This is done on some patients so that the doctor may get a better look into a patient’s eye. With this test, drops are put into the eye (sorry but they may sting a little) and the patient must wait about 15 – 30 minutes.  During this time the pupil (the “black hole” in the center of the iris, the colored ring in the eye) will open up or dilate.

Once the patient is ready, the doctor will use a special lenses and a headset to see much more of the eye than with the hand-held instrument. Once the test is done the patient is often light sensitive (photophobic), they will have a tough time reading, and they may be disoriented for up to 4 to 6 hours. Therefore most patients schedule this test for when they are with someone else who is driving, when they have no other plans, and in the late afternoon or evening.

It is best to prepare for this test by clearing one’s schedule, because it may be difficult to do much more than sleep or rest after a DFE.  We do not perform this test on all patients, but we recommend it highly for those who have had recent severe head or eye trauma, who are taking certain medications which could affect the eyes, those with high myopia (very near-sighted), who have certain diseases (such as diabetes) or have a family history of certain diseases or eye conditions (for example, sickle cell anemia, tay sachs, or retinal detachments).  We will always inform you of the need to do this test, and ask your permission to perform it before we pull out the dilating drops.