Jennifer Mathews: Janet Tobin thought her vision was fine until she had her annual eye exam.
With Janet's left eye covered, this is what she saw with her right eye.
Janet Tobin: I wonder, really, what is going on?
Jennifer Mathews: Janet was diagnosed with pre-retinal membrane or a wrinkle over her retina. She would need surgery to fix it, but first, she underwent a new test called optical coherence tomography or OCT.
Dr. Dana Deupree: We've never really seen layers of the retina in a real, live human.
Jennifer Mathews: Dr. Dana Deupree says the test uses light waves to reveal specific layers of the retina.
Dr. Dana Deupree: We can use it to compare and see if our therapy is effective and plan surgical strategies without really creating any discomfort for the patient.
Jennifer Mathews: For example, in this scan, it's clear the patient suffers from a macular hole. All of this information is gathered in about 40 seconds with the new scan. It's also easy on the patient.
Janet Tobin: My interpretation of it is there's nothing to it. You put your head up there and one, two, three, it's done.
Jennifer Mathews: For Janet, it gave her peace of mind before heading into surgery.
Janet Tobin: Much more relaxed, and you know, that he knows and is able to know more with this machine.
Jennifer Mathews: Today, she is on the road to recovery with her vision improving each day. This is Jennifer Mathews reporting.
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