Looking for eye surgeon recommendations in the Bay Area
Posted , 5 users are following.
I believe my cataracts are close to being "ripe". Looking for anyone with positive experiences with eye surgeons in the Bay Area.
0 likes, 17 replies
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Notes on Looking for eye surgeon recommendations in the Bay Area
RonAKA bill76991
Edited
Can't help you with recommendations for a surgeon, but a cataract does not have to be "ripe' for removal. That may have been the case in the past, with older technology for removal of the lens. However, now they can be removed safely at any stage. Leaving them too long can make the lens very dense and hard to do the necessary optical measurements for lens power calculation. It is probably better to do them earlier rather than too late.
bill76991 RonAKA
Posted
Good to know, thank you.
RonAKA bill76991
Posted
There is an article on line called "Newsweek America's Best Eye Doctors 2021" that you could look at, but I really have no idea how this list of doctors is determined. I do recognize some of the names, but that is about all I know about the list.
rwbil bill76991
Posted
I think Dr. Chang is in that area. I have emailed him. I have never been to him, but he is one of the top Ophthalmologist in the world doing lectures, research, clinical trials and so forth.
Worth making an appt. with and seeing what he suggests
bill76991 rwbil
Posted
I appreciate the recommendation!
laurie30147 bill76991
Edited
I live in the SF bay area. I had my cataract procedures done in January and February of this year by Dr. Bryan Lee, who is in the same office with Dr. Chang. Dr. Change is on that Newsweek list, but Dr. Lee also has impressive credentials. Look up the website for Altos Eye Physicians for more information. It is a big and busy office. If I lived closer to Los Altos, I'd probably go there for regular eye checkups and glasses, too.
They use the Peninsula Eye Surgery Center in Mountain View for the procedures. It is a nice facility with friendly staff.
I am very happy with my outcome!
maria18743 laurie30147
Posted
I also was recommended to Dr. Chang as "one of the best". However, when I looked on Yelp a couple of people had some issues with him. The doctor I chose had all 5 stars and so far, it's been proven to be true to me. I had a bad experience with a "rock star" cataract surgeon so I'm a little wary of them now.
bill76991
Posted
Thank you!
RonAKA bill76991
Posted
When shopping for a cataract surgeon keep in mind that often the clinic will have an arrangement with one IOL supplier. So, when you select your surgeon you may also be selecting what brand of IOL you will be offered. If you have a brand or specific IOL model preference, you may want to ask up front what lenses they offer. Generally they will offer J&J Tecnis lenses, or Alcon AcrySof/Clareon lenses but not both.
maria18743 bill76991
Edited
hi Bill, I consulted with this doctor and really really liked him. I did not end up choosing him only because I found another doctor I liked just as well who was closer to home and a little cheaper, not that that was a major consideration. Also the doctor I chose could do two eyes at once instead of one a few weeks apart.
The doctor I saw was Dr. Patel out of the Turner Eye Institute in San Leandro. Very professional. Explained things in an easy to understand way. Friendly competent staff. I would at least recommend him for a consultation because you probably want to see at least two doctors.
I am wary of rockstar doctors. I saw one in the East Bay. He was supposed to be the BEST but he was just awful. Condescending and dismissive. When I asked about floaters he said I would probably see them much clearer and then laughed a little bit like it was funny.
RonAKA maria18743
Posted
I think there is a significant advantage to having 3-6 weeks between surgeries on each eye. It gives you a chance to see what the outcome of the first eye is and decide if you want the same in the second eye. It also gives the surgeon the opportunity to see was the outcome was compared to what he/she was expecting. They have an opportunity to learn something and make possible adjustment to the power of the second eye.
maria18743 RonAKA
Posted
I thought about that too. The problem is that with my eyes I would be seeing terribly for those weeks. My glasses are frameless so I can't just punch out a the glass and wear them. I'd need a monocal or something. 😉
I tried monovision with contacts once and it gave me a headache and I hated it. Couldn't take it for more than a small amount of time. However, since my surgery is not happening for awhile yet, I can ask my surgeon about it. When we talked about one eye/two eyes previously and I asked the advantages and disadvantages it seemed about equal to me.
rwbil maria18743
Posted
I am with Ron on this one. All the horror stories here. Wait and evaluate the results of your first surgery before getting the 2nd eye done. I waited years between surgeries to the point I could not even see the BIG E on the eye chart. That little inconvenience is well worth the risk reduction.
RonAKA maria18743
Edited
I went a significant amount of time, about 15 months, with only having surgery done on one eye with a correction to full distance. I am 0.0 D plano in that eye. I tried the lens removed from my prescription progressives, but did not like the effect it had. What I found best was a contact in my non operated eye only. If you correct that eye to plano distance with a contact, then you will need reading glasses and essentially will be in the same situation as you will be in after surgery is done in both eyes for distance. It is also another opportunity to try mini-monovision again but that is optional. In that case if for example you need -4.5 D in the non operated eye, you would use a -3.0 D contact. That would leave you at -1.5 D myopic, which is ideal for mini-monovision. You may like it, or you may not. In that situation I very occasionally used some +1.25 readers, and still do now both eyes are done.
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FWIW if you tried monvision many years ago it was common to under correct the close eye by a lot, -2.5 to -3.0 D. The trend today is away from that approach as it is too much difference between the eyes. Now I would suggest -1.5 D is ideal.
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If you are considering the mini-monovision as a potential option, it is best to do the dominant eye first for full distance (-0.25 D target), and then simulate the mini-monovison with a contact in the non-dominant eye.
maria18743 RonAKA
Posted
Thanks Ron,
I appreciate the time and effort you take with your posts to answer questions. I know it has helped me quite a bit. I emailed my doctor about the advantages/disadvantages of doing one eye vs. two and here is his response:
"In our experience at (hospital name), this hasn't been much of an issue. Modern lens formulas are quite good, and it's rare that an adjustment is warranted on the second eye based on the outcome of the first. The exception is in patients who have had previous refractive surgery, such as LASIK or RK. In these instances, the formulas are less predictable and we typically perform surgery on one eye at at time. I'll also occasionally do one eye at at time if someone wants to 'try out' monovision. Let me know if you have any other questions."
So, I'll consider doing a mini monovision but since I had such a bad experience with the contacts I'm naturally hesitant. However, as you pointed out, it's not permanent so something to think about.
RonAKA maria18743
Edited
When you tried monovision before with contacts do you recall by how much the non dominant eye was under corrected by? As I said years ago it was not uncommon to under correct by as much as -3.00 D. Based on my experience that would be very difficult to adjust to. My current under correction is about -1.25 to -1.5 D and I find it no problem at all.
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I have only noticed one bit of an issue with it. This spring when I was pruning the shrubs with a small hand pruner, at times I had issues getting the branch into the pruner jaws when the branch was very close to me - about 12". At that distance I am only seeing very clearly with the one under corrected eye, so I missed on a branch or two on the first try. But, on the upside this is about the only issue I have had with monovision, and I still have 10 fingers!