FAQs

This is a section that answers the most common questions. If you need any further help, please give Fillmore Eye Clinic a call today to schedule an appointment.

A: When you come to your appointment plan to spend approximately two hours for the complete eye exam. When you arrive you will be asked to sign in, and new patients will need to complete some paperwork. You should bring your current insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, and/or VISION Louisiana card with you for every office visit. Please notify us at the time of your appointment if there has been any change in your insurance coverage since your last appointment. You should also bring any prescription medications you are currently taking because certain medications can affect your vision and the results of any diagnostic tests we perform. Follow-up appointments should not require as much time.

A: Ophthalmologists provides comprehensive eye care, including medical, surgical and optical care. They must complete four years of premedical college, four years of medical school, one year internship and three years of medical and surgical training in eye care.

Optometrists are different from ophthalmologists. Optometrists are specifically educated in an accredited optometry college for four years, but they do not attend medical school. Optometrists may diagnose eye conditions; however, they are usually not licensed to perform surgical eye treatment procedures.

A: A physician referral is not necessary in order to schedule an appointment at The Eye Clinic unless it is required by your insurance or managed care plan. It is the patient’s responsibility to obtain any required referrals from your primary care physician prior to your scheduled appointment time.

It is also the patient’s responsibility to notify us about any pre-certification or referral authorizations required by your insurance plan for surgical procedures.

A: As a courtesy, we will file your medical insurance for you. You will be expected to pay any deductibles or co-pay amounts at the time of your office visit, as well as the $40 fee for refractions. Insurance companies do not cover cost of refractions, which are tests used to determine your eye’s refractive error and the corrective lens prescription you require.

A: Our physicians are on-call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for emergencies. They also provide emergency ophthalmology coverage for area hospitals. In case of an emergency, call our main office at 1-800-323-4764 or contact your nearest Emergency Room.

A: The American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that the first vision screening be conducted for a newborn prior to being discharged from the hospital. Visual function will be monitored by your child’s pediatrician during well-child exams (usually at two, four and six months of age). If there are any signs of an eye condition, your child may be referred to an ophthalmologist. Beginning at three years of age (and yearly after five years of age), amblyopia (poor vision in an otherwise normal appearing eye), refractive and alignment screenings should take place. If you notice any signs of decreased vision or misalignment of the eye, please contact your ophthalmologist for a complete eye examination.

A: Adult examinations of the eyes should be performed on a regular basis.

  • Young adults (ages 20 – 39) should have their eyes examined every three-five years.
  • Adults ages (ages 40 – 64) should have their eyes examined every two-four years.
  • Seniors (over 65 years of age) should have their eyes examined every one-two years.

High risk adults include:

  • People with diabetes
  • People with glaucoma or strong family history of glaucoma
  • People with AIDS/HIV

A: Yes, poor vision can be directly related to your family’s history of eye health. It is important to see an ophthalmologist at the first sign of poor vision.

A: No, there is no evidence that working at a computer can damage the eyes. However, low light, glare on the monitor, or staring at a computer screen too long can cause the eyes to become fatigued. It is recommended to take frequent breaks to allow your eyes to rest.

A: Wearing UV protective lenses can be beneficial in protecting your eyes from cataract formation. Surprisingly, clear UV coated lenses may offer more protection than darker lenses because they allow the eyes to be exposed to more light causing the pupil to constrict more, which ultimately prevents more light from entering into the eye.

A: Research has shown that eating carrots will provide you with a small amount of vitamin A, which is beneficial for good vision. Other food items that contain Vitamin A include: milk, cheese, egg yolk and broccoli.

A: You need to be over 21 years of age and your glasses or contact lens prescription should not have changed in the last year. If your eyes are still changing from year to year, you should not have the procedure until the cornea is stable.

A: Since both eyes are usually treated during the same appointment, you will be in the surgery room for approximately 30 minutes. Once you are in the laser room, your eye will be cleaned and prepared for surgery. The surgery itself usually takes only 5 minutes or so per eye.

A: For most procedures, both eyes will be corrected on the same day.

A: Laser vision correction is considered to be permanent. However, your eyes can still change as you age, which may cause a need for glasses or contacts or additional vision correction procedures in the future. As people age, they develop presbyopia and begin to need reading glasses. If you are over 35, you might want to consider monovision.

A: Following a PRK, patients may experience some clarity in their vision within a day or so after the procedure. However, it’s normal for vision to fluctuate in focus for the first couple of weeks, and vision should improve significantly by one month.

A: Mild twitching of the eyelid is a common phenomenon. Although these involuntary contractions of muscles are annoying, they are almost always temporary and completely harmless. The medical name for this kind of twitching is ocular myokymia. It is quite common and most often associated with fatigue. When your eye is twitching, it is not visible to anyone else.

A: Ophthalmologists often are asked what causes the twitching and what can be done to stop it. Lack of sleep, too much caffeine or increased stress seem to be root causes. Often, gently massaging your eye will relieve the symptoms. Usually, the twitch will disappear after catching up on your sleep.

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