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Ophthalmic emergency

Emergency eye doctor in Varanasi

Not every red or painful eye is an emergency, but a few are — and the wrong 4 hours in a general hospital A&E can cost sight. This page explains which symptoms need to reach an ophthalmologist immediately, what to do at home before you arrive, and how to reach our team out of hours.

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Reviewed by Dr. Shantanu Kumar Gupta

Why patients choose us for this care

Out-of-hours contact routing

Call the clinic reception first. Out-of-hours calls are forwarded to the duty consultant, not a call centre.

Same-day slit-lamp for red-eye emergencies

Chemical injury, corneal ulcer suspicion, acute angle-closure glaucoma — we prioritise these cases into the running OPD, not to the back of the queue.

Direct escalation pathway

For a genuine surgical emergency (retinal detachment, endophthalmitis), we escalate directly to a tertiary partner in Lucknow or Delhi rather than sending you to a general hospital.

Post-op patients — 24×7 helpline

Every patient operated in our clinic gets a WhatsApp number for post-op concerns. Redness or pain after cataract / retinal / squint surgery is triaged within 30 minutes.

Chemical-injury protocol

We keep pre-mixed irrigation buffers and sterile Ringer's ready in the OT — the single most important intervention in acid or alkali eye burns is prolonged irrigation.

Services & pages related to this specialty

Red-eye conditions
Conjunctivitis, ulcer, uveitis
Corneal infections
Same-day scraping + antibiotics
Retinal detachment
Recognising the red flags
Acute glaucoma
Same-day IOP lowering

Credentials — Dr. Shantanu Kumar Gupta

Duty consultant on call after hours
Not a call-centre triage
OPD emergencies triaged in-day
Chemical injury / suspected ulcer skip the queue

Real (anonymised) case scenarios from our clinic

The 32-year-old factory worker with acid splash

Reached us at 45 minutes post-injury. Continuous irrigation × 45 minutes to normalise pH. Corneal epithelium re-formed over 3 days. Vision preserved because the industry co-worker knew to rinse continuously with tap water on the way in.

The 58-year-old with sudden dark shadow across her right vision

Called at 8 PM — dilated exam at 9 PM confirmed superior retinal detachment. Referred to Lucknow vitreoretinal team same night. Attached uneventfully next morning.

The 70-year-old with severe eye pain and vomiting

Textbook acute angle-closure glaucoma. IOP 62 mmHg. Combined IOP-lowering + laser peripheral iridotomy within 4 hours of arrival. Sight saved; second eye prophylaxed 2 weeks later.

You should consult if you have any of these

  • Sudden painless loss of vision in one eye
  • Curtain descending across your vision or a shower of new floaters + flashes
  • Chemical splash to the eye — irrigate immediately with tap water for 15 minutes on your way
  • Severe eye pain + vomiting + coloured haloes around lights (angle-closure)
  • Penetrating injury with a sharp object — do NOT rub or press
  • Redness + severe pain + reduced vision — treat as corneal ulcer until ruled out
  • Any post-operative eye with sudden pain, worsening redness or decreasing vision

What a consultation actually looks like

  1. 1
    Call first, don't drive without calling
    Our reception routes you to the right consultant.
  2. 2
    First-aid instructions on the phone
    Irrigation for chemicals, avoid rubbing for injuries.
  3. 3
    Fast-track slit-lamp on arrival
    Skips OPD queue.
  4. 4
    Same-day imaging / scraping / laser
    As appropriate.
  5. 5
    Escalation if needed
    Direct referral to tertiary vitreoretinal or corneal surgeon if the case requires.

Frequently asked questions

What is a true ophthalmic emergency?
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Chemical injury, penetrating trauma, sudden painless vision loss, acute painful red eye with reduced vision, and any post-op complication. These need to reach an ophthalmologist within hours, not days.
Should I go to the general hospital A&E first?
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For eye-specific emergencies, an ophthalmologist should see you first — we have the slit lamp, tonometer, and drugs a general A&E does not. Call us before you decide the destination.
What should I do while heading to the clinic for a chemical injury?
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Irrigate continuously with tap water or normal saline. Do not try to neutralise (acid with alkali or vice versa). The single biggest determinant of outcome is total irrigation time before you reach specialist care.
My cataract-operated eye suddenly hurts on day 3 — is this an emergency?
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Yes — treat as endophthalmitis (infection inside the eye) until proven otherwise. Call the clinic immediately. Early diagnosis and injection of intravitreal antibiotics can save the eye.
Can I be seen out of hours?
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Yes — for genuine emergencies. Call the clinic; the reception routes you to the duty consultant.

Ready to book?

Same-week appointments are common. Bring your previous reports, medications and glasses to the visit.

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Medical disclaimer

This article is for patient education. It is not a substitute for personalised medical advice, examination or diagnosis. If you have symptoms discussed here, please book an in-person consultation with a qualified ophthalmologist.