Your first visit will be a long one and may include some
photographic procedures. Your initial appointment can last from
forty-five minutes to up to two hours. Follow-up visits generally take
less time. Please allow enough time for each visit.
Please remember it is necessary to dilate your pupils to have a retinal
evaluation, therefore we prefer that you have someone who can transport
you after the appointment. You also will need to have dark sunglasses to
protect your eyes against the bright Arizona sunlight for your return
trip home.
Our goals are to precisely define the nature of your eye problem and to
initiate treatment promptly, whether it be medical or surgical. In
addition to an eye examination, special testing may be required to
determine your diagnosis and prognosis. The tests may be arranged either
before your examination (based on information received from your
referring doctor) or after your examination. We have found it beneficial
for most patients to complete their examination and testing on a single
day. For some, it may be necessary to return on another day for
completion of the evaluation. In all cases we attempt to make
arrangements as convenient as possible.
Although a final opinion may not be possible until all test results are
analyzed, your physician will discuss the available findings with you as
soon as they are available to him. Later, following careful study,
reports will be forwarded to your personal physician.
This web site has been prepared to provide medical and financial
information to assist you during your initial examination in our office
as well as while you are under our care. Our physicians and staff will
strive to make your visit productive and pleasant. Please let us know if
you need any special assistance.
If you do not speak English, we suggest you travel with a companion who
can act as a translator.
Medical Interview and Preliminary Procedures
Before being interviewed by a nurse or ophthalmic technician you will be
asked to complete a form outlining your medical and ocular history. You
will be questioned regarding your visual symptoms and the treatments,
medical or surgical, you have received. We are also interested in your
general health, including any operations or medical treatments both past
and present. Answers to the following two questions will be particularly
important. Does your family have a history of eye or general medical
disorders? Do you have any allergies, especially to medications?
Please bring your glasses and/or contact lenses with you so that your
vision can be measured with them in place. After receiving anesthetic
drops, the pressure within your eyes will be measured. This is a
painless test for glaucoma. A second set of drops will be given to
dilate (widen) your pupils. Dilation is necessary for a complete
examination of the inside of your eyes. Your pupils will require up to
30 minutes to dilate.
Since your pupils may remain dilated for a full day after your visit, we
recommend that you bring sunglasses to reduce your sensitivity to light.
Your ability to read will be temporarily decreased. Although distance
vision is usually undisturbed, it is advised to have someone else drive
you home.
Your Eye Examination
When you meet your physician, he will review with you all the medical
information in your record, and may ask you to clarify certain points
about your medical history. You will be asked to lie back for your
examination and the room lights will be dimmed. An instrument called an
indirect ophthalmoscope will be used to examine the back of your eyes.
The physician's findings are sometimes summarized in a sketch drawn
during your examination.
After your physician has examined your eyes, he will discuss the
findings with you. In some cases, further testing may be necessary to
clarify your diagnosis and determine what treatment is needed.
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