Eye Disease Caught Early Changes Everything
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Approximately 60% of Our Care Is Medical Eye Care
At Focus Vision, medical eye care is not a side offering - it is the core of what we do. Approximately 60% of the care provided by Dr. Kevin Cottrell and Dr. Alexa Gutierrez is medical optometry. That means diagnosing, monitoring, and managing conditions like glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and macular disease is routine here, not occasional.
To support that work, we use advanced diagnostic technology at every medical visit, including OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography), Optomap ultra-widefield retinal imaging, and Visual Field Analysis. You also see the same eye doctors at every visit, so changes in your eye health are tracked over time by people who know your history.
Eye Disease Monitoring With Optomap® and OCT
Catching eye disease early often means the difference between preserving your vision and losing it permanently. Most serious eye conditions, including glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and macular degeneration, cause little to no symptoms in their early stages. The right imaging technology is what allows us to find problems before they reach that point.
OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) produces a detailed cross-section of your retina and optic nerve, letting us measure tissue thickness and detect subtle structural changes over time. Optomap ultra-widefield retinal imaging captures up to 82% of your retina in a single scan, far more than a standard dilated eye exam.
Together, these tools give us a comprehensive picture of your retinal and optic nerve health at every visit, and a documented baseline to compare against in future appointments.
Same Doctors. Documented History. Every Appointment.
Managing eye disease is not something that happens at a single visit. It requires tracking changes over months and years, comparing this year's optic nerve images to last year's, noting shifts in intraocular pressure, and watching for early retinal changes in a patient with diabetes.
Because you see Dr. Cottrell or Dr. Gutierrez at every appointment, that longitudinal picture is always in the hands of someone who knows your eyes. That continuity is one of the most important things we offer patients with chronic eye conditions.
Yes. Optometrists are trained to diagnose and monitor glaucoma, and it is a routine part of care at Focus Vision. Dr. Cottrell and Dr. Gutierrez use intraocular pressure testing, OCT imaging of the optic nerve, and visual field analysis to track glaucoma progression over time. Because approximately 60% of our care is medical optometry, we monitor glaucoma regularly—not occasionally. If surgical intervention becomes necessary, we will coordinate a referral to a trusted ophthalmologist.
Most patients with diabetes should have a dilated eye exam once a year, even if your vision feels fine. Diabetic retinopathy develops silently; damage to the blood vessels in your retina can be well underway before you notice any change in your sight. Annual monitoring is the only reliable way to catch early changes and take action before they affect your vision.
Glaucoma is often called the silent thief of sight because it typically causes no noticeable symptoms in its early stages. The first sign is usually peripheral (side) vision loss, but by the time that becomes noticeable, significant and irreversible damage has already occurred. Regular eye exams that include intraocular pressure measurement and optic nerve evaluation are the only reliable way to detect glaucoma early, before meaningful vision loss begins.
Yes. Visits related to medical eye conditions - such as glaucoma monitoring, diabetic eye exams, eye infections, and eye inflammation are billed through your medical insurance, not your vision plan. Focus Vision accepts most major medical insurance plans. Call us at (303) 651-2020, and we will help you confirm your coverage before your appointment.
Glaucoma Diagnosis & Management
Diabetic Eye Exams
Macular Health & Retinal Evaluations
Macular degeneration and other retinal conditions can quietly steal your central vision over time. Using Optomap retinal imaging, we capture up to 82% of your retina in a single scan, giving us a wide view that a standard dilated exam cannot match. Regular retinal evaluations allow us to monitor macular health and catch early signs of disease when options are still available.
Eye Infections, Red Eye, & Urgent Concerns
Red eyes, eye infections, inflammation, and foreign bodies in the eye should not be left unaddressed. Focus Vision provides evaluation and treatment for eye infections, pink eye, uveitis, and foreign body removal. Same-day appointments are available when possible—call (303) 651-2020 as early in the day as you can.
Eye Conditions We Diagnose and Monitor
Our doctors provide diagnosis, monitoring, and ongoing management for a wide range of medical eye conditions, including:
- Glaucoma
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Hypertensive retinopathy
- Macular degeneration
- Retinal disease
- Eye infections and pink eye
- Eye inflammation and uveitis
- Foreign body in the eye
- Urgent and same-day eye concerns
Schedule a Medical Eye Exam in Longmont
If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, hypertension, glaucoma, or another condition that affects your eyes, or if it has been more than a year since your last eye exam, this is the right time to schedule. Call us at (303) 651-2020 or book online. We are open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 1630 Hover Street, Suite A, Longmont, CO 80501. Same-day appointments for urgent concerns are available when possible.