Patient Education
Your Visit
Everything you need to know before, during, and after your appointment with our retina specialists.
You will need a driver
Your eyes will be dilated at every visit. Dilation blurs your near vision and makes bright light uncomfortable for 4–6 hours. Please arrange transportation before your appointment — you cannot drive yourself home.
What to Bring
- Insurance card(s) and any required referral
- Photo ID
- Current medications list with dosages
- Eye drops or ophthalmic medications you currently use
- Medical records, imaging, or lab results related to your eyes
- Glasses or contact lenses (bring your glasses even if you wear contacts)
- Someone to drive you — your eyes will be dilated
Before Your Appointment
Verify Insurance & Referral
Contact your insurance company to confirm your coverage and determine if a referral is required from your primary care provider or eye doctor. Bring your insurance card and referral documentation to the visit.
Plan for Extra Time
New patient visits take 1.5–3 hours. Plan to spend most of this time waiting for your pupils to fully dilate. Avoid scheduling meetings or commitments immediately afterward.
During Your Visit
Check-In
Arrive 15–20 minutes early to complete check-in paperwork. Our front desk staff will verify your insurance and collect your medical history forms.
Technician Review
A trained ophthalmic technician will review your vision and medical history, measure your eye pressure, and check your visual acuity.
Pupil Dilation
Eye drops will be placed to dilate your pupils. This takes 20–30 minutes to take full effect and is necessary for a complete retinal exam.
Imaging & Testing
Specialized retinal imaging (such as OCT or retinal photography) may be performed before or after your dilated exam depending on your condition.
Physician Examination
Your retina specialist will perform a thorough dilated eye examination, review your imaging results, discuss findings, and outline your care plan.
Imaging & Testing
Depending on your condition, one or more of the following tests may be performed at your visit. These are safe, non-invasive, and take only a few minutes each.
OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography)
A painless, non-contact scan that takes detailed cross-section images of the layers of your retina. Takes about 5 minutes. No dye or needles involved.
Retinal Photography
A wide-field digital photograph of the retina used for documentation and comparison at future visits.
Fluorescein Angiography (FA)
A dye is injected into a vein in your arm. Photographs are then taken as the dye passes through the retinal blood vessels. Used to evaluate vessel leakage or occlusion.
B-Scan Ultrasound
Painless ultrasound imaging of the inside of the eye, used when the retina cannot be seen clearly through the pupil.
Insurance & Referrals
We accept most major insurance plans including Medicare, Medicaid, and most commercial insurers. Please contact our office or your insurance company before your visit to confirm your coverage.
Some insurance plans require a referral from your primary care provider or eye doctor (ophthalmologist or optometrist) before you can be seen by a specialist. Check with your plan in advance — arriving without a required referral may delay your visit or result in higher out-of-pocket costs.
Injections & Same-Day Treatments
Many retinal treatments can be performed the same day as your examination. These include:
- Intravitreal injections (anti-VEGF medications for macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and vein occlusions)
- Laser retinopexy (sealing retinal tears)
- Panretinal photocoagulation (PRP laser for diabetic retinopathy)
- Cryotherapy (freezing therapy for peripheral retinal tears)
- Photodynamic therapy (PDT)
Important: If you are likely to receive same-day treatment, you must have a driver with you. Surgical procedures (such as vitrectomy) are performed at a dedicated ambulatory surgical center and are scheduled as separate appointments.