Your first visit
What to bring, how long it takes and what will be done. So you arrive knowing what to expect and do not have to come back for something missing.
Arriving knowing what is going to happen makes the visit shorter and far less uncomfortable. Here is everything worth being clear on before you come.
What to bring
None of this is red tape: each item changes what the specialist can tell you on the day.
- Photo ID. The patient's own. For a minor, bring the accompanying adult's ID as well.
- Your health plan card and the pre-authorisation if your plan requires one. Requirements differ from one insurer to the next, and international patients are normally seen as self-pay. If you are not sure what applies to you, message us before you travel: settling it by message beats being turned away at the front desk.
- The glasses you wear today, and your contact lenses if you use them. Even if they are old or you think they no longer help. Your current prescription says a great deal about how your vision has changed.
- A list of the medication you take. All of it, not just eye drops. Several common medicines affect eye pressure, the retina or the tear film.
- Any previous tests and prescriptions. Even from another institution and even if they are years old. They are what makes comparison possible: in glaucoma and retina, what matters is the change over time.
- Sunglasses, and someone to come with you if you can. Because of the dilating drops. Explained below.
The two that matter most are your current glasses and your previous tests. Without them some things have to be measured again, or simply cannot be compared, and that can cost you another appointment.
How long it really takes
A full eye examination is not a twenty-minute appointment, and we would rather say so beforehand than afterwards:
- Without dilating drops: around an hour.
- With dilating drops: an hour and a half to two hours.
The difference is the drops: they take 20 to 30 minutes to open the pupil, and that time cannot be shortened. It is examination time, not queue time. If you are travelling in, factor it in before you plan your journey back.
Dilating drops, explained
This is the part that most surprises first-time patients. Drops are put in to widen the pupil so the back of the eye can be seen: the retina, the macula and the optic nerve. It is painless.
What it does produce is an effect that lasts several hours:
- Blurred vision, mostly up close, for four to six hours.
- Marked sensitivity to light.
- You must not drive while the effect lasts.
That is why we ask for sunglasses and, if possible, someone with you. It is not a formality: it is the difference between leaving at ease and leaving with no way to get home.
The appointment, step by step
- Check-in. Your details and your cover are verified. Administrative matters are settled here, not afterwards.
- Optometry. How well you see is measured, with and without correction, and your prescription is taken. Eye pressure as well.
- Dilating drops, if your case needs them. Drops, then a 20 to 30 minute wait while they take effect. That wait is not an administrative delay: the eye needs that time.
- The ophthalmologist's examination. Slit-lamp examination and a look at the back of the eye, followed by an explanation of what was found.
- Tests or a follow-up appointment. If a further test is needed, you are told which one, what it is for and how it is booked.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the appointment take?
Without dilating drops, allow around an hour across check-in, optometry and ophthalmology. With dilating drops, an hour and a half to two hours, because the drops have to take effect. We would rather say so in advance: most of that time is examination, not queueing.
Why do you dilate my pupils?
Because the pupil is the only window through which the retina and the optic nerve can be seen. Undilated, only part of them is visible. It is the difference between looking at a room through the gap in the door and walking into it. In diabetes, glaucoma, high myopia and at most first visits, it is necessary.
Can I drive after the appointment?
Not if you are dilated. For four to six hours your near vision will be blurred and light will bother you a great deal. Do not drive, car or motorbike. Bring someone with you if you can, and bring sunglasses. This is the standard recommendation in ophthalmology and it is not specific to this clinic.
Can I work afterwards?
It depends what you do. If your work is screens or reading, you will get little out of those hours. If you can, keep the afternoon free.
I wear contact lenses. Should I take them out?
Yes, and it is best not to wear them for some days beforehand if your cornea is going to be measured, because the lens distorts its curvature and skews the result. If you are booked for a laser vision correction study or a topography, ask us how many days in advance to stop: it varies by lens type.
Do I need to fast?
No. An eye examination does not require it. Eat normally before you come, particularly if you are diabetic.
Do I need a referral from a general practitioner?
It depends on your plan. Some insurers require one and others do not. Check with your insurer, or message us and we will help you verify it before you travel.
I am bringing a child. Does anything change?
Yes. In children, dilation usually needs stronger drops and a longer wait, and the effect can last up to a day. Allow for a long appointment, bring something to keep them occupied and, if possible, avoid nap time.
I am bringing an older relative. What should I keep in mind?
That they will leave with blurred vision and light bothering them. Come with them, bring sunglasses, and do not let them take stairs alone on the way out.
What if I cannot make it?
Let us know in good time through your location's line or by WhatsApp. Another patient needs that slot, and releasing it early is what keeps everyone's schedule moving.
Are appointments available in English?
Yes, at all three locations, in Armenia, Pereira and Manizales. Mention it when you book so we can schedule you with the right team.
This does not wait for an appointment. Sudden loss of vision, a hard blow to the eye, a curtain or shadow covering part of your vision, a sudden shower of floaters with flashes of light, or severe eye pain with a red eye and nausea. If any of these happens, seek emergency care the same day.
Need an appointment?
We will point you to the right line for your location and tell you whether it is open right now. One step.