Orthoptists

Orthoptists are specialists who diagnose and treat eye movement abnormalities and issues with binocular vision. They work with conditions such as strabismus, lazy eye, amblyopia, convergence insufficiency, diplopia/double vision, head/facial trauma, neurological vision disorders, thyroid disease.

Orthoptists undergo a specialized 3 year training program. There is no orthoptic school in New Zealand and Auckland Eye’s orthoptists usually come from Europe.

Orthoptists assess child’s vision and eye alignment. They help doctors diagnose children’s eye conditions. They may dilate the child’s eye before seeing the doctor which can take 45 minutes to work, and effect may last up to 48 hours.

• Orthoptists focus on the interaction between the eyes and the brain to create single vision.
• Optometrists assess for and treat some eye diseases and prescribe glasses and contact lenses.
• Ophthalmologists are medical doctors who specialise in eye diseases and perform eye surgery.

For a child or someone with eye movement problems, seeing an orthoptist is part of the assessment process when referred to a specialist. They evaluate vision, binocular function, eye movements and the eye-brain communication. The specialist will then determine the appropriate management which may involve glasses, prism, filters or surgery.

A paediatric appointment typically last around 1 hour and 30 minutes.

This includes a 30 minute consultation with the orthoptist, followed by the instillation of dilating drops that will take at least 30 minutes to work, and then a consultation with the specialist.

An adult appointment will last around 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours.

This includes a 1 hour consultation with the orthoptist, followed by any additional test that may be required, and the consultation with the specialist.