Stolte Eye Center
Comprehensive eye exams
Dr. Stolte of Stolte Eye Center located in Spring Hill Florida is an ophthalmologist who also provides comprehensive eye care to his patients. Please contact our office to schedule your evaluation.
Dr. Stolte with over 30 years of practicing ophthalmology has the knowledge and the experience in eye care, and with a wide variety of tests and procedures at his disposal to examine your eyes and to provide the best in eye care. These tests can range from something as simple as reading an eye chart, to more complex ones, such as Goldman's visual field test or an OCT scan.
A comlpete comprehensive eye exam may take upwards of two hours, depending on the number and complexity of the tests done during your visit. Below are some of the most common tests you may encounter during a comprehensive eye exam at Stolte Eye Center:
Visual acuity test
One of the first and most widely used tests performed during a comprehensive eye exam is a visual acuity test which measures the sharpness of your vision. the test can either be performed in a form of the basic hand-held acuity chart the near vision, or by using more advanced equipment that projects the eye chart to measure your distance acuity.
Cover test
While there are many ways Dr. Stolte can check how your eyes work together, the cover test is the most commonly used, and the simplest one. During this test, he will ask you to focus on a small object in distance and will cover your eyes one at a time alternately while you stare at the object. The same test is then repeated while you are looking at an object near. The purpose of this test is to assess whether the uncovered eye needs to move to pick up the object the patients are focusing on, which would indicate strabismus (condition in which the two eyes fail to maintain proper alignment and work together), or less noticeable binocular vision issue that can cause the eye strain or “lazy eye” (amblyopia).
Depth perception test
Depth perception test, or stereopsis test, is a test where the ability to have normal depth perception and appreciation of the 3D objects is measured. During the test, Dr. Stolte will ask you to identify a letter (in adults) or an animal or a shape (in children) to measure depth perception and identify if your eyes are working together to identify the image.
Pupil dilation
To get a better view of the inside structure of the eye Dr. Stolte may need to use dilating drops to enlarge your pupils. These drops usually take 20 – 30 minutes to work. After the application of dilating drops, you will be sensitive to light and your vision will be blurry when looking at objects up close. Once the drops take effect Dr. Stolte will use the slit lamp alongside with some other instruments to look inside of your eye. Pupil dilation during the eye exam is important with patients with risk factors for diseases like glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, cataract, macular degeneration an others. After the exam you should use sunglasses or a disposable pair will be given to you to help with the light sensitivity.
Refraction test
This test is the main test to determine your exact eyeglass prescription. Please be aware that most insurance plans do not cover this test for a routine annual eye exam, unless medically necessary. During this test, Dr. Stolte uses phoropter which he places in front of your eyes and shows you are a series of lens choices, given a choice of two asking which of the two is a clearer choice. Depending on your answers he will adjust the lens power until reaching the final eyeglass prescription. The refraction test determines your level of nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), astigmatism and presbyopia.
Slit lamp exam
A slit lamp is a high magnification binocular microscope that Dr. Stolte uses to examine the structures of your eye. during the slit lamp exam, he will ask you to place your head on a chin rest on the front of the microscope and Dr. Stolte will start by examining your eyelids, cornea, conjunctiva, iris and the lens. He will then proceed to use a hand-held lens, using the slit lamp, Dr. Stolte will examine eye structures deeper inside the eye, such as retina, macula and optic nerve to diagnose a wide range of conditions and diseases like cataract, glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, etc.
Visual field test
With some conditions, Dr. Stolte may need to know if the peripheral vision was affected by a suspected disease, or if any blind spots are present in the field of vision, which can occur with patients affected by glaucoma.