New Patient Information

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Please print out and complete the following forms prior to your visit if wish. We also provide copies in the office to fill out prior to the consultations. All new patients need to be accompanied by a legal guardian or parent throughout the exam. 

Please call our office (909) 931-9675 for appointment and have your insurance info ready.

We do not accept VSP or any other vision-only insurance plans.  

When making an appointment, we need to collect a lot of information- please have those ready for smooth processing. We will ask for the following: 

• Name, birth date, and address of patient and parent's info
• Name of insurance and if it is an HMO or PPO or other
• Referral Authorization and medical notes if any
• Phone number where parent(s) can be reached and an alternate number

PLAN ENOUGH TIME

When planning your appointment, please allow adequate time for a comprehensive eye exam. Due to the nature of pediatric ophthalmology, this will be a minimum of 4 hours in addition to any other diagnostic tests the doctor may deem necessary. We do an in depth comprehensive exam.  Many of our patients have developmental or special needs or have emergent or rare conditions. WE TREAT EVERY CHILD AS THE UNIQUE AND SPECIAL INDIVIDUAL  THEY ARE.  OUR EXAMS OUR THOUROUGH AND DEDICATED TO GIVING THE NEEDED CARE TO EACH AND EVERY CHILD.THIS OFTEN REQUIRES SEEING MORE THAN ONE DOCTOR OR REQUIRING ADDITONAL TESTS. 

PREPARE FOR DILATION

Dilation is necessary for a thorough evaluation of your child’s eyes. Dilation may cause vision to become blurry and lights will appear brighter than usual. We suggest you bring sunglasses to your appointment. The length of dilation effects are highly variable but are usually gone by the evening or next morning.

WHAT TO BRING

• Current eye glasses 
• Current insurance card + Parents/Legal Guardian ID card
• Written referral from your primary care physicians if required by insurance
• Payment for any co-payments or deductibles
• List of current medications, including eye drops, vitamins and over-the-counter medications
• Someone to drive you home if you are also the driver and your eyes are being dilated

All patients must have a complete history and physical (H&P) by their primary medical doctor or pediatrician so that all appropriate precautions can be taken. Some additional testing may be necessary as deemed by the pediatrician or ophthalmologist. You will need to check into the hospital early on the morning of surgery. Patients need to have nothing to eat or drink after midnight the night before surgery. Small children and infants may be allowed clear liquids up to three hours before surgery only if approved by the anesthesiologist. Surgery is generally done under general anesthesia. An IV is usually put in once the child is already asleep. Expect to stay at the hospital most of the day. 

Surgery may involve both eyes or just one. The extraocular muscles are on the outside of the eyeball and are taken off and resewn to a new location to tighten or weaken the muscle. No laser surgery is used and the eyes are not removed from the orbit. There are no cuts made to the skin. Surgery typically lasts one to two hours. Sutures dissolve on their own in strabismus surgery and need to be removed in eyelid surgery. 

Pain is minimal and most children are back to full energy in 24-48 hours. The eyes may be red for 2-3 weeks and occasionally months. The risk of eye surgery is minimal, but please discuss your specific procedure with your ophthalmologist for a more thorough explanation. 

Pain is minimal and most children are back to full energy in 24-48 hours. The eyes may be red for 2-3 weeks and occasionally months, and sometimes the white part will look like yellow jelly after a few weeks, this is normal.   

Please make sure the patient: 

1. Clean lashes as needed with saline water / sterile eyewash and clean wash cloth or gauze. 

2. No shower or other unclean water in the eye area for 5 days.

3. No swimming for two weeks.

4. Apply these 2 rules to any activity that you are planning for the next 2 weeks:

•        Do not get anything in the eye(s)
•        Do not let the eye(s) get hit with anything.

The risk of eye surgery is minimal, but please discuss your specific procedure with your ophthalmologist for a more thorough explanation. 

The child can resume most activities the next day, but should avoid dirty or dusty environments or very heavy lifting and no swimming for two weeks.  They may bathe, but should keep water out of their eyes.

San Antonio Community Hospital
999 San Bernardino Rd.
Upland, CA 91786
Main: (909) 985-2811
Pre-registering: Business services (909) 920-4702
Pre-op (phone interview) (909) 579-6888