Many visitors to our office are surprised to find such cutting-edge technologies on a tiny remote Pacific island. But those who know our high standards aren’t surprised at all. Marianas Eye Institute has been hailed as one of regions most advanced eye care offices. We add cutting edge technologies as they emerge, bringing you the most advanced diagnostic capabilities. Visiting doctors from Hawaii, Japan and Australia have been amazed, saying that Marianas Eye Institute is one of the most technologically advanced private offices they have seen anywhere in the world. We recognize that advancing technology is the cornerstone of improving medical care. We also recognize that technology by itself is not enough. Outstanding care also needs talented people with compassionate hearts and caring hands.
“Where Technology Meets Talent”
At Marianas Eye Institute we are blessed to have exceptionally talented and caring people on our staff. By putting the newest and most advanced technologies into their hands, we ensure that we give you and your families the highest quality of care.
The advanced technologies include instruments that precisely measure every structure of the eye, as well as various types of visual function to make sure you are receiving outstanding care.
Electronic Medical Records
At the core of our technologies is our “paperless” computerized medical record system. Our system allows us instant and secure access to information and test results throughout the office. With our electronic medical record, your chart is never misplaced, your records are always legible, and your exams are more efficient. The benefits to you are more accurate and more efficient care.
Ocular Coherence Technology (“OCT”)
We are pleased to offer revolutionary new eye scan technology to diagnose a wide range of eye problems. At Marianas Eye Institute we use innovative technology called “Ocular Coherence Tomography” or Stratus OCT™ to produce highly detailed images of the retina, the innermost layer of the interior of the eye. Stratus OCT is the first and only instrument that can “see” below the surface of the retina to examine the retinal layers.
The technology enables us to clearly see the internal structures of your eye, so your problems can be identified and treated in the best way possible. Stratus OCT is a powerful tool that helps us do more than ever before to protect your vision.
The breakthrough images of Cirrus OCT provide detailed color CAT-scan like images of the structures affected by glaucoma and other abnormalities of the retina, including diabetic eye disease, detached retina, macular holes, age-related macular degeneration, and more. Manufactured by Carl Zeiss Meditec, Cirrus OCT never touches the eye, so there’s no discomfort. It is also safe and requires only minutes to scan the eye.
OCT is considered by many to be the biggest breakthrough in eye care in decades. To have such a high tech piece of equipment in our office is another sign of our commitment to ensuring that the most up-to-date care is available to you.
Digital Retinal Camera & Fluorescein Angiography
A specially designed camera at Marianas Eye Institute allows people with retinal problems such as diabetes to better understand the status of their eyes. The Zeiss Retinal Camera allows digital pictures to be taken of the deep layers of your eye, the retina. Because the camera is digital, you can immediately see the results.
The camera is a great help to those of you with diabetes and other retinal and optic nerve problems like macular degeneration and glaucoma, because now for the first time, you can see what is going on inside your own eyes. We know that a picture is worth a thousand words, and so now instead of trying to use words alone to explain the extent of your disease, we can instantly show you a picture of the inside of your own eye, and you can see what we see. By comparing your photos over time, we can monitor changes more precisely.
The camera also has the capability to perform digital fluorescein angiography with is a special test to evaluate blood flow through the retinal blood vessels.
Digital Slit Lamp Photography
You know that gizmo that you put your chin into and that we look through to examine your eyes? That’s a special type of microscope called a “Slit Lamp”. One of our newest technologies is our digital slit lamp cameras. These cameras are attached to the slit lamps in every exam room for one simple reason. We want to be able to show you what we see. We want to help you understand your eye problems, and now with these advanced slit lamp cameras, we can take a picture and go over your findings together. They also help us precisely document the extent of various diseases so that when we check your eyes again, by comparing previous photos, together we can be certain of any changes.
Humphery & Frequency Doubling Visual Field Testing
Glaucoma, optic nerve diseases, strokes and other brain disorders can cause loss of peripheral vision. Specialized equipment is needed to detect these losses early. We use the Humphrey visual field analyzer, which is the “gold standard” in ophthalmology for visual field analysis.
With the advances in knowledge of various types of visual function, it has been discovered that another type of visual field testing, called “Frequency Doubling Testing” or FDT, can detect visual field defects earlier. At Marianas Eye Institute we quickly acquired this technology, knowing that it can help diagnose your undetected visual field problems more quickly, helping us take action to prevent serious damage.
Corneal Topography
The front surface of the eye, the “cornea”, does the majority of the work of focusing light for your eye. Small irregularities in the cornea can often go undetected unless a corneal topographer is used. Just like topographical maps of a plot of land, our computerized corneal topographer measures the elevations and curvatures of your entire cornea, and provides a detailed color contour map. The corneal topographer and its advanced software help you to get the most accurate visual correction with CRT, and also provides useful information during contact lens fitting and evaluation of corneal diseases.
Corneal Pachymetry
Scientific studies have shown that measuring the thickness of your cornea is one of the most important factors in determining your risk of glaucoma. Our corneal pachymeter is a computerized hand-held device that measures the thickness of your cornea to an accuracy within one one-thousandth of a millimeter. The pachymeter at Marianas Eye Institute is from DHG, the company that designed the same pachymeter used in the clinical trials that led to these important discoveries.
Autorefractometry
When you come to Marianas Eye Institute to get evaluated for blurred vision or to update your glasses, you will receive a state-of-the art computerized evaluation of your eye prescription with the Zeiss Autorefractor. The test takes seconds to perform and speeds up the rest of your exam by giving the doctor a starting point to begin the custom refinement of your eyeglass prescription. The Zeiss Autorefractor is among the most accurate available. It saves you time.
Telemedicine
With such advanced technologies and a fully computerized office, it is only natural that we would be active in the field of telemedicine. When we feel we need another opinion or particular expertise with interpreting unusual test results, we call upon our colleagues in various sub-specialties and in other outstanding centers around the world to review your results. At Marianas Eye Institute, we harness the power of technology to bring you the highest quality of care.