Ophthalmology

Mission

The ophthalmology service is dedicated to providing state-of-the-art medical and surgical eye care to active duty Soldiers, retirees, and beneficiaries. We have two board eligible comprehensive ophthalmologists, one board certified pediatric ophthalmologist, and one board certified comprehensive ophthalmologist in full-time staff positions. The eye care that we provide includes the medical, surgical, and laser treatment of eye trauma, cataract, glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, and strabismus. We evaluate and treat over 14,000 eye patients and perform more than 1,000 major eye operations annually.

Screening Guidelines

Cataracts

Screenings for a cataract or following known cataracts should be performed during an optometry exam.

Diabetes

Screenings for Diabetic Retinopathy are performed annually.

• Type 1: Patients with Type 1 diabetes should have annual screenings for diabetic retinopathy beginning five years after diagnosis.
• Type 2: Patients with Type 2 diabetes should have an exam at the time of diagnosis as a routine referral to ophthalmology and annual exams thereafter.

Glaucoma

Routine glaucoma screenings are not performed by ophthalmology but should be part of a routine optometry exam.

Hypertension

Typically there is no indication for routine hypertensive retinopathy screenings.

Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

Seen upon diagnosis and typically every three months from then on depending on the age, ANA status, and joints involved. Please discuss referrals with the ophthalmologist.

Plaquenil

A baseline exam should be performed when starting the medication. We begin annual screening after five years of therapy for patients on typical doses without major risk factors. We recommend a maximum daily hydroxychloroquine dose of 5.0mg/kg real weight.

Refractive Surgery

Consults and screenings are done in the Warfighter Refractive Eye Surgery Center located on the fifth floor of the inpatient tower on the Reilly Road entrance side of the hospital.

Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP)

Infants with a birth weight of less than or equal to 1500g or gestational age of 30 weeks or less and selected infants with a birth weight between 1500 and 2000g or gestational age less than 30 weeks with an unstable clinical course, including those requiring cardiorespiratory support and who are believed by their attending pediatrician or neonatologist to be at high risk for ROP should be screened. The timing of the first exam depends on the gestational age at birth.

School Vision Screenings

Screening for children failing school physicals is typically done by the Department of Optometry.