Eye Doctor Near Washington, DC

Eye emergencies require prompt attention, and knowing where to go can make a significant difference in outcomes. Our Greenbelt office sees urgent patients for conditions including sudden vision loss, eye trauma, chemical burns, flashes and new floaters, retinal detachment symptoms, corneal abrasions, and acute infections such as bacterial keratitis and orbital cellulitis. DC residents can call ahead for a same-day emergency appointment during regular office hours, avoiding the long wait times typically associated with hospital emergency departments. For many ocular emergencies, early intervention within the first 24 to 48 hours is critical to preserving vision. Our team has the diagnostic imaging and treatment capabilities on-site to evaluate and stabilize most urgent eye conditions without the need for a hospital referral, and when specialized surgical intervention is required, our surgeons hold privileges at major hospitals across Washington and Maryland to ensure seamless continuity of care.

Conditions such as wet age-related macular degeneration, diabetic macular edema, retinal vein occlusions, and other retinal vascular diseases require ongoing monitoring and treatment to protect central vision. Our team administers intravitreal anti-VEGF injections at the Greenbelt office, providing consistent access to therapy without requiring DC patients to travel to a hospital-based clinic. Regular follow-up visits with advanced retinal imaging, including optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fluorescein angiography, help our team track treatment response and adjust injection schedules for optimal outcomes. For patients managing diabetic eye disease, we coordinate closely with primary care providers and endocrinologists across the DC metro area to align ocular treatment with systemic health management. We also evaluate and manage retinal tears, macular pathology, and less common conditions such as central serous retinopathy, giving DC-area patients access to subspecialty retina care close to home.

Federal employees nearing retirement and current retirees in the DC area frequently face age-related cataracts that interfere with reading, driving, and daily activities. Dr. Michael Summerfield, a board-certified cataract and refractive surgeon, Dr. Joseph Mekhail, a fellowship-trained cornea and refractive specialist, and Dr. Sarah Chang perform femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery with access to premium intraocular lens options, including the Light Adjustable Lens (LAL) and Apthera IOL. The Light Adjustable Lens is the only IOL that can be customized after surgery using UV light treatments, allowing your surgeon to fine-tune your vision based on real-world results rather than preoperative estimates alone. During your consultation, we review lens choices including multifocal, extended depth of focus, and toric designs, so you can make an informed decision about your vision after surgery. Our team also has specific expertise with complex cataract cases, including patients who have undergone prior refractive surgery such as LASIK, where standard lens calculations may not apply.

Long hours of screen-based work in climate-controlled offices are a common trigger for dry eye symptoms among DC professionals, and the condition often goes underdiagnosed because patients attribute their discomfort to allergies or fatigue. Our Greenbelt office performs a complete dry eye workup that includes tear film analysis, meibomian gland imaging, and ocular surface evaluation to identify the specific type and severity of your dry eye disease. Based on the results, treatment may range from preservative-free lubricating drops and lid hygiene protocols to prescription anti-inflammatory medications, punctal plugs, or in-office Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) therapy for meibomian gland dysfunction. IPL therapy targets the root cause of evaporative dry eye by improving oil gland function along the eyelid margin, providing longer-lasting relief than drops alone. Our multidisciplinary team of ophthalmologists and optometrists collaborates on chronic dry eye and ocular surface disease cases, ensuring DC-area patients receive a treatment plan that addresses both symptoms and underlying causes for sustained improvement.

Whether you need an updated glasses prescription or a full health evaluation of your eyes, our optometrists provide thorough examinations at the Greenbelt location convenient to DC residents traveling via the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. A comprehensive eye exam covers refraction, intraocular pressure testing, dilated fundus evaluation, and screening for common conditions including glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, and diabetic eye disease. Many systemic health conditions, including hypertension and diabetes, can be detected through retinal findings during a routine exam, making annual eye exams an important part of overall preventive health care. For DC patients who wear contact lenses, we offer standard and specialty lens fittings and evaluate corneal health with topography mapping to ensure safe, comfortable long-term wear. Our practice also accepts online appointment requests and offers convenient scheduling, including options that accommodate the work schedules of federal employees and professionals commuting from downtown DC, Capitol Hill, and surrounding neighborhoods.

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of irreversible vision loss in the United States, and because it typically progresses without noticeable symptoms in its early stages, many DC-area patients are unaware they have the condition until significant optic nerve damage has already occurred. Washington Eye Institute screens for glaucoma during every comprehensive eye exam using intraocular pressure measurement, optic nerve evaluation, and visual field testing. When treatment is needed, our ophthalmologists offer the full spectrum of glaucoma management, from topical eye drop therapy and laser treatments such as selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) to minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) for patients who need better pressure control with fewer medications. MIGS procedures can often be combined with cataract surgery, giving patients the benefit of addressing both conditions in a single operation with a faster recovery. Our team monitors disease progression over time with advanced imaging to track optic nerve changes, helping DC-area patients preserve their vision through every stage of the disease.

Keratoconus is a progressive condition in which the cornea thins and bulges into a cone shape, causing distorted vision that cannot be fully corrected with standard glasses or soft contact lenses. Washington Eye Institute is one of the few practices in the DC metro area offering comprehensive keratoconus management that spans every stage of the disease, from early detection to advanced surgical intervention. Dr. Joseph Mekhail, a fellowship-trained cornea specialist, performs corneal cross-linking, an FDA-approved procedure that strengthens corneal collagen bonds to stabilize the progression of keratoconus, particularly in younger patients where the condition tends to worsen most rapidly. For patients whose vision cannot be adequately corrected after cross-linking, our optometrists Dr. Rajini Seevaratnam and Dr. Diana Chu specialize in fitting scleral contact lenses, hybrid lenses, and other specialty contact lenses designed for irregular corneas. In advanced cases where contact lenses are no longer sufficient, our team offers corneal transplantation as an advanced surgical option. This full continuum of care means DC-area keratoconus patients can receive diagnosis, stabilization, vision correction, and surgical treatment all within the same practice.

Not every patient achieves clear, comfortable vision with standard soft contact lenses or glasses, and many DC-area professionals require advanced lens solutions to meet the visual demands of their work. Our optometrists fit a full range of specialty contact lenses, including scleral contact lenses for keratoconus and severe dry eye, hybrid lenses that combine rigid optics with soft lens comfort, and toric designs for patients with significant astigmatism or post-surgical irregularity. Dr. Diana Chu, Maryland's 2025 Young Optometrist of the Year, and Dr. Rajini Seevaratnam bring advanced training in medical and specialty lens fitting, using corneal topography to design lenses that vault over irregular or compromised corneal surfaces for improved vision and all-day comfort. For patients with high myopia who are not candidates for LASIK, Dr. Michael Summerfield performs Visian Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL) surgery, a reversible refractive procedure that places a biocompatible lens behind the iris to correct vision without removing corneal tissue. ICL is an increasingly popular option among younger professionals in the DC area seeking long-term freedom from glasses and contacts without the corneal reshaping risks associated with laser vision correction.