On the day of your visit

Please ensure you bring the following to your appointment:

  • Your referral letter from your GP or Optometrist.
  • Your Medicare Card
  • These cards if applicable: Private Health insurance Card / Veteran Affairs Card/ Pension or Concession Card
  • Your current glasses
  • If you are a contact lens wearer, then your contact lens case & solution to remove your contact lens  (however it is best to wear glasses & avoid wearing contact lens on the day of your appointment)
  • A list of your current medications
  • Sunglasses (to help with your light sensitivity if dilating drops are instilled in  your eyes).

What to expect during my appointment:

Please allow up to two hours for your complete visit. We pride ourselves on running relatively on time with minimal wait times for our patients. Occasionally, there may be unexpected  circumstances like emergency cases and/or patients requiring more extensive/additional testing, which can contribute to a slightly increased wait time. 

On arrival

Important: Please arrive on time to your scheduled appointment. 

When you first arrive at Hills Eye Surgery, the receptionist will ask for a current referral letter & you will need to provide information such as: your contact details, your GPs contact details, if you have private health insurance or a concession card.
Testing by the Orthoptist

You will first be seen by an Orthoptist, before you see the Ophthalmologist. An Orthoptist is a university-trained allied healthcare professional who performs all the necessary diagnostic examinations, depending on your symptoms and/or condition. The Orthoptist will take a medical history from you and use this to decide which tests are needed. These tests/ examinations are needed in order for the Ophthalmologist to be able to correctly diagnose & manage any ocular conditions which you may have.
Dilating Drops

It is very likely that you will need to have dilating drops instilled at your visit. 

Dilating drops allow the pupil (the central black hole in your eye) to enlarge. It is usually instilled by the Orthoptist as the final step before you see the Ophthalmologist. This is needed in order for the Ophthalmologist to examine the back of your eye. Once the dilating drops are instilled it will take 10 - 15 minutes before the pupils are fully dilated. Once dilated your vision will be blurry & you will be light sensitive, especially when outdoors in natural lighting. The intensity of blurry vision /light sensitivity varies from each patient, with some patients experiencing only slightly blurred vision, while others can experience marked blurred vision. The effects of this usually last 1 - 2 hours. In some patients it can last a lot longer, even the entire day (this is not common). Your  vision will return to normal, usually within a few hours although the exact time does vary between each patient.
Consultation by the Ophthalmologist

An Ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who has gained further specialist training in disorders of the eye. During your consultation, the Ophthalmologist will go over the relevant parts of your medical history, examine your eyes and review the test results. Most of the time a diagnosis will be given at this point, with a treatment plan discussed. Occasionally further tests may be required.
After your consultation

You may need to make another appointment at the reception desk or be discharged, where no follow-up checks are needed.
Important:

Due to the likely possibility of having dilating drops instilled, it is a good idea if someone can accompany you to your visit & for them to drive you home. Otherwise you may need to wait some time before you are able to drive back home yourself. Also consider parking time restrictions if you choose to wait before you drive home yourself.