I have only been to the Charles Retina institute once but my interaction with them from beginning to end was outstanding--totally customer oriented & caring. The gal who performed most of my eye tests was GREAT. I don't know her name but she was patient, caring & extended herself to help me when I was anxious about driving back to Fayette County with my eyes dilated. Dr. Huddleston was receptive to my questions. When I called on that Friday about 3:40PM I was amazed that the gal who took my call at Charles Retina effected my eye records getting transferred to the eye surgeon of my choice in Goodlettsville (Nashville) before that Friday work day was over. Incredibly, the office of the eye doctor I wanted in Goodlettsville called me before that Friday work day ended, saying: "We have received your records, when you can you schedule coming in?" Charles Retina's most exceptional care & professionalism in being so prompt made a difference in our lives. (We were able to get both my cataract surgeries in Nashville just a week before high summer prices because the Charles Retaina employee who took my phone request to transfer records was so prompt.). Just the most outstanding Charles Retina care & service from beginning to end. read more

The wait took about an hour for us to see the doc for maybe 5 mins. Which is pretty crazy to me. I didn't like the set up of this place. The patient rooms were surrounding the waiting area and people calling your name and you have no idea where they are. That is such a poor design. Staff was meh. The doc salar rafieetary knows what he was doing for sure. He was fast and efficient with nicu babies. But expected more of him since we waiting so long. Idk it was kind of a mixed experience for me. read more

The wait time is far too long. We were sitting for over 2 hours and still not called back to see the doctor. No medical office should have patients waiting that long. read more

This outfit is a money-making dreadful cattle call for the elderly. I accompanied my family member, and was shocked at the massive disrespect for the patients' time, forcing people to sit for hours and HOURS in a dismal waiting room until one's name called for preliminary eye checks by minimum wage low-energy slackers. Then, the tiny time with the famous Dr. Charles? An impatient, discourteous little man dressed in gym clothes and a face mask who would not allow the most basic question, and spent maybe 2 minutes at most with my family member, the remainder dictating to his "assistant" We left with no clear understanding of the eye health or condition, nor next steps. Told to check MyChart the next day for the information that should have been provided during the consultation. Will never return read more

Ridiculous cattle call of patients. Our appt was at 12:50. Checked in and waited an hour + before our name was called for the first room! Wait times are always at LEAST 3+ hours before you are done w your final "room call". There HAS to be a better way people! No respect for time. Was told only 1 Dr. who did injections. SMH read more

dr. osman cerifiz rubed my eyes too rough when i was there on the 21 of january of this year.he need to be more gentle with patients!!!!!!!!! read more

The team at Charles Retina Institute has been excellent in every way. Dr Rafieetary and Dr Vinson have both gone above and beyond- from the diagnosis through the medical procedures. My torn retina is healing, and with their continued follow ups, I'm very hopeful that my vision will be saved. The facility is modern and high tech, and most importantly, the staff is friendly, professional, and supportive. I sincerely appreciate this fine team. read more

I don't get it why the wait time is over 4 hours, it seems the more earlier I get there the longer I am waiting to see the doctor. There are people who came after me that is doing the same procedure goes in before to see the doctor, it seems like the people who came before their name just disappear from the system. These people forget that we also have a job. read more

I am always one to review a facility so everrrrybody knows before they go what to expect! Well CRI was a gem!! It accommodates a large number of people (so don't be surprised) & it has at least 10 exterior rooms and who knows how many inside!! (They required everyone to wear a mask while in the building- which was just wonderful as SARS Covid-19 and all of its variants are highly contagious strains and everyone has a right to be safe and protected from everyone outside of their bubble!) From the Check-In/out persons who all were friendly, accommodating & professional and very busy!! The Optomology Tech Mr. C was very personable and made me feel comfortable about their level of services as I asked numerous questions! Dr. M. Rafieetary was charming, empathetic and patient. Laser Tech nurse was warm & funny - as she tried to alleviate my concerns regarding having my laser procedure after sticking a sticker on my face- which indicated which eye needed surgery!! And last, but not least Dr. S. Raffietary was the utmost professional and listened patiently as I told my medical history (because I wanted him to hear it from me & not have read it from someone else) He spoke w/ a calm voice reassured me explained every step before and during and answered all my "inquiring minds" questions! Lastly, he gently removed the sticker (which I forgot about) before I left the laser room and returned to the waiting area/check out window! This was a positive experience & I recommend anyone in need of a eye/ocular/retina lens specialist! read more

