World-Class Eye Care for the Silver Spring Community
Silver Spring residents shouldn't have to compromise when it comes to vision health. Washington Eye Institute is a comprehensive ophthalmology practice serving the Washington, DC metro area, including Montgomery County. From our conveniently located Rockville office on Shady Grove Road, our team of fellowship-trained specialists provides state-of-the-art technology and breakthrough treatments. With 862 Google reviews and a 4.7-star rating (Source: Google Reviews), our philosophy centers on taking the time to hear your concerns and openly discussing all treatment options.
Cataract surgery should be as unique as your eyes. Our cataract and refractive program is led by Dr. Michael Summerfield, MD, a board-certified ophthalmologist and the Residency Program Director for Georgetown University / Washington Hospital Center, alongside Dr. Joseph Mekhail, MD, who is fellowship-trained in complex and refractive cases, and Dr. Sarah Chang, MD. We offer femtosecond laser cataract surgery and premium intraocular lenses, including the Light Adjustable Lens (LAL) and the Apthera IOL, providing customized refractive outcomes for Silver Spring patients.
With rising rates of diabetes in Montgomery County, proactive retinal care is essential. Our practice provides expert medical retina care, focusing on the diagnosis and treatment of diabetic eye disease, retinal vascular disease, and macular degeneration. We also provide advanced medical management for inflammatory eye diseases, including autoimmune-related and infectious uveitis, to protect your long-term vision.
For patients dealing with advanced corneal disease or those who are not candidates for LASIK, we offer highly specialized surgical alternatives. Dr. Joseph Mekhail manages progressive and late-stage keratoconus using advanced corneal cross-linking and corneal transplantation. Additionally, Dr. Summerfield offers the Visian ICL (Implantable Collamer Lens), an exceptional refractive surgery option designed specifically for patients with high myopia seeking visual freedom.
Standard contacts don't work for everyone. Our optometric team, including Dr. Rajini Seevaratnam and Dr. Diana Chu—Maryland's 2025 Young Optometrist of the Year—excels in complex contact lens fittings. We utilize scleral contact lenses, hybrid contact lenses, and toric lenses to provide clear, comfortable vision for patients with severe astigmatism, keratoconus, post-surgical eyes, or severe dry eye.
Chronic eye conditions require consistent, expert management. For early to advanced glaucoma, our comprehensive team provides precise pressure monitoring, laser treatments, and minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS). If you suffer from ocular surface disease, our multidisciplinary team offers advanced dry eye relief, utilizing IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) therapy for meibomian gland dysfunction and punctal plugs to help improve tear function and daily comfort.
From downtown Silver Spring, head east on University Boulevard (MD-193) toward New Hampshire Avenue. Merge onto the Baltimore-Washington Parkway (MD-295) heading south toward Baltimore. Take the exit for Greenbelt Road (MD-193) and turn right. Continue on Greenbelt Road, then turn right onto Greenway Center Drive. The office is located in the Greenway Center complex at Suite 300. The drive takes approximately 15 minutes. Free parking is available in the Greenway Center lot directly in front of the building.
From Silver Spring, take I-495 East (Capital Beltway) toward College Park. Exit onto the Baltimore-Washington Parkway (MD-295) South. Take the Greenbelt Road exit, turn right onto Greenbelt Road, then right onto Greenway Center Drive. This route takes approximately 18-20 minutes depending on Beltway traffic. Free parking is available in the Greenway Center lot.
Getting to Washington Eye Institute from Silver Spring
Frequently Asked Questions About Eye Care Near Silver Spring
Our Greenbelt office is about 15 minutes from downtown Silver Spring via the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. The office is located at 7500 Greenway Center Dr, Suite 300, in the Greenway Center complex with free parking available for patients.
We accept most major insurance plans. Contact our office at (301) 494-1832 to verify your specific plan before scheduling. Our staff will confirm your coverage and explain any out-of-pocket costs ahead of your visit.
Common Questions from Silver Spring Patients
Our team answers frequently asked questions about eye care services near Silver Spring.
