First visit to Eye Department: for adults David Kinshuck |
Bring with you |
| At the first visit please bring your spectacles (near and distance), a fresh sample (for adults) of urine with you, and the information the doctor or nurse need as below. |
On arrival |
| Register at the desk |
Clinic nurse |
When you see
the clinic nurse your blood pressure will be taken and you will be asked
about your medical details:
Writing down all this information at home before your visit can save your time, and help to prevent other medical problems. |
The doctor |
| You may be
examined by more than one doctor, and occasionally an optometrist or medical
student. The doctors may discuss your condition with each other: do not
be concerned.
You may see the consultant or another doctor in the team. |
The Examination |
| The doctor will make a note about
your problems, and examine the front of the eye with a slit lamp, a type
of microscope with a bright light.
The doctor will take the pressure of your eyes (if nurse has not already done so). To do this some anaesthetic eye drops are put in your eyes. They sting for 20 seconds and make the front of the eye numb. Then a probe touches the front of the eye (with a blue light) and takes the eye pressure. Often the doctor needs to examine the back of the eye, and will need to dilate your pupils as below. |
Dilating your pupils |
In the clinic many patients will have eye drops put in to make the pupil of the eye bigger so the back of the eye may be examined. These make your sight blurred, and is generally best not to drive. The drops take 20 minutes to work, so will be asked to leave the examination room and will be called in later. |
What is wrong |
| The doctor will tell you what is
wrong with your eyes. A letter is then sent to your GP over the next 1
- 4 weeks, explaining all the findings to your GP.
Most people forget a lot of what the doctor says, so if you do forget ask your GP when the letter reaches him/her. If your condition is on-going such as glaucoma, or requires an operation like cataracts, you will need further visits, and you will be told more about your condition (especially if you ask when you come again: write down all your questions at home in case you forget when you arrive). |
| The address of this site ('org' changing to 'nhs') is changing from http://www.goodhope.org.uk/departments/eyedept/ to http://www.goodhope.nhs.uk/departments/eyedept/ |
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