Nothing is more precious
than your eyesight,which is why here at the Vision Institute we aim to provide you with the best possible care and treatment to ensure the health of your eyes

Why us?

Up to date Eye care
We appreciate that all patients are looking for up-to-date eye care from highly qualified doctors which is why our doctors are fully certified in both Costa Rica and the UK.

Highly Qualified Doctors
Our doctors have extensive experience in the care, research and treatment of eye conditions

Eye care for all the family
At the Vision Institute we offer comprehensive eye care for all the family. Adults, kids and senior patients are provided with high quality attention

Affordable Prices
The Vision Institute offers excellent eye care at affordable prices.
Our staff will make you feel welcome and provide you with a dependable and courteous service.
Our doctors are able to offer you and your family the most up-to-date examinations and treatments available.

Dr. Adrian Rubinstein

Dr. Claire Riddell
Dr. Riddell has a special interest in eye diseases, particularly eyelid surgery, dry eyes and blepharitis.
Dr. Adrian Rubinstein
Dr. Adrian Rubinstein has a special interest in cataract surgery, diseases of the retina and vitreoretinal surgery, particularly the treatment of diabetic eye problems and age related macular degeneration.
He studied medicine at the University of Costa Rica (UCR) and was subsequently offered a place on the prestigious Ophthalmology residency programme at the University of Oxford, England.
This seven and a half-year residency programme provides world class training in all the subspecialities of ophthalmology, including cataract and refractive surgery, medical retina, vitreoretinal surgery, paediatric ophthalmology, glaucoma, neuro-ophthalmology, anterior segment disease and oculoplastic surgery.
He completed his residency programme and is Board Certified as an Ophthalmic Surgeon in the United Kingdom and Costa Rica.
He then completed a further two and a half years of subspecialty training in Vitreo-retinal surgery and medical retina with a special emphasis on the management and treatment of diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration.
Dr. Rubinstein has successfully performed over 2000 cataract surgery procedures (phacoemulsification) and given over 1000 intravitreal injections for age related macular degeneration and other retinal problems problems.
He has also published widely in peer reviewed Ophthalmology journals and has been an invited speaker at national and international meetings.
Publications
- Casson R, James B, Rubinstein A, Ali H
Clinical comparison of Frequency Doubling Technology and Humphrey Perimetry.
Br J Ophthalmol. 2001 Mar;85(3):360-2 - Kafil-Hussein N, Moore S, Rubinstein A, Benjamin L, Bates R.
Pseudo-Terson’s Syndrome. Bilateral simultaneous retinal detachments.
Eye. 2004 Jan;18(1):90-91 - Akram I, Rubinstein A, Benjamin L
Painless Acanthamoeba Keratitis.
Optometry Today. May 2004 - Rubinstein A, Riddell CE, Kafil-Hussain N, Assaf A.
Self-Inserted Intraorbital Foreign Bodies.
Ophthal Plast Reconstr Surg. 2005 Mar;21(2):156-7 - Akram I, Rubinstein A.
Common retinal signs. An overview.
Optometry today. Jan 2005 - Rubinstein A, Riddell CE, Akram I, Ahmado A, Benjamin L.
Orbital emphysema leading to blindness after functional endoscopic sinus surgery.
Arch Ophthalmol. 2005 Oct;123(10):1452. - Rubinstein A, Benjamin L.
Management of orbital compartment syndrome — Reply. Arch Ophthalmol 2007 Mar;125(3):434 - Rubinstein A, Riddell CE.
Posterior Scleritis mimicking Orbital Cellulitis.
Eye. 2005 Nov;19:1232-33. - Rubinstein A, Shaikh A, Benjamin L, Bates R.
Iatrogenic Eccentric full thickness macular holes following vitrectomy with ILM peeling for Idiopathic Macular Holes.
Eye. 2005 Dec;19:1333-35. - Rubinstein A, Chen SDM, Fletcher EC, Hundal K, Downes SM
Carotid artery stenosis associated with a prepapillary loop and a branch retinal artery occlusion. Eye. 2006 Feb;20(2):257-8 - Rubinstein A, Hanson R, Chen SDM, Porter N, Downes SM
Conjunctival ischaemia subsequent to posterior subtenon’s triamcinolone acetonide injection.
Eye. 2006 Mar;20(3):388-89 - Rubinstein A, Porter N, Chen SDM, Fletcher EC, Downes SM.
Tailoring Pan-Retinal Photocoagulation for the hemianopic patient.
Eye. 2006 Mar;20(3):396-97 - Tan MH, Chen SDM, Rubinstein A, Bron AJ.
Corneal perforation due to peripheral ulcerative keratitis associated with Crohn’s disease.
Cornea 2006 Jun;25(5):628-30. - Hanson R, Rubinstein A, Sarangapani S, Benjamin L, Patel CK
The effect of lens epithelial cell aspiration on post-operative capsulorrhexis contraction with the use of the AcrySof intraocular lens: a randomised clinical trial.
Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery 2006 Oct;32(10):1621-6. - Rubinstein A, Salmon JF.
Late traumatic scleral flap dehiscence following trabeculectomy.
Eye 2007;21:145-6 - Rubinstein A, Bates R.
Secondary paracentral retinal holes following internal limiting membrane removal.
