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Edit this profileAt a glance
- 1915 S 17Th St Ste 101, Wilmington, NC 28401
About Dr. Hester
Darrell E. Hester, MD practices ophthalmology in Wilmington, NC. Darrell is a 1987 graduate of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. According to Medicare claims data, Darrell cared for 1,530 Medicare patients across 1,761 services. The services billed most often include established patient complete exam of visual system, established patient office or other outpatient visit with low level od decision making, if using time, 20 minutes or more, and removal of cataract with insertion of prosthetic lens. The provider's National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1134210586.
Factual summary compiled by Guide.md from public records; not written by this provider.
Education & Training
Specialty
Credentials & Licensing
Medicare information
Exactly as CMS reports it (National Downloadable File, Opt-Out Affidavits, Order & Referring). Not an insurance directory; confirm coverage with the office.
Contact Information
- (910) 251-8200
- Email not available
Practice Locations
1915 S 17TH ST STE 101
Wilmington, NC 28401
Conditions Commonly Evaluated or Treated
Within Ophthalmology generally. Availability varies by clinician, training and location — this profile has not been claimed, so nothing here is a personal claim by the provider.
Conditions
Most searched conditions
Cornea and external eye
Eyelid and tear drainage
Refractive and focusing
- Astigmatism
- Eye misalignment (strabismus)
- Farsightedness
- Lazy eye (amblyopia)
- Nearsightedness
- Presbyopia
Retina and vitreous
Eye injuries
Inflammation, neurologic, and orbit
Retina & vitreous
Procedures & services
Most searched procedures
Examination and imaging
Cataract and lens
Corneal procedures
Eye diagnostics
Eye injuries
Eyelid surgery
Eyelid, tear duct, and muscle
Glaucoma
- Glaucoma drainage-device implantation
- Laser peripheral iridotomy
- Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery
- Selective laser trabeculoplasty
Laser eye surgery
Laser procedures
Laser vision correction
Refractive surgery
Tear duct & Orbit
Procedures Most Often Billed to Medicare
1,761 services · 1,530 patients · 16 distinct codes
| Procedure | Type | Code | Services | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Removal of cataract with insertion of prosthetic lens | Procedure | 66984 |
177 | More often than most peers in Ophthalmology |
| Removal of recurring cataract in lens capsule using a laser | Procedure | 66821 |
42 | As often as other peers in Ophthalmology |
| Removal of eyelashes using forceps | Procedure | 67820 |
23 | As often as other peers in Ophthalmology |
| Established patient complete exam of visual system | Treatment | 92014 |
598 | More often than most peers in Ophthalmology |
| Measurement of corneal curvature and depth of eye | Treatment | 92136 |
175 | As often as other peers in Ophthalmology |
| Exam of visual field with extended testing | Treatment | 92083 |
88 | As often as other peers in Ophthalmology |
| Imaging of retina | Treatment | 92134 |
54 | Less often than most peers in Ophthalmology |
| Imaging of optic nerve | Treatment | 92133 |
47 | Less often than most peers in Ophthalmology |
| New patient complete exam of visual system | Treatment | 92004 |
39 | As often as other peers in Ophthalmology |
| Established patient problem focused exam of visual system | Treatment | 92012 |
19 | Less often than most peers in Ophthalmology |
Source: CMS Medicare public data. Shows how often procedures were billed — not quality of care or patient satisfaction.
Related providers
Connections drawn from the registry and from what providers have told us. A link here is not a referral or an endorsement.
Other eye doctors at this location 2
Same specialty, same street address — most likely the same department or group.
Also at this address 4
Providers at the same street address. Each files their own registry entry, so a shared practice often appears under several different names.
Other eye doctors in Wilmington 8
Same specialty, same city.
More connections — 22 related providers in 3 groups
Trained at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine 8
Other providers in the same specialty who trained at the same institution.
Class of 1987 at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine 7
Providers who graduated from the same medical school in the same year.
Also performs Removal of cataract with insertion of prosthetic lens 7
Providers in NC who bill this service to Medicare most often.
Common questions
What does Dr. Hester specialize in?
Dr. Hester is an eye doctor in Wilmington, NC. That is the designation recorded for this NPI in the federal registry, where it is listed as “Ophthalmology”.
NPI registry
Where is Dr. Hester located?
Dr. Hester is listed at 1915 S 17Th St Ste 101, Wilmington, NC 28401. Addresses come from the NPI registry and can lag a move, so confirm before travelling.
NPI registry
What is Dr. Hester's phone number?
The number on file is (910) 251-8200. Contact the office directly to confirm availability and scheduling.
NPI registry
What is Dr. Hester's NPI number?
Dr. Hester's National Provider Identifier is 1134210586. It is issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and is unique and permanent — it does not change if they move practice.
NPI registry
Where did Dr. Hester go to medical school?
Dr. Hester attended University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, graduating in 1987. This comes from the CMS National Downloadable File.
CMS public data
How long has Dr. Hester been practicing?
Dr. Hester has 39 years experience. Calculated from a graduation year of 1987, reported in the CMS National Downloadable File.
CMS public data
What does Dr. Hester do most often?
According to Medicare billing data, Dr. Hester performs procedures including removal of cataract with insertion of prosthetic lens, removal of recurring cataract in lens capsule using a laser and removal of eyelashes using forceps; provides treatments such as established patient complete exam of visual system and measurement of corneal curvature and depth of eye, alongside routine visits and testing. This reflects Medicare patients only and is billing volume, not a measure of quality.
Medicare claims
Has Dr. Hester confirmed this information?
Not yet. This profile is built from public federal data and has not been confirmed by Dr. Hester. If this is you, claiming it is free.
Guide.md
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