Frequently Asked Questions

New Patients

  • For Canadian citizens and permanent residents (except Quebec) with MSP coverage: Yes, a referral is required for initial consultation and full examinations. Referrals can be faxed to our office by an optometrist, your family doctor, or another specialist doctor.

    If you do not have MSP coverage, are not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, or are a resident of Quebec, there will be a cost associated with services provided. A referral will not be required. You may call the office directly to book an appointment.

  • We will send a confirmation of referral receipt to your referring doctor. Please ensure your contact information is correct. We will call you to schedule an appointment. Please note that this may take up to a few months, depending on urgency.

    If you have concerns about the urgency of your health issue, please inform your referring doctor so that they can update us. Urgent referrals are booked in the soonest available appointment, typically within a week. If you require medical attention earlier than this, please present to your nearest emergency department.

  • For testing-only appointments, your pupils will not be dilated and you may drive if you wish.

    For appointments to see the doctor, please bring with you:

    • BC Services Card (CareCard).

    • Current list of medications.

    • Any current prescription eye drop bottles.

    • A pair of sunglasses as your pupils may be dilated. We recommend travel by public transit or arranging a driver, as driving is not recommended after dilation. Your vision may be blurry (especially with near work) for 4-6 hours following dilation.

    • An interpreter or accompanying family member if desired or if a language barrier is present. The clinic does not provide interpreter services.

    Please be aware that your appointment may take up to 2 hours (the appointment time provided to you is your arrival time and not necessarily the time you will see the doctor).

    Please do not wear contact lenses to appointments.

  • Please call our office as soon as possible if you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment.

    Please note that form submissions online may take up to 5 business days for response, so rescheduling/ cancellation requests made online must be submitted at least 7 business days in advance.

    We have a 48-hour cancellation and no-show policy. Appointments cancelled within 48 hours, or no-shows, are subject to a $100 fee.

  • Yes, we are located on the ground floor with a handicap street front parking spot and have a wheelchair accessible exam lane.

  • No. Our ophthalmologists manage eye diseases and surgical issues and do not prescribe glasses or contact lenses. Please see your local optometrist for these services.

    WE DO NOT PRESCRIBE GLASSES.

Returning Patients

  • Pupil dilation may not be required for follow-up visits, depending on the reason for your visit. However, the doctor may decide that dilation is necessary to complete a proper follow-up assessment.

    If it has been greater than 6 months since your last visit, you will likely require dilation to complete a thorough ophthalmic assessment.

  • If you are seeing one of our ophthalmologists for ongoing care for the same ocular issue (for example: glaucoma, diabetic eye exams), you do not require a new referral if your referring doctor information has not changed.

    If you have seen one of our ophthalmologists before but now require attention for a different ocular issue, a new referral is required.

    We kindly request that you arrange a new referral if your family doctor or optometrist has changed.

  • In most cases, yes. Our ophthalmologists have access to or can request your records if you have seen them at a different clinic previously.

Cataract Surgery Patients

  • Cataracts are very common as we mature as humans. Often, they progress slowly, but some types can progress fairly rapidly. You may not need surgery yet if your vision feels adequate. You may require surgery if reduction in vision is affecting your ability to work, drive, perform daily tasks, or enjoy your usual hobbies.

    Other ocular and health conditions may impact the optimal timing for surgery. During your consultation, the surgeon will discuss with you whether surgery is recommended, or if observation for further progression is safe/appropriate.

  • If you have signed surgical consent forms in the office, then you are now on the waitlist. You will have decided with the doctor which eye is undergoing surgery first. If required, the second eye will follow a few weeks later, unless discussed otherwise with your surgeon.

    The next step is to get measurements of your eyes, and for you to select the type of intraocular lens you would like implanted. You will have a dedicated appointment for eye measurements with a lens counsellor to help guide this decision. The surgical coordinator may schedule this for you right away, or may contact you with the appointment details later.

    Once this is done, we will contact you with a surgery appointment time as soon as one is available. If there is a window of time when you are NOT available for surgery, please inform the surgical coordinator.

  • MSP covers the cost of cataract surgery and a standard monofocal intraocular lens (IOL) implant. You do not have to pay for cataract surgery.

