The Eye Clinic4 min read
If you've been to an eye specialist recently, there's a good chance you've had an OCT scan — even if no one explained the name. It's one of the most useful tools in modern eye care. Here's what it is, in plain English.
What OCT actually is
OCT stands for optical coherence tomography. It's a scan that uses light — not radiation or X-rays — to build a highly detailed, cross-section picture of the layers inside your eye, especially the retina and the macula at the back.
Think of it like an ultrasound made of light: it shows structures we simply can't see in the same detail with a standard eye examination.
What it feels like
Nothing, really — that's the beauty of it. You rest your chin on a support and look at a target while the machine scans your eye in a few seconds. Nothing touches your eye, there are no needles, and it doesn't hurt.
For some scans your pupils may be dilated first so we can capture a wider view, but the scan itself is completely painless.
What an OCT scan shows
Because it reveals the retina layer by layer, OCT helps Dr Leong detect and monitor a range of conditions early — often before they'd cause obvious symptoms. It's central to assessing macular degeneration, diabetic eye disease, macular holes and epiretinal membranes, glaucoma, and swelling of the retina.
It's also brilliant for tracking change over time. By comparing today's scan with an earlier one, we can see whether a condition is stable, improving or progressing — which guides whether and when to treat.
Why it matters for your care
A lot of sight-threatening conditions are quiet in their early stages. OCT lets us find subtle changes early, explain them to you with the actual images on screen, and make treatment decisions based on real detail rather than guesswork.
At The Eye Clinic it's part of how we take the time to get things right. If you'd like an assessment, call us on 04 470 7663.