Dr Thompson took over in 1998 from Ferdinand Walzer who was preceded by Jack Stewart.
He married Kylie in 1999 and together they implemented new equipment, improved services and technologies to now boast an unrivalled service offering in the area.
Dr Thompson achieved the Young Australian of the Year NSW regional initiative award shortly after relocating the business to Wellington Plaza and renaming it Deniliquin Eyecare, and he was the first optometrist in NSW granted the privilege of prescribing S4 drugs for the eye, alongside GPs in 2004.
He said full scope primary eyecare with honest advice on what you need is what has contributed to his longevity providing motivation for the team to come to work and help. This covers glasses, contact lenses or tertiary referral advice.
Dr Thompson invested in OCT technology in 2010 upgrading to a swept source OCT last year, the only one of its kind within optometry regionally enabling advanced disease detection even through cataracts and blood.
A contact lens technique called Ortho-K has also been particularly satisfying for the business and suitable patients alike recently, as it rivals laser eye surgery as a means to correct mild to moderate levels of myopia with the added benefit of stopping progression. Daily disposable multifocal contacts have also increasingly found some life changing benefits.
Dr Geoff Demare was welcomed to the local practice in 2017 as a highly trained optometrist graduating from Melbourne University with his post-grad Science in Canada to optometry and is now an integral part of the business, which has continued to expand its services especially in the specialised contact lens field.
After completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Manitoba in 2013, Dr Demare said he ‘Googled’ countries outside Canada that offered postgraduate degrees. The first result was the University of Melbourne.
Dr Demare has brought his wife Jess and welcomed healthy twin daughters Dottie and Lucy to Deni since taking up his post at Deniliquin Eyecare.
Both optometrists are especially passionate about preventing glaucoma.
Glaucoma is a group of diseases in which vision is progressively lost due to damage to the optic nerve. This optic nerve damage can lead to blindness. Blindness now happens far less frequently due to better treatment methods and improved monitoring equipment for glaucoma.
Vision loss in glaucoma occurs to peripheral or side vision but can lead to tunnel vision in advanced cases. These vision losses are usually gradual but may also occur quickly.
Since everyone’s two eyes work together to see our world, sufferers are not able to catch this disease in its early stages. This means trained optometrists must do the looking for you.
Dr Thompson and Dr Demare’s recommendation is that people have a comprehensive eye test every two to three years between the ages of 25-40, every one to two years for ages 40-65, and yearly for ages 65 and over. Early detection and treatment are critical to prevent or slow further optic nerve damage.
Glaucoma can be detected with a routine eye exam but is best done with an OCT.
Deniliquin Eyecare has recently upgraded their OCT to be state-of-the-art with swept source capture technology enabling more detailed and accurate scans of the retina through cataracts and in most cases undilated pupils.
Deniliquin Eyecare has been using OCT technology for over seven years detecting and treating countless locals with glaucoma and maculae disease.
For more information or appointments, contact Deniliquin Eyecare on 58811525.
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