What do you need to know?
The basic ophthalmological examination comprises a series of procedures, starting with the discussion with the ophthalmologist, the recommendation and interpretation of specialist investigations and the final diagnosis, together with the medical letter. The basic examination can be of several types, depending on the purpose of the appointment:
- Routine examination: visual acuity, chromatic sense, ocular tonometry, fundus.
- Emergency examination: the patient is admitted on an emergency basis, without an appointment
- Foreign object examination: the patient is anesthetized with drops to remove the foreign object. Does not require visual acuity or fundus until one week after the eye heals.
- Examination for surgery: regardless of the surgery chosen, a basic examination must be performed and then a series of investigations which differ according to the type of surgery:
- For cataract surgery – retinal CT, optic nerve CT, topography as appropriate, biometry, ultrasound as appropriate, endothelial cell count as appropriate.
- For Excimer Laser surgery – retinal tomography, topography, pachymetry, epithelial mapping
- For retinal surgery (Vitrectomy/ Retinal Detachment / ILM peeling ) – ultrasound, retinal tomography, biometry as appropriate.
We recommend that you respect your appointment time to avoid any possible delays in the schedule.
Necessary documents and preparation for the examination
- minor patients under 14 years – birth certificate
- minor patients, aged 14-18 years – identity card
- adult patients – identity card or passport
Also, if you wear glasses, please bring them for measurements, together with their envelope or prescription.
Many patients wonder why ID is needed. Because the patient record is a medical-legal document, ID is used to verify the data on the record if you are already our patient, or to fill in a new record.
It is recommended that ladies do not use make-up products before the examination.
Because of the dilating drops that are put in the eyes, the effect of blurred vision occurs, so it is not recommended to drive your car. Blurred vision can persist for up to 3 hours.
What are the symptoms that indicate an ophthalmological emergency?
- sudden loss of vision with or without recovery (total or partial)
- bright rainbow-colored circles around light sources
- distortion of the outline of objects
- loss/narrowing of visual field
- lightning flashes or “flying” flies appearing suddenly in large numbers
- trauma to the head and/or eye area
- sudden appearance of a black spot/curtain
- intense eye and orbital pain, dilated pupil, red eye
- red, itchy, irritated eyes, local itching, swollen eyelids, discharges
- chemical burns
- ocular/intraocular foreign objects
When is an ophthalmological examination recommended?
- any time you notice decreased visual acuity, or experience a symptom listed above
- when parents are glasses wearers (myopia, hypermetropia, astigmatism) children should have an annual ophthalmological examination to diagnose and treat the refractive error early on
- around the age of 40-45 years, near distance fatigue occurs when reading. This is called presbyopia, which makes us need near vision glasses.
- once every 2 years until the age of 60
- annually after the age of 60
Emergency examinations
At our clinics, emergency examinations are carried out during office hours (M-F 9 – 18, Sat 10 – 14). Priority is given to patients who already have an appointment, but if you have an emergency, please call the clinic phone numbers first to make sure a doctor is available. The colleagues at reception desk will let you know the next steps to benefit of an emergency examination.
Optometric examinations (to determine diopters)
The optometric examination, to determine the diopters, can be done without an appointment, although it is recommended to call the optics you wish to consult beforehand. The optometric examination is carried out by an optometrist, and at the end of the examination a prescription for glasses can be issued. Optometric examinations are free if glasses are ordered in our network.
Services settled by National Health Insurance House
Our patients benefit from free ophthalmological examination at Dr. Holhoș clinics in Cluj Napoca, Alba Iulia and Mediaș, with a referral note from the family doctor, settled by National Health Insurance House. The number of free examinations depends on the level of the monthly threshold provided by National Health Insurance House. Specialist ophthalmological examinations will be performed by the doctors listed below, at the telephone numbers shown.
- Cluj Napoca Clinic – 0377702882 – dr. Țicle Alexandra
- Alba Iulia Clinic – 0358104654 – dr. Creț Claudia
- Mediaș Clinic – 0369422543 – dr. Czika Alexandra