Patient resources

At MBL Eye Surgeons we understand how important your vision and eye health are to you. At every stage of your journey with us, our experienced team will ensure that you are kept informed and aware of everything you need to know. Feel free to ask us anything at any stage, we are here to help you.

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Surgery hours

Lismore and Ballina

Monday – Friday 9:00 – 5:00

For all appointments and
enquiries, please call:
(02) 6621 4254

What will happen at my first visit?

When you arrive for your appointment you are first ‘screened’ by an orthoptist or ophthalmic technician. This process allows our trained staff to gather information for your ophthalmologist to be able to assess your condition properly. Our staff are able to answer many of the questions you may have at this stage.

The screening process usually takes between 10-30 minutes (but can take longer) and involves taking a history and doing tests that include:

Visual acuity
Checking glasses script
Measuring eye pressure
Visual fields tests
Optical coherence tomography (OCT scanning of the retina)
Other tests as required depending upon the nature of the symptoms

After the screening process the ophthalmologist will then see you, look at the gathered information, measurements and diagnostic, and talk through next actions with you.

Please be aware: The screening tests often require drops to dilate the pupil so your eye can be assessed properly. Your vision will be quite blurry and glary for several hours afterwards and it is recommended that, if possible, you have someone to drive you home. It is also advisable to bring some sunglasses to help with the glare when leaving.

What should I bring?

Medicare card
DVA card, pension card or health care card
Private Insurance information
List of medications and allergies
Referral Letter
Sunglasses – to protect your eyes from glare on the way home

Do I need a referral?

To be eligible for the full specialist rebate from Medicare you will need a current referral letter from either your GP, Optometrist or another specialist. These generally last for 12 months, unless written by another specialist, in which case, the referral is valid for 3 months only. We will make every effort to let you know when your referral is due to expire, but please be aware that it is your responsibility to ensure you have a valid and current referral.

How long will my first visit take?

We take great care in our assessment of your needs, and you can expect to be with us for up to two hours on your first visit. We appreciate that this is a long time for you and that your time is valuable. We will make every effort to run on time, but occasionally appointments run over due to the need for additional testing, or an emergency patient requiring more of our time. When this happens we will experience scheduling delays beyond our control and sincerely apologise if it means you are kept waiting.

How does payment work?

We care about providing affordable eye health for all our patients:

We charge fairly
We undertake all surgery in hospital as No Gap surgery for those in a health fund

We will let you know what our assessment fees will be when you call to make your first appointment. You will need to pay these fees at the time of your first consultation. We can electronically submit your claim direct to Medicare for your rebate to be deposited into your bank account. We accept cheque, EFTPOS, Visa and Mastercard.