How long does a retinal examination take? | Retinal Exam

How long does a retinal examination take?

Before an examination of the retina, eye drops are often administered to dilate the pupil. This is to ensure that the retina can be examined better. It takes about 15 to 30 minutes for these to take effect.

The examination of the retina itself only takes a few minutes. Depending on the method used, the examination may vary slightly in time. Since the eye drops often work longer, you should not drive a car afterwards, since the widely dripped eye is dazzled more quickly, since the pupil cannot narrow.

Can an examination be performed without pupil dilation?

An examination of the retina without pupil dilating eye drops is usually not useful, because the ophthalmologist can only see the back of the eye well with wide pupils. However, in patients with glaucoma, the eyes must not be dripped with pupil-dilating eye drops, as there is a risk of glaucoma.

Structure and function of the retina

The eyeball consists of several structures. The wall includes all the “skins” that surround the inside of the eye. The vitreous body, the iris etc.

belong to the interior. The eye consists of the conjunctiva, cornea, sclera, lens and iris. The retina, together with the choroid and the vitreous body, belong to the posterior segment of the eye.

It lies directly on the choroid and is therefore the innermost of all layers. The retina is, like the optic nerve, an advanced part of the brain. It consists of various nerve cells.

These are divided into several layers and contain about 130 million sensory cells. There are two types of sensory cells: Rods are responsible for black and white vision and cones are responsible for color vision. These sensory cells have a certain distribution: the cones are mainly located centrally in the retina, while the rods are more peripheral.

The largest number of cones is located in the so-called Fova centralis (central depression), which is centrally located in the middle of the retina. The captured signals of the rods and cones are transmitted via several nerve cells to the optic nerve and from there to the brain. There are no sensory or nerve cells at the point where the optic nerve exits the retina and the eye.

It creates the blind spot in the visual field. If you look at the retina (see below for method) you can see characteristic features and structures: In the middle is the fovea centralis and further outwards the exit of the optic nerve. The pupil has a peripheral wall and a normal central depression.

This is also where the vessels enter the eye (retina and choroid).The vessels of the choroid are also visible because they shimmer through the retina. Noticeable are the missing vessels in the fovea centralis. Rods are responsible for black and white vision and cones for color vision.

These sensory cells show a certain distribution: the cones are mainly located centrally in the retina, while the rods are more peripheral. The largest number of cones is located in the so-called Fova centralis (central depression), which is centrally located in the middle of the retina. The captured signals of the rods and cones are transmitted via several nerve cells to the optic nerve and from there to the brain.

There are no sensory or nerve cells at the point where the optic nerve exits the retina and the eye. It creates the blind spot in the visual field. If you look at the retina (see below for method) you can see characteristic features and structures: In the middle is the fovea centralis and further outwards the exit of the optic nerve.

The pupil has a peripheral wall and a normal central depression. This is also where the vessels enter the eye (retina and choroid). The vessels of the choroid are also visible because they shimmer through the retina. Noticeable are the missing vessels in the fovea centralis.

• Rods and
• Cone.
• Optic nerve (nervus opticus)
• Cornea
• Lens
• Anterior eye chamber
• Ciliary muscle
• Glass body
• Retina (retina)