Raise your glasses – Ivan Cammack Optometrists celebrates its 40th anniversary

40 years of listening to your eyes

Four decades of helping maintain healthy eyes with Ivan Cammack Independent Opticians.

When Ivan Cammack started the practice in Thame in 1986, computers in the workplace were still something of a novelty.

Ivan was quick to see their potential – although he’d also heard that using one could be bad for your back. Rather unfortunately, the simple act of bending down to plug in his first PC resulted in a trip to the chiropractor the very next day!

And computers weren’t the only thing that looked very different back then.

An eye examination in 1986 involved a simple letter chart that never changed – meaning particularly dedicated patients could theoretically memorize it – a black screen and a wand to assess peripheral vision, and a special torch which allowed the optician to examine the back of your eyes while you practically touched noses.

Clinical notes? Paper and pen.
Cameras? Not one in sight.

Thankfully, quite a lot has changed in 40 years.

Today’s eye examination can tell us an extraordinary amount about not only how well you can see, but the health of your eyes too.

Optometrist Kate Kellett has worked at Ivan R Cammack Opticians for more than 25 years and has watched that transformation happen.

“When I started, Ivan’s practice was already much more advanced than where I had worked before, with a computer on every desk and peripheral vision testing machines in every consulting room,” recalls Kate. “Ivan continued to invest in new technology as it came out – and it was a steep learning curve!”

Retinal photography arrived in 2008, allowing us to record incredibly detailed images of the back of the eye and compare them over time. The old “puff of air” eye-pressure test was replaced by a much gentler method in 2011 – something we’re sure plenty of patients were very pleased about!

Then came OCT scanning, allowing us to look beneath the surface of the retina and helping us detect signs of
conditions such as glaucoma and macular degeneration earlier. For some of our long-standing patients, we can now compare scans going all the way back to 2012.

Today, technology allows us to do even more.

We can investigate the causes of those frustrating dry, irritated or watery eyes. We can accurately measure children’s eyes to help manage myopia and give them the best possible chance of healthy vision throughout their lives. And our latest DNEye scanner gives us even more information about the structure of the eye, helping us assess glaucoma risk, analyse cataracts and create glasses individually matched to your eyes for exceptionally sharp vision.

But after 40 years of extraordinary advances, there’s one part of an eye examination that we don’t ever want
technology to replace: the conversation.

Exceptional eye care isn’t simply about having the latest scanner.

It’s about taking the time to ask how you’ve been.

Listening when you say something doesn’t feel quite right. Understanding how you use your eyes at work, at home and doing the things you love. And knowing you well enough to notice when something has changed.

That’s what Ivan believed when he opened the practice in Thame 40 years ago, and it’s still at the heart of what we do today.

The equipment may be almost unrecognisable from that first consulting room in 1986, but our determination to listen to our patients and help them make the very best of their amazing gift of sight hasn’t changed at all.

Has it been a while since your last eye examination?

Why not come and see just how much an eye exam has changed?

Whether you’ve been coming to Ivan R Cammack Opticians for decades or have never stepped through our door before, we’d love to welcome you.

Here’s to the next 40 years of looking after your eyes.

Ivan R Cammack (Thame)
T. 01844 212048
E. info@ivancammack.com

Thame: (01844) 212048
Chinnor (01844) 351564
Wendover (01296) 625892

You can read more articles like this one in the latest edition of Thame Out.