The retina is the inner posterior lining of the eye that contains the photoreceptor nerve cells that give us vision. The vitreous is a jelly-like substance that fills the middle eye. When a person is experiencing retina or vitreous problems, they may notice floaters and flashes, decreased vision, blurred or distorted vision or they may have no symptoms at all. Currently, diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration are the leading causes of blindness in the United States. A retinal specialist may be consulted to provide optimal care of such conditions.
The retina faculty physicians and staff at the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Eye Institute are committed to providing innovative, specialized diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders affecting the retina, vitreous and macula. Our retina physicians are board-certified and fellowship-trained. They provide the latest medical and surgical treatment for diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration and many other retinal conditions, including: retinal detachments, intraocular tumors, hereditary ocular diseases and posterior uveitis.
The Eye Institute retina faculty physicians provide state-of –the-art care and are experienced in the following treatments, including:
- Intravitreal pharmacologic injections and laser therapy for the treatment of wet macular degeneration.
- Treatments of retinal vascular occlusions.
- Laser treatment and vitrectomy surgery for diabetic retinopathy.
- Vitrectomy surgery for macular puckers and macular holes.
- Intravitreal pharmacologic injections for macular edema. Advanced vitreoretinal surgery for retinal detachment repair.
- Treatment of retinopathy of prematurity.
- Radioactive plaque therapy for intraocular melanomas and other tumors.
- Surgery for posterior segment trauma.
- Diagnosis and management of retinoblastomas.
The Eye Institute’s Imaging Center offers a full range of state-of-the-art technology to assist in diagnosis and management of retinal and vitreous diseases, including:
- Digital fundus photography
- Digital fluorescein angiography.
- Fundus autofluorescence imaging
- High resolution, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT)
- A and B-Scan Ultrasound ICG (indocyanine green) angiography
- Multifocal and full field electrophysiology
The Eye Institute is a well-recognized teaching and research institute. We are proud to participate in the training of future physicians, ophthalmologists and retinal specialists.
Eye Institute retinal faculty physicians also participate in many important national clinical trials that allow them to be on the forefront of new treatments for many retinal diseases. Retina faculty physicians have participated in important landmark clinical trials related to the treatment of age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and retina vein occlusions, among many others.
The Eye Institute is also at the forefront of ocular imaging research and is one of the few centers in the world to use adaptive optics ophthalmoscopy to image the retina. This instrument allows for unprecedented views of living retinal photoreceptors in the human eye that is improving our understanding and treatment of retinal diseases.
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Understanding Your Vision and Medical Insurance
Routine Vision Exam
A routine vision exam usually covers:
- A vision screening
- An eye exam
- A refraction (the test used to determine your glasses prescription)
- A prescription for glasses
Contact Lenses
If you wear contact lenses, there may be an extra fee for a contact lens fitting. Coverage for this varies by plan, so please check with your vision insurance provider.
If a Medical Issue Is Found During Your Exam
During your eye exam, your doctor may identify a medical condition such as dry eye, an eye infection, diabetes-related changes, or another issue that requires medical care.
If this happens, your doctor may recommend one of the following options:
- Return for a separate medical visit.
- The medical visit would be billed to your medical insurance.
- Your routine vision exam would remain billed to your vision insurance.
- This is necessary because vision and medical insurance cannot both be billed on the same day.
- Address the medical issue during the current appointment.
- The current appointment would be billed to your medical insurance instead of your vision insurance.
- You would return another day for the routine vision exam, which would be billed to vision insurance.
- Please note that refraction (the test used to determine your glasses prescription) is not covered by medical insurance.
Your doctor will help you choose the option that best meets your individual care needs.
Questions About Costs
For an estimate of your out-of-pocket cost, please call Patient Financial Services at 414-777-0539. Please note, Medicare and most medical insurance plans do not cover refraction. The refraction service will be billed to you.
