Prepare for Your Eye Exam

Your appointment allows your eye doctor to evaluate your overall eye health, answer your questions, and recommend next steps if applicable. Whether you are scheduled for a routine vision exam or a comprehensive medical eye exam, please come prepared for the possibility that your eyes may be dilated.

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How to Prepare for Your Appointment graphic featuring a Southwestern Eye Center team member assisting an older patient at a slit-lamp eye exam.
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Appointment Checklist

Use this quick checklist 1–3 days before your visit. If you need to reschedule or cancel your appointment, please kindly give us at least 24 hours’ notice to avoid cancellation or no-show fees.

Confirm appointment: Check your text messages and/or email for any appt reminders.

Complete any forms in advance if you received a preregistration link or are using the patient portal.

Bring your vision insurance card and your medical insurance card (if you have both).

If you are a new patient, please bring any prior eye care records, especially if you have a history of eye disease, surgery, specialty care, or ongoing treatment.

Write down your medications, vitamins, and supplements. A simple list is fine.

Bring your glasses and/or contact lenses, along with your current prescription if you have it.

Plan for possible dilation. Bring sunglasses and consider arranging a driver.

Arrive 10–15 minutes early to check in at the kiosk or complete any additional paperwork.

Due to testing and dilation, plan for about 1–2 hours for your visit. Feel free to bring something to read or do while you are here.

Plan Ahead for Possible Dilation

Close up of an eye free from early-onset cataracts from treatment from Southwestern EYe Center.

Whether you are scheduled for a routine vision exam or a medical eye visit, please arrive prepared for the possibility that your doctor may recommend dilation. Not every appointment requires it, but the need for a closer look is not always clear until your doctor reviews your symptoms, medical history, vision changes, eye pressure, and initial exam findings. Dilation gives your doctor a better view of the inside of your eye, including the retina and optic nerve, and can help identify concerns that may not cause noticeable symptoms early on.

Dilation uses eye drops to temporarily widen your pupils. For several hours afterward, you may experience blurry near vision, difficulty focusing on small print, and increased sensitivity to sunlight or glare. Bring sunglasses to wear after your visit, and consider arranging a ride home or having a backup transportation plan available. Some patients feel comfortable driving after dilation, but you should not drive if your vision feels blurry, unsafe, or uncomfortable.

Specialized Medical Eye Exams

For the following eye exams, your eye doctor will typically recommend dilation and additional testing. Please allow extra time for your appointment, bring sunglasses, and plan for the possibility that your vision may be temporarily blurry or light-sensitive afterward.

Cataract Evaluation

If you are scheduled for a cataract evaluation, please prepare for your eyes to be dilated to check the health of your retina and other parts of your eye. Your visit may include vision testing, a review of symptoms such as glare or trouble driving at night, an eye pressure check, and a slit-lamp examination.

Glaucoma Evaluation

If you are scheduled for a glaucoma evaluation, please prepare for your eyes to be dilated to look for changes that can affect the optic nerve and peripheral vision. Because glaucoma may not cause noticeable symptoms, testing is especially important for patients with elevated eye pressure, a family history of glaucoma, or other risk factors.

Diabetic Eye Exam

If you are scheduled for a diabetic eye exam, please prepare for your eyes to be dilated to examine the retina and optic nerve for signs of diabetic retinopathy, swelling, bleeding, or other eye concerns. Retinal imaging or optical coherence tomography may also be recommended when a closer look is needed.

Insurance Cards: Vision vs. Medical

Bringing the right insurance cards helps our team verify your benefits, file your claim correctly, and reduce delays or billing surprises. Different types of eye care are billed differently. We recommend bringing both your vision and medical insurance cards, especially if this is your first visit.

If you are scheduled for a routine eye exam with an Optometrist, please bring your vision insurance card. Vision benefits are typically used for routine exams, glasses prescriptions, and contact lens fittings.

If your appointment is for anything other than a routine vision exam, please bring your medical insurance card. Medical insurance is generally needed for visits related to eye disease, symptoms, specialty testing, emergency eye concerns, diabetic eye exams, glaucoma evaluations, eye pressure checks, cataracts, retina care, surgery consultations, or follow-up care for a medical eye condition.

Important Billing Note

Please be aware that medical insurance and vision benefits cannot be billed for the same appointment. If you require both a medical eye evaluation and a refraction (the test used to determine your glasses prescription), you may need to schedule two separate appointments. Alternatively, you may opt to pay out of pocket for the refraction portion in some cases.