According to a 2018 Pop-up Poll by Women In Optometry, nearly 96 percent of the respondents said they have made at least one life-saving or sight-saving diagnosis during a routine exam. Optometrists go into work expecting to see common conditions and perform routine exams most days. But one day, when Nanette Brisbane, OD, went to her practice in Spokane Valley, Washington, she was met with something unusual: a patient with a choroidal melanoma; a cancer developing in the choroid in the back of the eye. Her stomach sank. “I didn’t want to tell anyone this,” she says. “Ultimately, I discussed what I suspected and said we needed further testing.” Dr. Brisbane was able to expedite the patient to a retina specialist who confirmed the original diagnosis and sent the patient to Seattle for further treatment. “The patient contacted me and said their doctor said, ‘I can’t believe this was found during a routine eye exam; this saved your life.'” Read More