Yes. Diabetic retinopathy screening is one of the most important services we provide at Washington Eye Institute, and Silver Spring patients can receive this care at our Rockville office on Shady Grove Road, a short drive from downtown Silver Spring, Wheaton, and Four Corners. We recommend annual dilated eye exams for all patients managing type 1 or type 2 diabetes, because diabetic retinopathy often develops without noticeable symptoms in its early stages. Without timely detection, it can progress to vision-threatening complications including diabetic macular edema and proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Our team uses advanced diagnostic imaging, including optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fluorescein angiography, to evaluate the retinal blood vessels and detect even subtle changes in retinal thickness or circulation. If treatment is needed, we offer the full range of medical retina interventions, including focal and panretinal laser photocoagulation, intravitreal anti-VEGF injections, and ongoing monitoring protocols tailored to each patient's disease stage and systemic health. We also coordinate closely with your primary care provider or endocrinologist to ensure your eye care aligns with your overall diabetes management plan. For Silver Spring patients with diabetes who have not had a dilated eye exam in the past year, we strongly encourage scheduling one as soon as possible.
If you are experiencing an eye emergency in Silver Spring, call Washington Eye Institute right away. We see urgent and emergency patients for a wide range of acute eye conditions, including sudden vision loss or blurred vision, new onset of flashes of light or a shower of floaters, eye trauma or chemical exposure, severe eye pain or redness, a foreign body sensation that does not resolve, and signs of eye infection such as discharge, swelling, or light sensitivity. Same-day emergency appointments are available during office hours at our Rockville location, which is easily accessible from Silver Spring via Rockville Pike or I-270. Many eye emergencies, particularly retinal detachment symptoms like a sudden curtain or shadow across your vision, require prompt evaluation to preserve sight. Delaying treatment by even a day can affect outcomes. Our ophthalmologists and optometrists are equipped to perform comprehensive emergency evaluations on-site, including dilated exams, OCT imaging, and slit-lamp examination, so we can diagnose the issue and begin treatment immediately. If your emergency occurs after office hours or on a weekend, go to the nearest emergency room for initial stabilization and contact our office the next business day for follow-up care with one of our specialists.
Several members of our clinical team are multilingual, reflecting the diversity of Montgomery County and the Silver Spring community. Silver Spring is one of the most culturally diverse areas in the Washington, DC metro region, and Washington Eye Institute is committed to making eye care accessible to patients from all backgrounds. If you are more comfortable communicating in a language other than English, we encourage you to let us know when scheduling your appointment so we can match you with the appropriate team member or arrange language support. Clear communication between doctor and patient is essential, especially when discussing complex diagnoses, surgical options like cataract surgery or corneal cross-linking, or ongoing treatment plans for conditions such as glaucoma or diabetic retinopathy. We want every patient to fully understand their diagnosis, treatment options, and post-operative instructions, and language should never be a barrier to receiving high-quality eye care.
Absolutely. Silver Spring patients can receive a full comprehensive eye exam at our Rockville office, located on Shady Grove Road just minutes from Aspen Hill, Wheaton, and Kensington. A comprehensive eye exam at Washington Eye Institute goes well beyond a basic vision screening. Our doctors evaluate your entire visual system, including visual acuity testing, refraction to determine your eyeglass or contact lens prescription, tonometry to measure intraocular pressure for glaucoma screening, slit-lamp biomicroscopy to examine the front structures of the eye, dilated fundus examination to inspect the retina and optic nerve, and advanced retinal imaging with OCT when indicated. These exams are designed to detect conditions that often develop without early symptoms, including open-angle glaucoma, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic eye disease. Our optometrists, including Dr. Diana Chu, OD, Maryland's 2025 Young Optometrist of the Year, provide thorough evaluations and work alongside our ophthalmology team to ensure any findings are addressed promptly, whether that means updating your prescription, recommending dry eye treatment, or referring you to one of our surgeons for further evaluation. We recommend comprehensive exams every one to two years for adults, and annually for patients over 65, those with diabetes, or anyone with a family history of eye disease.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends that all adults receive a baseline comprehensive eye exam at age 40, when early signs of age-related eye disease often first appear. Between ages 40 and 54, exams every two to four years are generally sufficient for patients with no risk factors. From ages 55 to 64, the recommended interval shortens to every one to three years, and adults 65 and older should be examined every one to two years. However, these are general guidelines. Patients with risk factors, including diabetes, high blood pressure, a family history of glaucoma or macular degeneration, high myopia, or a history of eye surgery, should be examined more frequently. At Washington Eye Institute, our doctors develop a personalized screening schedule based on your medical history, family history, and current eye health. For Silver Spring residents over 50, conditions like open-angle glaucoma, early cataracts, and age-related macular degeneration can develop gradually without obvious symptoms, making routine exams the best defense against preventable vision loss. Our Rockville office is conveniently located for patients throughout the Silver Spring, North Bethesda, and Aspen Hill area, and we offer both medical eye exams covered by health insurance and routine vision exams for prescription updates.
