Diagnostic testing in children

Regular visits to an ophthalmologist are as important as necessary vaccinations and regular pediatric examinations. Unfortunately, quick examinations by an oculist at a polyclinic, kindergarten or school are not always able to provide a full picture of the state of a child’s eyes. One is lucky if he has no problems with eyesight but this does not mean that his child will enjoy 100% vision. On the other hand, myopia of one of the parents may have no effect on the state of a child’s eyesight. It is a wise thing to abandon all doubt and see a specialist.

The outdated method of measuring acuity of vision with help of a special table hanging on the wall may be something of the past century but is still used at polyclinics, kindergartens, and educational establishments. If a doctor fails to identify a disorder in the course of such an examination, in most cases it may put an end to medical attention although the picture is not absolutely clear. It should be borne in mind that the index of 1 for vision acuity is not an absolute value. Actually, the child may suffer from latent myopia which inevitably requires treatment or hyperopia which in some cases requires glasses correction.

The Excimer KIDS Eye Clinic offers diagnostic testing of the visual system, consultations of ophthalmologists which allow most comprehensive evaluation of a child’s vision and, if necessary, effective treatment for the child on an individual basis. In order to ensure complete and precise examination, use the achievements of modern ophthalmology.

Diagnostic instruments of the last generation used in the examination of children at the Excimer KIDS Eye Clinic are fully computerized. This ensures high precision of examination data.

It should be noted that children’s diagnostics is always an intricate affair. In contrast to an adult, a child does not always follow the prescriptions of the doctor; quite often the child fails to explain current sensations and is unable to provide direct answers to questions. For this reason, the instruments for children’s diagnostics in most cases are made so as to ensure that the results of diagnostics do not depend on the correct actions of the child.

It is also important to note that all the diagnostic manipulations at the Excimer KIDS Eye Clinic are performed using the non-contact methods. Such a high level of diagnostics may be offered only by few clinics. If any disorder is found in the course of diagnostics of the child, the doctors prescribe all the necessary medical procedures and will monitor the state of the child’s vision.

Refraction measurement in the course of up-to-date diagnostics is performed with help of an autorefractometer. Due to its high cost in the past, it was used only in adult ophthalmology. Today we have special children’s autorefractometers which do not demand precise fixation of the eyes by the child and follow their movements automatically. The instrument measures refraction not only of the entire optical system, but also individually of the cornea (one of the natural lens of the eye). This is very important in case of astigmatism.

The IOL-Master instrument is used to measure the length of the eyeball. This parameter allows clarifying the causes of many refraction disorders. In case of myopia, the eye is often extended, while in case of hyperopia, on the contrary, the eye is shortened.

This new generation IOL-Master makes it possible to measure simultaneously the length of the eye, the curvature of the cornea, and the depth of the anterior chamber. The IOL-Master is indispensable for examination of small patients suffering from myopia.

The IOL-Master ensures “sparing” diagnostics which causes no discomfort to the child. Another feature of this instrument is that it does not require that the child maintains precise fixation .This is a non-stress method with a minimum of light load. Special attention is devoted to checking the binocular functions of the eyes. It goes not only for strabismus but also for the binocularity of the eye (i.e. the ability to create a single image of what each eye sees individually). There are other fine parameters, e.g. the depth of field. An incorrect functioning of the visual system deteriorates the quality of sight. Disorders of delicate binocular functions demand urgent restoration treatment.

Contemporary methods of medical examination require pupils to be dilated. The new generation medications are used to dilate pupil, in contrast to atropine, they are harmless and easily endured by the patients. In most cases, within an hour after application the pupil narrows and the child sees normally. Even if a need for a more detailed diagnostics arises, the doctors of the Excimer KIDS Eye Clinic require not more than three days of examination.

The Excimer KIDS Eye Clinic holds diagnostics as the first and major stage of any treatment. The specialists of the Excimer KIDS Eye Clinic are able to discover an eye disorder at its earliest stage and to begin treatment before it has greater impact on the visual functions. Without comprehensive diagnostic testing, it is not possible to identify the disorder, its causes, and to outline a relevant therapeutic procedure.