Lost my vision. Plus some other very weird things. If you want to message I can fill you in. I have PTSD from the dozen plus surgeries. I wish I could do some things over in my life. Not going here would be the main thing. read more

Appointment time was 12, 3 hours later still had not been seen, and conveniently the system went down. EVERY visit takes too long so don't make any other plans for the day . read more

I took my mom here - the wait was incredibly long every time - every time. It wasn't just one time, every time. It doens't matter if they look busy - or hwne your appointment is ... it is terrible. Once she was waiting for over 2 hours before getting called back. Then she is in the exam room for 45 minutes - finally he comes in and the assistant/nurse asks him if he had a good lunch!! He went to lunch while my mom was in the waiting room! He is also very full of himself. If you can find someone else - please do so!!! read more

This place is terrible. I bring my grandma here every few months and every single visit it doesn't matter if it's busy or if there's only a few people here we have to sit in the waiting room ALL DAY. No I'm not exaggerating right now as I type this she had an appointment for 10:00am this morning and they just now called her back and it is 1:30pm this place is terrible and it happens every single time we have to come here. We dread it. If you have an appointment here I would recommend finding somewhere else to go, otherwise be prepared for an all day event. Keep in mind it doesn't matter what you are here for everyone waits the same. It is awful. read more

Have gone here at least 10x and each time without a fail, whether it's busy or not, we are waiting AT MINIMUM 2 hours to even be called to go into our APPOINTMENT which was 2 hours earlier. This place has terrible management. Somebody is obviously not doing their job. If you can, choose to go elsewhere read more

Dr. Charles is excellent. Yes, the wait times are long, but I think of it like a restaurant with a line wrapped round the building. If the wait times are that long, it must be good. Have I spent 6 hours of my day there? Yes, but I was prepared for that when I arrived. Take the day off work and be patient. read more

I have been coming to Charles Retna Institute for a few years. Love the expertise of Dr Charles. All of the staff are so nice with one area of staff that in my opinion are not friendly for some reason. When I get the injection in the procedure department the young doctors that give the injection seem to me to have chip on their shoulder as not friendly at all. Today Wednesday March 30, 2022 Dr. Sullivan came in gave me injection and never uttered the first word. I told him he did a good job, meaning it didn't hurt at all. Not a word came from his lips. He is not the only young doctor that seems to be above be friendly when giving the injection but at least most will ask which eye sir. Is this how they are told be Thanks so much for giving me a chance to share my feelings here read more

Worst Dr experience I can ever remember. You wait for hours and hours for them to see you for 2 minutes. Avoid this place like the plague. It's disgusting how they keep older people here for 3-4 hours. Worst. Experience. Ever. Go somewhere else. Trust the reviews. Waited 4.5 hours to see dr for literally a minute. F*** this place read more

Dr. Charles and his staff are amazing. You know it's good when there is little staff turnover. Dr. Charles one the vest retina doctors in the country. My dad was told by another doctor that he would loose his sight. Since treatment here, his sight has gotten so much better. read more

I brought my 88 year old mother in for a 10:30 appointment. The waiting room was packed when we arrived, with a few people sitting on the floor due to lack of seating. They do have signs up regarding social distancing, but that's impossible. It is now 2:00 and we are still waiting to see the doctor. While I am sure the doctors are excellent, the business model of the office is abysmal. There must be a better way to service your clients without asking them wait 4+ hours. read more

The office staff was kind, efficient and competent. The Medical support staff was wonderful and caring. The physician was well educated and informational. He was kind and answered all the questions. He was well versed in my condition. I felt as if I were in good hands. The office itself was well designed for people with vision problems. It was easy to navigate, which made the visit so easy rather that a stressful experience. Great care, great caring people! read more

