Emergency Eye Care
Urgent eye care — without the ER.
Pink eye, foreign body, sudden flashes, eye injury. Call us first. Most issues are same-day. ER trips and 4-hour waits are usually unnecessary.
When to call us first
Skip the ER. Call your eye doctor.
Most "eye emergencies" — sudden redness, light sensitivity, scratched cornea, something stuck in your eye — are not actually emergencies in the ER sense. They're urgent, but ER doctors aren't eye specialists. Most ER visits for eye complaints end with "follow up with your optometrist."
We can usually see you same-day, properly equipped (slit lamp, dilation, foreign body removal tools), at a fraction of the cost. Call before you go to the ER.
When to call us
Call before you go to the ER.
Sudden redness
Pink eye, allergic reaction, or something more serious — we can diagnose same-day.
Foreign body
Metal, glass, debris stuck in your eye. We have the tools to remove it.
Eye injury
Hit in the eye, chemical splash, abrasion. Most cases — call us first.
Sudden flashes
New floaters or flashes of light — could be retinal tear. Same-day exam.
Vision loss
Sudden partial or full vision loss in one eye. This may need the ER — call us, we'll triage.
Severe pain
Eye pain with nausea, light sensitivity, or headache. Could be angle-closure glaucoma.
How urgent care works
Same day. No ER.
Call our main line during business hours. We triage your symptoms over the phone — if it's truly an ER-level emergency (acute angle-closure glaucoma, retinal detachment with vision loss, chemical burn), we direct you appropriately.
Everything else, we typically see you the same day. Slit lamp evaluation, foreign body removal, prescription antibiotics — done in 30 minutes, not 4 hours.
"I had something in my eye and was about to head to the ER. Called PVC instead — saw me in 30 minutes, removed it, prescribed eye drops, done."
— Verified Google review
What we treat urgently
Common issues, handled same-day.
Pink eye (conjunctivitis)
Bacterial, viral, or allergic — we diagnose which, then treat appropriately.
Corneal abrasion
Scratched cornea from a fingernail, contact lens, or debris. Heals fast with the right care.
Foreign body removal
Metal shavings, glass, organic debris. We have the slit lamp and tools to remove it.
Sudden floaters / flashes
Dilated exam to rule out retinal tear or detachment. Critical to address quickly.
Eye infections
Stye, blepharitis flare, keratitis. Prescription topical antibiotics if needed.
Contact lens emergency
Lens stuck, severe discomfort, infection from poor hygiene. We can resolve same-day.
Frequently asked
Questions, answered.
When should I go to the ER instead?
Is emergency eye care covered by insurance?
What's the wait time?
Can I just walk in?
What if it happens after hours?
Urgent eye issue? Call first.
(215) 575-5198 during business hours. We'll triage and see you same-day for most issues.