Ophthalmic Examination Techniques

Come to one or stay for both! This is a pair of practical labs with the first being a one-day session on how to perform a complete ophthalmic examination, and the second being a 2-day session on ophthalmic surgical techniques. The 2 labs run over 3 consecutive days but the material in each stands alone so that you can come to either one or attend both. And the information gained will be useful in all species. We will use dogs and cats as our patients for the examination lab and cadaver pig, dog, and cat eyes for the surgical lab. However, the examination and surgical skills you will acquire will be applicable across all domestic species.

Examination Lab: The first lab is designed to improve your skills and understanding of the ophthalmic examination from front to back. We will place special emphasis on performing a high-yield ophthalmic exam using the instruments already in your clinic, choosing the best diagnostic tests, and knowing what to do in the right order. How do I flush the nasolacrimal duct? Which ophthalmoscope is better? How do I do a better fundic exam? Which patients need their intraocular pressure measured and which tonometer should I use? Which patients need fluorescein staining? Schirmer tear testing? How do I tell uveitis, conjunctivitis, and glaucoma apart?

• To perform and interpret findings from a complete neuro-ophthalmic examination (cranial nerves; responses and reflexes)

• To perform and interpret findings from a complete examination of the anterior segment (eyelids, conjunctiva, sclera, cornea, anterior chamber, iris, and lens)

• To perform and interpret findings from a complete fundic examination (vitreous, choroid, tapetum, retina, and optic nerve)

• To perform and interpret findings from common ophthalmic diagnostic tests (aqueous flare, Schirmer tear test, fluorescein stain, tearfilm breakup time, nasolacrimal flush, rebound and applanation tonometry)

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