OCT Scans

OCT Scans & Retinal Photography in Holland Park West

An OCT scan builds a cross-section of your retina, letting us see the layers beneath the surface — where glaucoma and macular changes begin, often long before there is anything for you to notice. Taken in-house at our Holland Park West clinic, together with a retinal photograph.

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What the scan shows

A retinal photograph shows the surface of the retina — a detailed, permanent record of what we can see when we look into your eye. An OCT scan shows what sits underneath it. Using light rather than sound or radiation, it builds a cross-section of the retina, so we can look at its individual layers in depth and measure their thickness.

That matters because some of the earliest changes in eye disease happen below the surface. Thinning of the nerve fibre layer around the optic nerve can indicate glaucoma before any vision is lost; fluid or thinning at the macula can be present before a photograph looks abnormal. You get both views from the one capture — the photograph documents what we see, and the scan shows what is beneath it.

When we recommend a scan

An OCT scan is not part of every eye examination. We recommend one where we think it will tell us something a standard examination cannot — a family history of glaucoma, an optic nerve or macula we want to look at more closely, diabetes, changes you have noticed in your central vision, or a finding we want to establish a baseline for and track over time.

The fee is $60, which covers the OCT scan and the retinal photograph for both eyes. Medicare does not provide a rebate for OCT imaging, so this is a private fee, separate from your consultation — and it does not affect the Medicare rebate on your examination. If we think a scan is worthwhile, we will explain what we are looking for and quote the $60 before we do it.

What the scan is like

It is painless and nothing touches your eye. You rest your chin on a support and look at a target while the scan runs — around a minute per eye. Most people do not need dilating drops, so you can usually drive afterwards, and we will let you know beforehand if drops are likely to be needed in your case.

We go through the images with you at the same visit and explain what we are seeing in plain language. The scan is stored so we can compare it against future ones — which is often where the real value sits, because change over time tells us more than any single scan can. Our OCT is a Topcon Maestro, which captures the scan and the retinal photograph in one automated capture — which is why the two are always taken together.

What's included

Cross-sectional imaging of the retina, macula and optic nerve
Nerve fibre layer thickness measurement around the optic nerve
A retinal photograph included in the same $60 — never charged separately
No dilating drops needed for most patients
Painless, nothing touches the eye, about a minute per eye
Images explained in plain language at the same visit
A baseline stored to compare against at future visits

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FAQ

Common questions

An OCT (optical coherence tomography) scan builds a cross-section of your retina, so we can see its layers in depth and measure their thickness — rather than only viewing the surface. Our scanner captures a retinal photograph at the same time, so you get both from the one capture. An OCT is not part of every eye examination. We recommend one where it will add something a standard examination cannot show us — for example if you have a family history of glaucoma, an optic nerve or macula we want to look at more closely, diabetes, or a finding we are monitoring over time. If we think a scan is worthwhile, we explain why and what it costs before we do it.

No. Medicare does not provide a rebate for OCT imaging in optometry, so it is a private fee of $60. That covers the OCT scan and the retinal photograph, for both eyes — the two are taken together in a single capture and are never charged separately. This is separate from your consultation, and it does not affect the Medicare rebate on your examination. We always quote the $60 before going ahead.

No referral is needed to see an optometrist. You can book directly with us. If during your examination we identify something that requires specialist ophthalmology care, we will refer you appropriately and provide a detailed clinical summary for the specialist.