Washington Eye Institute provides comprehensive glaucoma care for Silver Spring patients at every stage of the disease, from early detection through advanced surgical management. Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness, and because it typically causes no pain or noticeable vision changes in its early stages, many patients are unaware they have it until significant optic nerve damage has occurred. Our approach begins with thorough diagnostic testing, including intraocular pressure measurement, visual field testing to map peripheral vision, OCT imaging of the optic nerve and retinal nerve fiber layer, and gonioscopy to evaluate the drainage angle. For newly diagnosed or early-stage glaucoma, treatment often starts with prescription eye drops designed to lower intraocular pressure. If drops alone are insufficient or if a patient has difficulty with daily drop regimens, we offer laser treatments such as selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT), which can effectively reduce eye pressure with a brief in-office procedure. For patients with more advanced or progressive glaucoma, our surgeons perform minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS), which offers a favorable safety profile and can often be combined with cataract surgery for patients who need both procedures. Every treatment plan is individualized, and our team provides ongoing monitoring to track disease progression and adjust therapy as needed.
In most cases, no referral is required to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists. Silver Spring patients can call our Rockville office directly to book a consultation with our retina team, our cornea and refractive surgeon Dr. Joseph Mekhail, or any member of our ophthalmology and optometry team. Washington Eye Institute welcomes both self-referred patients and referrals from primary care physicians, optometrists, and other specialists. That said, some insurance plans, particularly HMO plans, do require a referral from your primary care provider before you can see a specialist. We recommend checking with your insurance carrier or contacting our office before your visit so we can help verify your coverage and referral requirements. Our staff is experienced in working with a wide range of insurance plans common in the Silver Spring and Montgomery County area, and we are happy to assist with any pre-authorization or referral paperwork to make the process as smooth as possible. If you are experiencing an urgent eye issue, do not delay calling us because of referral concerns. We will work with you to sort out insurance logistics while ensuring you receive timely care.
This is one of the most common questions we hear from Silver Spring patients, and the distinction matters when it comes to understanding your care. An optometrist (O.D.) is a doctor of optometry who provides primary eye care services, including comprehensive eye exams, eyeglass and contact lens prescriptions, diagnosis and management of common conditions like dry eye and conjunctivitis, and ongoing monitoring of chronic eye diseases such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. At Washington Eye Institute, our optometrists, including Dr. Diana Chu, OD, and Dr. Rajini Seevaratnam, OD, also specialize in advanced areas like scleral contact lens and specialty contact lens fitting for patients with keratoconus, severe astigmatism, and post-surgical eyes. An ophthalmologist (M.D.) is a medical doctor who has completed medical school, an internship, and a multi-year ophthalmology residency, and is licensed to perform eye surgery in addition to diagnosing and treating the full spectrum of eye diseases. Our ophthalmologists, including practice director Dr. Michael Summerfield, MD, who also serves as Georgetown University and Washington Hospital Center Residency Program Director, and Dr. Joseph Mekhail, MD, a fellowship-trained cornea and refractive surgeon, perform procedures including cataract surgery, corneal cross-linking, MIGS for glaucoma, and retinal treatments. The key advantage of a practice like ours is that optometrists and ophthalmologists work together under one roof. If your optometrist identifies a condition during a routine exam that requires surgical consultation, you can be seen by one of our surgeons without needing to find a separate practice or transfer your records elsewhere.
Patients Feedback
The doctors and staff were incredibly thorough and kind. I felt informed and cared for at every step of my visit.
Jane D.
Scheduling was easy, the office is beautiful, and my cataract surgery results exceeded my expectations.
Michael R.
The team took time to answer all of my questions and explained each step of my glaucoma treatment options.
Sandra L.
I highly recommend this practice. From check-in to follow-up, everything was efficient and professional.
Thomas P.
The doctors and staff were incredibly thorough and kind. I felt informed and cared for at every step of my visit.
Jane D.
Scheduling was easy, the office is beautiful, and my cataract surgery results exceeded my expectations.
Michael R.
The team took time to answer all of my questions and explained each step of my glaucoma treatment options.
Sandra L.
I highly recommend this practice. From check-in to follow-up, everything was efficient and professional.
Thomas P.
The doctors and staff were incredibly thorough and kind. I felt informed and cared for at every step of my visit.
Jane D.
Scheduling was easy, the office is beautiful, and my cataract surgery results exceeded my expectations.
Michael R.
The team took time to answer all of my questions and explained each step of my glaucoma treatment options.
Sandra L.
I highly recommend this practice. From check-in to follow-up, everything was efficient and professional.
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