Before your visit
A short checklist and a plain description of what happens, so nothing on the day comes as a surprise.
In brief
- Bring your glasses, earlier eye reports and a list of your medicines.
- Plan for about an hour, and longer if your eyes are dilated or scans are needed.
- If your eyes are dilated, do not plan to drive yourself home. Bring sunglasses.
- OPD hours are Monday to Saturday, 10 AM to 2 PM and 4:30 PM to 7 PM. The hospital is closed on Sunday.
What to bring
- Your current glasses, including reading glasses, even if they are old or broken. They show what power you have been using.
- Contact lenses, their case and the box or prescription, if you wear them.
- Earlier eye records: prescriptions, scan printouts, visual field reports, discharge summaries from any eye surgery, and the lens implant card if you have had cataract surgery.
- A list of all your medicines, with doses. Include eye drops, blood thinners, and tablets for diabetes, blood pressure, prostate or heart conditions. A photo of the strips on your phone is enough.
- If you have diabetes: your recent blood sugar and HbA1c reports, if you have them.
- Known allergies, especially to any drops or medicines.
- If you plan to use insurance: your insurance or TPA card, a photo identity document, and the policy details. Sending the insurer or TPA name on WhatsApp before you come lets the desk check your policy first. See insurance and cashless treatment.
- Sunglasses, for the journey home if your eyes are dilated.
- For a child: the current glasses and any earlier prescriptions, so the change in power over time can be seen.
How long a first visit takes
Plan for about an hour. The individual steps are short, but they add up, and one of them involves waiting.
| Part of the visit | What adds time |
|---|---|
| Registration, history, vision and eye pressure | Usually brief. Having your records and medicine list ready helps. |
| Dilating drops | 20 to 30 minutes for the drops to work. Some eyes need a second round. |
| Doctor's examination and discussion | Depends on what is found and how many questions you have. |
| Scans, if needed | Each scan takes minutes, but there may be a short wait for the machine. |
Keeping the rest of that half-day free of fixed commitments is sensible. If you are travelling from another city, say so when you book, so that the visit can be planned.
Dilating drops: driving, reading and screens
To examine the retina and optic nerve properly, the pupil often needs to be widened with drops. Not every visit needs this. The doctor decides after the first part of the examination.
- How it feels: the drops may sting for a few seconds. Nothing else is felt.
- How long they take: 20 to 30 minutes to work fully.
- What changes: near vision becomes blurred and lights feel bright. Distance vision is usually less affected, but it can be hazy and glare is stronger.
- How long it lasts: usually a few hours. It varies from person to person and can be longer. In children, the drops used for measuring spectacle power can last until the next day.
- Driving: do not plan to drive or ride a two-wheeler yourself until your vision is back to normal. Come with someone, or use a cab or auto.
- Reading, phone and computer: close work is difficult for those few hours. If you can, avoid scheduling detailed work straight after the visit.
- Sunlight: sunglasses make the journey home more comfortable.
Tell the staff before drops are put in if you have been told you have narrow angles or angle-closure glaucoma, if you have reacted to eye drops before, or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Who you will meet
- Reception: registers you, records your details and tells you the consultation fee.
- Optometrist: measures your vision and spectacle power and carries out the initial measurements.
- Doctor: Dr. H. Siva Mohan Reddy, MBBS, DO, DNB (Ophthalmology), examines your eyes, reads any test results and explains the findings.
- Patient counsellor: if a procedure is advised, the counsellor goes through dates, preparation, the estimate and insurance paperwork.
- Optical store staff: if you choose to have glasses made at the in-house optical store.
The visit, step by step
- Registration. Your details are taken at reception.
- History. You are asked what brings you in, about your general health, your medicines and any family history of eye disease such as glaucoma.
- Vision and spectacle power. You read a chart, and your power is measured.
- Eye pressure. The pressure inside each eye is measured. It takes seconds.
- Dilating drops, if needed. You wait while they work.
- Doctor's examination. The front of the eye is examined under magnification, and the retina and optic nerve are examined through the widened pupil.
- Tests, only if needed. If the examination raises a question, a test such as an OCT scan, a visual field test or widefield retinal imaging may be advised. The reason for each test is explained before it is done.
- Discussion. The doctor explains what was found, what it means and what the options are, including doing nothing for now where that is reasonable. This is the time to ask your questions.
- Prescription and next steps. You leave with a prescription and, where relevant, a date for review.
Questions worth writing down beforehand
- What is the name of my condition, and which eye is affected?
- What happens if I wait and watch?
- What are the options, and what are the risks and limits of each?
- When should I come back, and what should make me come sooner?
Bringing an elderly parent
There is on-site parking, and the hospital has wheelchair-accessible entry and movement inside. Bring their glasses, earlier eye records and the full medicine list. It helps if the family member who manages their medicines comes along, because the findings and the plan are explained to both of you.
Bringing a child
A child's examination follows the same steps. The drops used to measure a child's true spectacle power take longer to work and blur close vision for longer, sometimes until the next day, so homework and reading may be difficult that evening. A visit that does not fall just before an exam or a sports event is easier.
Finding the hospital
Dr. P. Siva Reddy Eye Hospital is at 3-5-886, Himayat Nagar Road, near Old MLA Quarters, beside the Kia showroom, Himayat Nagar, Hyderabad 500029. A map and directions are on the contact page. Appointments can be requested through the appointment form or by phone on 80999 50055.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a first visit take?
Plan for about an hour. If your eyes are dilated for a retina examination, the drops take 20 to 30 minutes to work, and scans add more time. Keeping the rest of that half-day free of fixed commitments is sensible.
Can I drive after my eyes are dilated?
It is sensible not to. Dilating drops blur near vision and make lights feel bright for a few hours. Come with someone who can take you home, or use a cab or auto. Bring sunglasses.
Do I need to come on an empty stomach?
No. A routine eye examination needs no fasting. Eat normally and take your usual medicines unless a doctor has told you otherwise. If you are coming for a procedure, follow the instructions you were given for that day.
Should I stop my eye drops before the visit?
No. Continue any prescribed eye drops, including glaucoma drops, as usual, and bring the bottles or a list with you.
I wear contact lenses. Should I wear them to the visit?
Bring your glasses as well as your lenses and lens case. Some measurements, such as corneal scans before laser vision correction, keratoconus assessment or lens calculations for cataract surgery, need the contact lenses to be left out for a period beforehand. Ask when you book how long applies to you.
Can I bring someone with me?
Yes. A family member is welcome and is useful if your eyes are dilated. For an elderly parent or a child, an accompanying adult is strongly advised.
Is there parking, and is the hospital wheelchair accessible?
Yes. There is on-site parking, and the hospital has wheelchair-accessible entry and movement inside. If you need help from the car, call the hospital when you arrive.
What does a consultation cost?
Fees are not published on the website. Reception will tell you the consultation fee when you call or arrive. Any test is explained to you before it is done.
Related pages
Appointments and contact
You can reach Dr. P. Siva Reddy Eye Hospital on WhatsApp or by phone during OPD hours.
OPD hours: Monday to Saturday, 10 AM to 2 PM and 4:30 PM to 7 PM. Closed on Sunday.