Br J Ophthalmol. 2007;91:844-5 - Desai A, Rubinstein A, Parulekar M, Reginald A, Tanner V.
Feasibility of day-case vitreoretinal surgery.
Eye 2008 Feb;22(2):169-72 - Ah-Chan JJ, Rubinstein A, Patel CK.
Anterior subtenons anaesthesia for the treatment of ROP.
J Pediatr Opthalmol Strabismus 2008 May-Jun;45(3):186-8 - Rubinstein A, Ang A, Patel CK.
Vitrectomy without postoperative posturing for idiopathic macular holes.
Clin Experiment Ophthalmol 2007;35(5):458-61 - Pringle E, Chen SDM, Rubinstein A, Patel CK, Downes SM.
Optical coherence tomography in retinal cavernous haemangioma may explain the mechanism of vitreous haemorrhage.
Eye 2009 May;23(5):1242-3.
Dr. Claire Riddell
Dr. Claire Riddell has a special interest in Oculoplastic Surgery, particularly eyelid surgery, dry eyes and blepharitis.
She studied medicine at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, graduating in 1993 and went on to complete a Residency programme in Oxford, rotating through all the specialities of Ophthalmology to gain a world class comprehensive training.
Dr. Riddell then completed a two-year Fellowship in Oculoplastic Surgery.
She is widely published in peer reviewed journals and is Board Certified as an Ophthalmic Surgeon in the United Kingdom and the Costa Rica.
Publications
- Rubinstein A, Riddell CE, Kafil-Hussain N, Assaf A.
Self-Inserted Intraorbital Foreign Bodies.
Ophthal Plast Reconstr Surg. 2005 Mar;21(2):156-7 - Rubinstein A, Riddell CE, Akram I, Ahmado A, Benjamin L.
Orbital emphysema leading to blindness after functional endoscopic sinus surgery.
Arch Ophthalmol. 2005 Oct;123(10):1452. - Rubinstein A, Riddell CE.
Posterior Scleritis mimicking Orbital Cellulitis.
Eye. 2005 Nov;19:1232-33. - Casson RJ, Riddell CE, Rahman R, Byles D, Salmon JF.
Long term effect of cataract surgery on intraocular pressure after trabeculectomy in extracapsular extraction versus phacoemulsification.
J Cataract Refract Surg. 2002 28 (12) 2159 –64. - Montoya F, Riddell CE, Caesar R, Hague S.
Treatment of gustatory hyperlacrimation (crocodile tears) with injection of botulinum toxin into the lacrimal gland.
Eye 2002 16; 705-709. - Rahman R, Riddell CE, Tanner V, Rosen P, Towler H.
Self – Sealing Sclerotomies for Pars Plana Vitrectomy.
Ophthalmic surgery and lasers 31(6):462-6, 2000. - Watts P, O’Duffy D, Riddell CE, McCleod S, Watson S.
Can I drive after these drops, doctor?
Eye 1998 12, 963-966 - Riddell CE, Read J, Duvall-Young J.
Allergic contact fingertip dermatitis secondary to proxymetacaine in an ophthalmologist.
Eye (2000) 14, 907-8 - Riddell CE.
Ocular Ischaemic Syndrome and Glaucoma.
Glaucoma Forum (2000). - Bloch S, Riddell CE, Sleep T J.
Can patients safely read their psychiatric records? Implication of freedom information legislation.
Med J Aust 1994; 161: 5/19 665-666 - Bloch S, Riddell CE, Sleep T J. Psychiatric records: confusing, distressing, potentially harmful? Aust Psych 1994; 2:4 165-168
Posters & Presentations
- Rahman R, Riddell CE, Tanner V, Rosen P, Towler H.
Self – Sealing Sclerotomies for Pars Plana Vitrectomy
Royal College of Ophthalmologists Annual Congress (1998) - Watts P, O’Duffy D, McLeod S, Watson S, Riddell C.
Can I Drive After Those Drops, Doctor?
Royal College of Ophthalmologists Annual Congress (1998) - Riddell CE, James C B.
The Use and Efficacy of Latanoprost in Clinical Practice
Presented at the Glaucoma Society Meeting, London 1998 - Riddell CE, James C B.
Difficulties in calculating intraocular lens power after photorefractive keratectomy
Royal College of Ophthalmologists Annual Congress, 1999 - Montoya F, Riddell C E, Hague S.
Treatment of Crocodile Tear Syndrome with Botulinum Toxin
(Royal College of Ophthalmologists Annual Congress 2000, Manchester Eye Hospital Prize for Best Poster) - Montoya F, Riddell C E, Caesar R, Hague S.
Treatment of crocodile tear syndrome with botulinum toxin.
Presented at the ESOPRS 2000 - Riddell CE, Montoya F, Caesar R, Hague S.
Patient satisfaction and 1 year follow up of botulinum toxin for Crocodile Tear syndrome
(Annual Congress 2002) - Riddell CE, Hundal K, Bacon A.
Musculoskeletal problems amongst ophthalmologists
(Annual Congress 2003)
Location
Hospital CIMA
Torre 2, Second Floor, Office 221. Escazú, San José
Tel: 2208 8221
Clínica Santa Lucía
50 m south of the Torre Mercedes, Paseo Colón, San José
Tel: 22570727
Why Costa Rica?

If you are looking for excellent Eye Care at affordable prices, then Costa Rica is the place to come.
Many of the doctors working in Costa Rica have trained in the best hospitals across the world and returned to Costa Rica to practice, making it an excellent choice for all healthcare.
With its fantastic climate and friendly people, you can combine your eye treatment with a relaxing holiday.
The lower cost of living in Costa Rica means that we can offer treatments at much lower prices than in many countries such as North America and Europe. In many cases you can have all your treatments, a fantastic holiday and still go home having spent less than you would at home for the same treatments.