Do people not understand what this establishment means for Memphis? Some are complaining that they must get their eyes dilated 3 to 4 times a year. others complain about the wait time. Retinal specialists are far and few between. These guys specialize in the Retina of the eye. If they were allowed to share their patient list you would find patients from around the world. Memphis is blessed to have them available to you. In order to see the Retina ,your eyes must be dilated. So if you want to keep your vision it's worth a little inconvenience. My Optometrist has recommended a visit to them hopefully to find everything is OK. If so my optometrist will monitor the situation. If not the the Retinal specialist will come up with a game plan (monitoring or treatment). read more

Charles Retina Institute is a great place. The staff and Drs. are excellent. The one area of improvement that has to be addressed is the wait times. It is way too long and I understand there will always be a little wait time but over an hour wait time is just not acceptable. Susie H. read more

I've been to Charles Retina Institute 3 or 4 times after an ophthalmologist from Church Health found a strange spot at the back of one of my eyes. The doctors seem to be good here. I just take issue with their incessant need to dilate my eyes every time I visit without letting me know in advance. It's like an eye factory here as well; always bustling with patients waiting to get their regularly scheduled eye treatments (shot in the eye). I stopped going because getting my eyes dilated twice to three times in a year is way too much. I don't have enough going on in my eyes to justify the chemicals that add more toxins to my system. And last, they seem more about the money here. read more

Have been here for a second time now. Of course the doctors are highly competent but that comes at a cost of their apparently either being unaware or unwilling to address ridiculous wait times. For a dilation and photos of my eye, I am 3 hours and 15 minutes into this and waiting. Is it arrogance or lack of knowledge that they refuse to address it? If they are smart enough to be at their level of clinical excellence and have a very expensive building and equipment, why not invest a little in a consultant and/or management team, staff and process to make it more efficient. They would make more money and do a service to their patients. They apparently are willing to insist on clinical excellence but do not think all around excellence is particularly critical. read more

This place has been such a godsend. They have handled my husband retina care with such grace and ease. Kat is so amazing she is always there for us handling anything that comes up. She is a ball of energy that makes every visit such a joy. She will have laug and loosening up. Definitely if in need of a retina specialist this is the place to go. We definitely recommend Charles Retina Institute. read more

Waited for over an hour and a half for a routine eye exam. When I mentioned this to the front desk they said the usual wait time is more than an hour. They then said it would be 2-4 hours before my appointment was complete. Yes - routine exam! I've been doing this for years and it's never taken more than an hour. As a physician I am well aware of getting backed up in the schedule but for this to be their routine practice- unacceptable! No apologies given. I will be sure to let my PCP know not to refer her patients here and neither will I. I left before being seen in order to get pick up my kids. read more

I have such enormous respect for Dr. Charles. He teaches as well as sees patients to ensure he spreads his knowledge. He healed my blown optic nerve & restored my vision to 99%. I would wait forever to be treated so well. His manner is so calming & he helps you with his expertise in a precise manner. Vision emergencies can impact his schedule, but he sees EVERY patient, no matter how long. I am grateful he took my emergency & has managed my eye health for 20 years. read more

This is my first visit with my mom and the wait time is ridiculous! I think it very insensitive of them to have elderly patients waiting 3-4hrs to see a doctor. It is so inconsiderate of others time! Horrible process! The sad this is nothing will be done about it. read more

My 93 yr old mom has to sit alone in there She has a hard time walking and hearing. They should have let me stay with her. This is terrible treatment for the elderly. read more

I was there for over 5 hours. They couldn't find what my optometrist saw and showed me. They didn't even look at the pictures my doctor took over 2 weeks ago. No way would I ever go back here! I will let my reg eye doctor hear about this and I will be asking my PCP for a different referral. No one should be treated like this. Total disregard for others. Great opportunity for another eye group to take all this business! If zero stars was a rating that is what I would really give. read more

I was referred to Dr. Huddleston by my Ophthalmologist for Perioperative Vitreous Detachment. After all the preliminary workup, I finally made it to the exam room to see Dr. Huddleston. He enters the room without introducing himself, no smiles, niceties, etc., and asks me what I am there for. Maybe its just me, but I believe it would be medical office protocol for the physician to introduce himself, let me know he had reviewed my chart and discuss the options available for my issue. He proceeded to do a brief examination, much less thorough than my Ophthalmologist who diagnosed the issue originally. Afterwards he asked if I wanted to schedule the surgery, and if said there are possibilities of infection and possibly detached retina. I asked what percentage of these issues and he did not have the number of patients which have had these problems from this surgery. I asked if the surgery could be completed by the end of December, to which he replies "I have no idea - you have to talk to scheduling". He had the personality of a wet cracker. However, his assistant was extremely cordial and even wished me Happy Holidays. God bless her for having to work with this "empty shell" all the time. read more

