The way in which the test unfolds depends upon the type of funduscopy being performed:

• Direct funduscopy. Eye drops may be administered to dilate (widen) the pupil (the opening in the iris, which is the colored part of the eye) just before testing. Patients sit in a darkened room and are asked to stare straight ahead at a distant spot. A beam of light from a funduscope is projected through the pupil, allowing the physician to see the back of the eye’s interior. A clicking sound will be audible as the scope is being adjusted, and the bright light may cause the patient to see after-images.
  
  This examination takes just a few minutes. During the exam, the physician will move very close to the patient’s face. Patients should do their best to hold their eyes steady without blinking. Direct funduscopy examines the central retina.
  
  
• Slit-lamp funduscopy. Eye drops are administered to dilate the pupil just before testing. The patient remains seated at the same instrument used to examine the front part of the eye. A separate lens is held close to the eye, allowing the physician to view the fundus (back of the inner eye). This technique provides a stereoscopic view that is much wider than the view afforded by direct funduscopy.
  
  
• Indirect funduscopy. In some but not all cases, eye drops are administered to dilate the eye just prior to testing. The patient either lies down or is seated in a reclining position. The physician wears an instrument on the head that resembles a miner’s light. The physician holds open the patient’s eyelids and shines a bright light into it. A small, blunt instrument is sometimes used to apply pressure to the eye, and the patient is asked to look in various directions. This helps bring the front portion of the fundus into view.
  
  The light in this test is more intense than with direct funduscopy, so after-images are even more likely. The patient’s vision will seem dark and/or unusually colorful following the test. The test takes more time than the others (five to 10 minutes), but it also allows the physician to see the entire retina.

If the exam reveals a problem, the physician may recommend additional testing, regular monitoring, medication such as prescription eye drops, or procedures such as photocoagulation or vitrectomy.

Dilation of the eyes may impair the patient’s ability to visually focus for up to a few hours and will make the eyes very sensitive to light. Patients may be advised not to drive after the test. People should wear sunglasses when outside in the hours after testing.