Axial Length Monitoring
Did you know myopia happens because the eye grows too long? I measure this myself, in-house.
Axial length is the distance from the front surface of the cornea to the retina at the back of the eye. It matters because myopia happens when the eyeball grows too long, which carries real risk of irreversible vision loss.
As an optometrist with a keen interest in myopia management, I've been measuring axial length for years. Early in my career I referred patients to the Centre for Eye Health at UNSW, or to a local ophthalmology clinic, for this. Now that I have my own practice, I've invested in my own equipment so I can measure it myself, within seconds, at the same appointment.
Why does it matter?
As the eye grows longer, the retina stretches and weakens. A normal human eyeball is around 23.3mm long, but myopic patients can reach 26mm or more, which puts the eye at much greater lifelong risk of retinal detachment, glaucoma, retinal tears, and myopic macular degeneration.
Measuring axial length, alongside your refraction, age, vision, and retinal health, lets me determine an individual's risk of associated disease, predict the risk of myopia developing, and evaluate whether a myopia management treatment is actually working, not just whether the prescription number has changed.
How often should it be reviewed?
What does the measurement involve?
I use a Nidek AL-Scan machine. You look at a red light, I focus the machine, it makes a few noises, and the measurement is taken within seconds for each eye. That's it.
Let's take care of your eyes!
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No referral needed. Medicare rebates apply.