Basic examination
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, color 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 examination until one week after eye heals.
- Examination for surgery: regardless of the surgery chosen, a basic examination must be carried out and then a series of investigations which differ depending on the type of operation:
- 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 map
- For retinal surgery (Vitrectomy/ Retinal detachment/ ILM peeling) – ultrasound, retinal tomography, biometry as appropriate.
We recommend that you observe your scheduled appointment to avoid a possible gap of schedule.
Necessary documents and preparation for the examination
- patients under 14 years – birth certificate
- minor patients aged 14-18 – identity card
- adult patients – identity card or passport
Also, if you wear glasses, please bring them along with the envelope or prescription, for measuring.
Many patients wonder why they need ID. As 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.
Post operative control
What do you need to know?
Post-operative controls are carried out at predetermined intervals after surgery. Cataract post-operative control – is performed at 45 days after surgery, and includes visual acuity, ocular tonometry and fundus. Excimer Laser post-operative control – is performed at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year and includes visual acuity, ocular tonometry and fundus. Vitrectomy/ Retinal Detachment/ ILM Peel post-operative control – is performed at 45 days after surgery, and includes visual acuity, ocular tonometry, fundus and retinal CT or ultrasound (as appropriate). Post-treatment control – is performed according to the doctor’s recommendations and the type of treatment, and is communicated after its completion.
Pediatric examination
What do you need to know?
Pediatric examinations are aimed at all age groups, from newborn to 18 years. There are specific methods and high-performance equipment appropriate to the child’s age and level of cooperation. For young children, refraction (diopters) are determined remotely using the PLUSOPTIX device, which provides highly accurate data on the child’s possible refractive errors. This way you can find out from the age of an infant whether your child will need to wear glasses for good vision. The examination can detect various disorders that can lead to poor vision over time if treatment is not given or is delayed:
- refractive errors
- amblyopia
- strabismus
- congenital cataracts
- congenital glaucoma
- retinal disorders
- infections and inflammations of the eye
- eyelid abnormalities
VTS System for Amblyopia
Amblyopia is an ophthalmological condition that begins in childhood, on a pathological background of strabismus or refractive errors and can affect one or both eyes. It is also known as the “lazy eye”. During the first years of life, children’s sight develops steadily. The eye learns to adjust the acuity (sharpness) of vision, learns the sense of depth and distance, and learns the correct and parallel alignment of the eyeballs (eyes). Normal binocular vision is formed. If a genetic or pathogenic vision defect occurs, for example when the child looks with one eye forward and the other in the other direction, strabismus sets in. This must be treated from the earliest symptoms in order to achieve the best possible recovery. If strabismus is not corrected in time, amblyopia develops. Amblyopia may also be associated with the presence of other factors such as: refractive errors (myopia, hypermetropia, astigmatism); corneal, lens or vitreous disorders; cataracts or corneal leukomas, etc. Amblyopia is a condition in which vision is permanently impaired. In children with healthy vision, signals from both eyes are sent to the brain. When a child has strabismus, one eye, looking in a different direction from the other, will send faulty, delayed or even no signals to the brain. Thus, the brain is no longer able to superimpose the two images received at different times, or in different axes from the eyeballs (eyes), and sooner or later, the activity of the affected eye will diminish. Basically, the affected eye considers itself overloaded and refuses to send signals to the brain. Hence the name “lazy eye”.
Symptoms:
- Closing an eye when looking at something
- Abnormal head movements
- Decreased vision (easier to address this with older children)
- Crossed eyes
- Repeated and more frequent blinking may indicate an adaptive overload of vision
You can do an exercise to highlight a possible symptom: cover the left eye with one hand while the child is looking at the TV or drawing. Repeat this movement for the right eye. If your child shows discomfort when covering one eye, this may suggest a possible vision problem. Treatment of amblyopia is generally achieved by forcing the eye with problems to see normally. The Vision Therapy System (VTS), is the first computerized optometry device with very good results in recovering children’s vision, even 100% in those under 7 years of age. Vision therapy with the Vision Therapy System (VTS) is fun and very well tolerated by children.