|
What is ophthalmology?
Ophthalmology is the medical specialty concerned with the diseases and surgery of the eye. An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who has completed medical school plus three years of ophthalmology residence training. As eye physicians and surgeons, we evaluate you for such diseases as cataracts, glaucoma, crossed eyes, diabetes, high blood pressure, and many other eye disorders.
Return to top
What can I expect when I get a complete exam?
Your complete eye examination will evaluate the health of your eyes. It will include a thorough microscopic examination of the eyelids, cornea, and the interior of the eye. Everyone is checked for glaucoma, cataracts, crossed eyes and other eye disorders. Drops may be given to dilate the pupils so that we may perform a detailed examination of the retina and optic nerve.
Since drops may blur vision temporarily, we recommend that someone accompany you to help with driving.
Professional Ophthalmic assistants and technicians will participate in gathering information about your eyes, but all information will be reviewed and interpreted by your doctor. At the end of the examination your doctor will discuss the results with you and your family, answering your questions fully. We request that you call us and reschedule an appointment, after your initial visit, for exploring your problems if you remain confused, puzzled or anxious.
Your ophthalmologist may decide that additional tests are needed. These may include blood tests, specialized x-rays, photography, fluorescein angiography, visual fields, or ultrasound examinations. We offer a broad range of such sophisticated diagnostic tests directly through our office.
Return to top
How early should I schedule an appointment for my child?
It is never too early for a child’s first eye examination. An ophthalmologist can even examine a newborn infant’s eyes. If an eye problem is noted or if there is a family history of amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus (crossed eyes) or hereditary eye disease, then the child should be seen when very young. We prefer to examine infants and young children early in the day when they are more alert and cooperative.
Return to top
When can I reach a person at the office?
Office hours at Bohn and Joseph Eye Center are from 8:00 a.m. to
4:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Friday, except for
holidays. At all other times, emergency eye care is available as soon as possible.
Return to top
What is the best way for me to schedule my appointment?
Appointments may be scheduled by calling 1-800-543-3798 or (337) 981-6430 or filling out our online appointment form for routine appointments. All patients are seen by appointment only except in cases of emergencies. Routine visits may be arranged a month or more in advance.
Please inform the secretary if you have reason to believe a condition such as cataract, glaucoma, crossed eyes or diabetes is causing problems, since problems have priority. Please also indicate whether you wear contact lenses or desire contact lens fitting. Because the examination process is complex and may involve waiting for eye drops to act, your complete examination may require are least two hours.
Emergency problems will be handled as quickly as possible. Although we allow time for unexpected emergencies, it is very difficult to anticipate all emergencies. Also, some routine visits may be unexpectedly prolonged due to unforeseen conditions requiring extra time and attention. For these and other reasons, our schedule may occasionally run late. We ask for your understanding if you are inconvenienced because of such a delay.
Return to top
What do I do if I can’t make my appointment?
Should you be unable to keep a scheduled appointment, please inform our office at least 24 hours ahead so that we may give your appointment to another patient. Rarely, emergency surgery may require us to reschedule your appointment.
Return to top
How do I pay for my visit?
We recognize the need for a definite understanding between the patient and doctor regarding financial arrangements for medical and surgical care. The patient is responsible for payment of all fees. Any financial benefits that you receive from your insurance carriers are matters of settlement solely between you and the insurance companies involved. Please know what your insurance policy covers. You may call your insurance company’s customer service number, located on the back of your card, with questions about your benefits. If you have difficulty filling out your medical insurance forms, we will gladly help. Our professional insurance and financial counselors are always available to assist you in any way. However, the responsibility for payment remains with you. Since the billing process is a very expensive one, we ask that routine office fees be paid at the time services are rendered. We are sensitive to special situations that make payment at the time of service difficult and are willing to make special arrangements in such cases.
Check our Participating Insurance carrier list.
Return to top
Is my information protected?
We at Bohn and Joseph Eye Center do our best to insure the privacy of our online visitors. Information gathered is voluntarily submitted by the patient and is used only to complete the task indicated by the form. We ask only for the information absolutely necessary to insure a competent assessment of your needs. Any information gathered is not transferred to third parties except as medically or legally necessary. As these policies may change at any time, please check this page periodically for updates. We are committed to protecting any information transmitted through this website, although confidentiality of information on the Internet cannot be guaranteed. Potential risks to users’ privacy exist due to technology allowing some persons or organizations to be able to gain access to protected materials without permission. We cannot be held responsible for the content or privacy policies of any links found on this website. Please refer to our Privacy Policy to further review our privacy practices.
Return to top
|
