You can maximize your experience at the Low Vision Center by carefully filling out the questionnaire that is sent to you before your appointment. It is important that you think about what specific tasks or goals you would like to accomplish. This will help the doctor tailor the examination to your particular needs. You can bring a specific example of something you would like to see, such as a book, picture or magazine, or something you use in your work or hobbies. If you did not receive a questionnaire in the mail, you can download one on our "Office Policies and Forms" page. Also, please bring any eyeglasses and magnifying glasses with you to your appointment.

The doctor will start by reviewing your history, and discussing your goals for the evaluation. He or she will want to see your current glasses, as well as any magnifying glasses or vision aids you have, even if you do not feel they help you.

The doctor will measure your visual acuity on each eye. In a low vision evaluation, the acuity may be measured on a special chart that has many levels of acuity, even if you can usually only see the "Big E."

The doctor will then check to see if your vision can be improved at all by changing your eyeglasses. This is called the refraction. This may be done using an instrument called the phoroptor, or by using a trial frame and loose hand-held lenses. Even if the vision can not be fully corrected, many low vision patients benefit from an up-to-date eyeglass prescription.

Next, the doctor will do tests to determine the level of magnification that will help you the most, and will ask you to try several magnifiers or other vision aids. During this part of the evaluation, you will be asked to give feedback (positive and negative) on the different devices you are trying. This helps the doctor determine which will be most practical for you. The doctor will then be able to recommend low vision aids that will help you accomplish your specific goals.

Although the doctor will want to examine the health of your eyes, you will most likely not need to have your eyes dilated or get eye drops at this visit. You should expect that your low vision evaluation will last approximately 60 to 90 minutes. In some cases, devices can be prescribed at the initial visit; in other cases, one or more follow up visits may be required.