    There are premium IOL options, which are not covered by MSP. These offer additional features to reduce (not eliminate) your reliance on glasses, such as: enhanced contrast sensitivity, astigmatism correction, increased depth of focus or multi-focality, and even adjustability to allow changes to your prescription after surgery (Light Adjustable Lens). Premium IOLs require advanced diagnostic testing for eligibility and optimum results, which come at additional cost.

    With all the technologies and offerings available, we know choosing a lens can be confusing. The most expensive lens is not necessarily the best one for you. Our surgeons and lens counsellors will help guide you toward the most suitable lens for your eyes with consideration of your ocular health, lifestyle, budget, and visual goals.

    The prices of all premium IOLs & diagnostic services, along with written guidance, will be provided to you. Some extended health benefit plans cover a portion of these costs; please refer to your individual policy plan for details.

  • These are premium intraocular lens implants that allow for fine-tuning of vision after healing from cataract surgery, using specialized UV light treatments. They allow for superior accuracy and the ability to “test drive” the vision before being “locked in,” ensuring that the lens powers match a patient’s exact visual needs. 

    Patients must wear special UV-blocking glasses during the weeks-long adjustment phase after surgery to prevent premature unintended lens changes. Patients with astigmatism, previous LASIK/laser refractive surgery, or desire to ensure satisfaction with their lens implant power may benefit from the precision of these lenses. You can learn more about LALs here.

  • Yes, you will get a prescription for medicated eye drops to begin using in the surgical eye 3 days before surgery, and to continue for 4 weeks after surgery, unless otherwise discussed with your doctor.

    You will also receive written instructions for activity limitations, what to watch for, and how to contact us in case of problems after surgery.

    Required time off work varies depending on the nature of your work. Please discuss this with your doctor.

  • Our surgeons operate in various facilities and you will receive confirmation of where your surgery will take place when the surgical coordinator contacts you for booking:

    • VGH Eye Care Centre (Dr. Mustafa)

    • Mount St Joseph Hospital (Dr. Qiao)

    • LASIK MD, downtown Vancouver (Dr. Qiao)

  • Unless otherwise discussed with your surgeon, you should generally plan to see your optometrist 6 weeks after surgery of your second eye, to update your refraction and get new glasses if required.

Other Surgical Patients

  • If you have signed surgical consent forms in the office, then you are now on the waitlist. The surgical coordinator will be in touch when a date is available and provide you with further instructions on: location, arrival time, medication instructions, and post-op instructions.

  • These are thin, biocompatible lenses placed inside the eye to correct near-sightedness, far-sightedness, and astigmatism. They offer sharp, reversible vision correction without removing corneal tissue (as would be done with laser procedures like LASIK or PRK).

    You may be a candidate if you’re an adult with stable vision, healthy eyes, and are not a good fit for laser correction or interested in an alternative. An in-office assessment can determine if ICLs are right for you. You can learn more about ICLs here.

Laser Patients

  • Your laser procedure may occur on the same day as your initial consultation, or on a subsequent appointment date.

    Depending on the type of laser procedure, you will receive eye drops that either make your pupils dilate (enlarge) or constrict (become smaller) beforehand. This may affect your vision and we recommend arranging a driver/friend to accompany you.

    When you arrive for your appointment, you will undergo some testing and have eye drops instilled. The drops take some time to work. Then, you will see the doctor for the procedure(s), which typically take <5 minutes per eye.

    Following the laser, a post-laser medication prescription and/or follow-up appointment will be provided, if necessary.

    The following are examples of laser procedures that you may be undergoing:

    • YAG Capsulotomy: This is done after cataract surgery (weeks, months, or years after surgery) to resolve the haziness that develops behind your artificial lens implant in an area called the posterior capsule (posterior capsule opacification). The procedure takes 3-4 minutes per eye and is painless.

    • Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT): This is done to reduce eye pressure in patients with high ocular pressure who may be at risk of (or already have) glaucoma. The laser is directed at the internal fluid drain inside the eye (the trabecular meshwork), which drains fluid from inside to outside the eye. The procedure takes 4-5 minutes per eye and is painless.

    • Peripheral Iridotomy: This procedure involves creating a small (micro) opening in the colored part of the eye, the iris. The opening is not visible to the naked eye. It serves as an alternate conduit for the internal eye fluid (aqueous humor) and is a preventative measure in those who are at risk for acute angle closure glaucoma. The procedure takes about 5 minutes per eye and can cause a brief stinging sensation.