What to expected when you come in for an eye exam.

A retinal examination takes longer than most medical or general eye examinations. You could expect to be in our office for a minimum of two to three hours. When you first arrive, we’ll ask you to fill out a detailed questionnaire about your medical history. Please remember to bring the names of any medications that you are taking – as well as the name, address and phone number of all physicians involved in your care. This information is essential. It’s the only way we can make sure that we do not prescribe treatment that would conflict with your other medications. It’s also needed to coordinate your care with your medical doctors.

After you complete the questionnaire, a nurse or technician performs an initial assessment. She will obtain the history of your eye problem and check your vision and eye pressure. The next step is administering dilating eye drops to open your pupil. This allows us to see back to your retina. It takes about 30 minutes for the dilating drops to take full effect. That means it will be necessary for you to wait 30 minutes after dilation before you see the doctor.

Examining the retina requires very bright lights – the same kind of lights used by your general eye doctor. While this bright light is uncomfortable, it won’t harm the eye. When the examination is over, the doctor will discuss the findings with you. We will also send a report to your medical doctor. Your eyes will remain dilated for several hours. We strongly recommend that someone come with you to drive home, if that is possible.

Most patients who come in for a retinal examination, will need a test called a fluorescein angiogram. Most patients with diabetes and macular degeneration will require this test. For your convenience, we usually perform this test the same day – since you’re already there with your eyes dilated.

During this test, a dye is injected into a vein in your arm. We then take rapid sequence photographs of the retina. The dye shows the blood vessels in the retina in clear detail. This lets us identify abnormal or damaged blood vessels.

Many retinal problems are emergencies - eye trauma, severe eye infections, retinal detachments, retinal tears and other conditions that demand urgent attention. That’s why we try to keep our schedule flexible enough to accommodate these patients. But emergencies are unpredictable and sometimes take more time than we’ve allotted. When that happens, it may mean a longer wait for scheduled patients. If an unusual number of emergencies delay your appointment, we greatly appreciate your understanding.