New Patients

New pediatric patients must visit our Bellaire office. When you arrive you will be greeted by our receptionist and asked to complete our registration paperwork.  To simplify and expedite your visit you may wish to complete your registration forms prior to your arrival.  We have provided links to our registration forms here.  

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Please bring any medical records from your referring doctor and a list of your medications and their dosages. Please also bring your identification and insurance cards so that we may bill your insurance correctly. Please plan to arrive at least 15 minutes early to help ensure your records have the important information we need.

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Your Child's Exam

You and your child's first visit may last over 3 hours due to all of the necessary services provided to establish their diagnosis. We strive to accomplish as much as possible in your child's first visit for your convenience. Subsequent visits are often significantly shorter. It is necessary to dilate your child's pupils for retinal evaluations. This will blur their vision and make them very sensitive to light. We provide disposable sunglasses to ensure that their ride home is as comfortable as possible. 

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What to expect during your child's initial visit

• The medical evaluation will begin with an ophthalmic technician who will talk with you in order to get a more detailed medical and ocular history.

• The technician will check your child's vision with an eye chart and will measure the pressure in their eyes.

• The technician will then place drops in their eyes to dilate their pupils. Dilation is a necessity for a complete examination of the retina. It takes about 30 minutes for the eyes to fully dilate, and the effects last anywhere from 2-6 hours. Your child's vision may be blurry and will return to normal once the dilation wears off. 

• One of our pediatric retina specialists will perform a thorough ophthalmologic and vitreoretinal examination. If necessary, additional diagnostic testing will be done (i.e. retinal photography, fluorescein angiography, ocular ultrasound and visual field testing)

• You and your child's doctor will decide the most appropriate course of action. Some types of treatment can be performed in our office, while others require an operation in a surgery center. 

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We will provide a school note for your child if they need to miss any school for the visit and recovery. 

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What You Should Bring

• Insurance card

• Driver's license or ID

• Your child's glasses/contacts

• List of medications and dosages

• iPad, books, portable game device.

• Snacks

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Our COVID Policies

We still ask the masks be worn and the number of visitors that come with you and your child remain limited. Click here to learn more about our COVID-19 response and the actions we have been taking since March 2020 to protect our patients and staff.

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