What To Expect During Your Visit
The following will help you better understand what a typical visit will be like. Please remember that visits are very thorough and your visit can take up to 6-8 hours. We suggest bringing a snack and a lunch as the day can be very busy with various diagnostic tests. If you have not done so already, please make sure you fill out all the proper information before your visit. This is very important.
A Typical Office Visit
Check-in
When you arrive at our office please sign in. If you have not filled out your forms, please return to the new patient or established patient page to complete your medical history information prior to your visit.
Vision Testing
Your vision will be checked upon arrival. If you wear glasses please be sure to bring them with you. The technician will then dilate both of your eyes or, depending on what part of the eye is being monitored by the doctor, they may need to wait until after your photographs are taken.
Photography
Digital photographs with various types of cameras will be taken to document the specified eye condition. Be aware that documentation usually includes both eyes. Please note that this may happen before or after your initial examination.
Special cameras will document various parts of the eye:
Fundus Camera – Magnified photographs of the retina.
OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) – Scan to see the layers of the retina.
IVFA (Intravenous Fluorescein Angiography) – Dye test for the retinal vessels.
ICG (Indocyanine Green Angiography) – Dye test for the choroidal vessels.
Special cameras will document the front of the eye including:
Slit Lamp Camera – Magnified photographs of the anterior portion of the eye.
OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) – Cross-sectional scan of the front structures of the eye.
External Photographs – Photographs taken with a traditional camera.
Ultrasound
Posterior ultrasound documents the back of the eye.
Anterior ultrasound documents the front of the eye.
Examination
During your examination a technician will perform the initial interview, gathering all patient history. Next, a fellow doctor will perform the examination. A staff doctor will then confirm the examination. They will then review their findings with you and compose a letter, which will be sent to your referring doctor.
Counseling
The doctor will counsel the patient at each visit regarding the eye condition. Special patient counselors will guide the patient for upcoming treatments.
Office Treatments
Lasers
-Laser photocoagulation can be used to treat leaking blood vessels in the retina.
-Photodynamic therapy is used to treat tumors.
-Transpupillary therapy is used to treat melanoma.
Injections
There are important medicines that can be injected into the eye to protect sight or to resolve eye problems.
Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy is used to treat conjunctival or retinal problems.