reviewed by a doctor who then decides on future management.
If they are concerned about your eyes, they will refer you to our hospital eye service.
Fundus photography
The fundus camera takes a digital photograph of the back of the eye.
The fundus camera is used for the fundus fluorescein angiogram clinics to assess the blood supply to the retina. A special dye is injected into the blood vessels of your arm and a number of images are taken as the dye travels around the arteries and veins in the eye.
Fundus Fluorescein Angiography clinic (FFA)
Fluorescein dye is injected into a vein in your arm and as the dye travels around the body, it enters the blood vessels in the retina at the back of the eye. The photographer can use the fundus camera to take images of how the dye travels around these vessels in order to look for blockages or leaks.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma clinics are for patients either diagnosed with, or under investigation for glaucoma.
Within these clinics you will typically undergo a visual field assessment and digital imaging of the optic disc either with a photograph or an OCT scan.
Injection clinic
The injections are to treat either macular degeneration or macular oedema.
Laser
The laser clinic is for the treatment of retinal problems and in the management of glaucoma. Laser treatment is often needed following cataract surgery.
Macular oedema clinic
On the initial visit to the department for suspected macular oedema you will be fully investigated. Your vision is checked by the nurse and some drops instilled in the eyes to dilate the pupils. You will then have an OCT scan and the doctor will review the results. If you meet the criteria, you will be offered a course of injections into the eye with the aim of preserving the vision.
Once you have completed your course of injections, you will be regularly reviewed by a doctor along with repeat OCT scans. This is to make sure progress of the disease is monitored regularly.
Further injections will be offered if the doctor feels further treatment is needed.
Minor surgery
We can complete small eye lid procedures, such as the removal of small lumps in our outpatient surgery clinic.
Ocular plastics clinic
Oculoplastics concentrates on the area around the eye, including the eye lids and tear ducts.
Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)
The OCT uses a harmless laser to assess the tissues of the eye. It’s mostly used if the ophthalmologist is concerned about the macular (central vision) of the retina, particularly in patients with diabetes.
The OCT is regularly used to assess the optic disc in glaucoma patients.
Orthoptic clinic
Orthoptists are experts in evaluating vision and can assess the vision in patients of all ages from newborn babies to adults and patients with special needs. They specialise in assessing eye movements and in the visual development of children.
The orthoptists monitor and treat children with amblyopia (“lazy eye” or “lazy vision”, when one eye can see more clearly than the other) and strabismus (“squint”, when one eye turns in a different direction to the other eye). Children are reviewed regularly and are treated with glasses, wearing a patch, exercises or with surgery by the consultant ophthalmologist.
The orthoptists diagnose and manage patients with eye movement abnormalities such as those experiencing double vision, or those with difficulties moving their eyes perhaps due to trauma, palsy or disease.
Paediatric clinic
In the paediatric clinic, children are seen by the orthoptist, refractionist and the ophthalmologist. The orthoptist assesses the vision, visual alignment and movement of the eyes. The child then sees the refractionist to check for a spectacle prescription and is reviewed by the ophthalmologist.
Post-operative clinic
The post-operative clinics are mostly for after cataract surgery to make sure that the eye has healed and that the vision has improved. After cataract surgery, you will be asked to bring a copy of their new glasses prescription to the appointment to help with auditing purposes.
Retinal
You will have your pupils dilated with drops. The drops allow the doctor to see more of the retina at the back of the eye, but usually make the patient’s vision blurry for a few hours.
Often the retinal patients have an OCT scan of the back of the eye, particularly if the concern is with their central vision.
Refraction clinic
The refractionist (or optometrist) carries out a refraction to determine your spectacle prescription. This clinic is mainly for children, but adults can be seen in exceptional circumstances.
The dispensing optician has a large selection of children’s spectacle frames to choose from, or the prescription can be taken to the patient’s local dispensing optician if preferred.
Secondary vision screening
The orthoptists provide a secondary vision screening service in community clinics for children that have failed their eye check with the school nurse or whose parents mention concerns about the eyes or vision to their health visitor. The clinics are held at a variety of local health and children’s centres and offer reassurance for parents, or referral into the hospital eye service for further investigation or treatment.
Visual field assessment
The visual field machine assesses your peripheral vision. It’s used mainly to assess glaucoma and is also useful if you’ve had a stroke, another neurological disease or if you are on medications with side-effects that could affect peripheral vision.
