Specialty - Ophthalmology
Overview
Ophthalmology is the branch of medicine that is concerned with the health of eyes and their surrounding tissues including muscles, bones, eyelids, and tear production/drainage systems. Your eye is the organ of vision and consists of the cornea (the outer clear layer), the sclera (the white of the eye), the iris (the coloured part), the lens (lies behind the iris) and the retina (the light-sensitive lining at the back of the eye). Your eyes ‘see’ by focusing light that enters the eye onto the retina which sends the image to the brain by the optic nerve.
To be seen at the outpatient clinic by an eye specialist or by a nurse specialist, you will need a letter of referral to be sent to the hospital by your GP or by your optometrist. Please bring your current glasses and current eye drops with you to the clinic appointment.
Emergency patients sometimes need to be seen urgently. You will often need to be seen by several members of the team as part of your assessment and treatment. For these reasons you may be in the clinic for several hours. If you are Diabetic, please remember to bring snacks and any necessary medication with you. Please also bring any new prescribed medication with you.
As part of the examination of your eyes, you may have drops put in to your eyes to dilate the pupil so the back of the eye (retina) can be examined. The drops may cause blurred vision and light sensitivity. You will need to arrange transport home as you may be unable to drive for at least 2 hours. Wearing dark sunglasses will help reduce light sensitivity.
Consultants
| Dr Ken Adams |
Dr Mike O’Rourke |
Dr Clive Straker |
| Dr Mark Saunders |
Dr Sam Kain |
|
Referral / First Specialist Assessment
A threshold for FSA referral acceptance has been set to assist with Ministry of Health (MOH) waiting time compliance. Please refer to Ophthalmology waiting times link for further information.
Treatment List
A threshold for treatment list acceptance has been set to assist with MoH waiting time compliance. Please refer to Ophthalmology waiting times link for further information.
Contact Details
Postal: Referral Receipt Centre, BOPDHB, Private Bag 12024, Tauranga 3142
Fax: 07 578 1247
Phone: 0800 333 477