I went to the previous location with preemie twins. They SCREAMED at me in the lobby when I fed them. Extremely embarrassing but I had been waiting 3 hours and my kids were hungry. They said it was because the doctor didn't want my kids vomiting on him. We found another doctor. read more

Waited for 3 hours. Saw the doctor for 2 minutes. Nice families and nice people, but horrible wait times!

If you make an appointment make sure you allow at least 3 hours before being seen. They have no respect for the patients time. We have been here multiple times and they never take less than 3 hours. Also never ask for something in writing because the doctor gets upset and threatens to give your appointment to someone else. If you want a doctor who respects you and your time then go some place else. update: so my mother has finished her chemo and is now going back to this doctor (with her dementia we try not to change too many things). My sister volunteered to take her and she asked about the wait time. She was told that an appointment lasts between 3 to 6 hours. Seriously!? Again, if you want a doctor who values his patients and their time go elsewhere. read more

The other reviewers are not kidding. The wait time is absolutely ridiculous. I don't know how good they are but the time wasted is completely unacceptable. Avoid at all costs. read more

This place is wonderful! They let me know all of the options I had with eye treatment and the risks involved before starting. They show you what is going on with your eyes compared to previous visits and are easy to talk to and ask questions. This is a retina specialist, so you should probably expect to have your eyes dilated at every appointment (You should stop being surprised since this is consistently done). The wait time is ridiculous\, but only because of other patients. If you have the first appointment of the day, you are usually done within 2 hours (if it is just a checkup). They are not going to hurry a patient along who has questions about the health of their eyes because you are impatient. They are also more careful with the number of people they are allowing inside due to the pandemic. (They give the option to wait in your car and be notified by phone as soon as they are ready for you.) The overall rating of this place should be much higher. Everyone who works there is very understanding and delightful! read more

I have been a patient of Dr. Steve Charles for 17 years. Unfortunately, over the years, I have had multiple retinal detachments that have required surgery. He is absolutely brilliant and incredibly kind. Dr. Charles is quite literally the best ophthalmologist in the world. It's amazing how genuinely approachable and humble he is. To Dr. Charles, it is very important that his patients clearly understand the procedure and projected goal of restoring or preserving the patient's vision. Dr. Charles has dedicated his entire career to enriching the lives of people adversely affected by eye trauma and eye disease. I was fortunate to live in Memphis, Tennessee, when I initially needed surgery. I now happily drive almost 800 miles from Texas, for treatment. His entire staff is friendly and his nurse, Sabrina Newsom, does an amazing job communicating any concerns to Dr. Charles in a very timely fashion. Over the years, occasionally the wait has been somewhat longer than at other medical provider's offices. This is because Dr. Charles will treat medical issues as he encounters them. It is always worth the wait but I was extremely impressed during my last visit in October. Despite Covid-19, it was quite honestly the shortest wait to see Dr. Charles I've had in 17 years. read more

Charles Retina Inst. is very unorganized and unprofessional. They overbook so wait times are 3 - 6 hours. I will never go back.

These people have no idea how to run an office. They make you wait hours when you have an appointment. What is the point?? Do not respect your time. Find a better place, this is a joke. read more

I took my 88 year old mother who sat in her wheel chair with her back hurting for 3 hours....We were there about 2 hours before she was seen for an eye checkup that took about 10 to 15 minutes. Though I had provided them with information it does not appear that anyone bothered to review the records. Anyway after the 10 to 15 minute exam we waited another 45 to 50 minutes to be called into another room to see Dr. Rafieetary. Who had not reviewed the information I had provided. Dr. Rafieetary appeared to be very knowledgeable, and suggested I bring my mother back in 6 months. I advised him we will not be back - How can a doctor asked that elderly patients wait for hours to see them, it appears they have no regard for their patients. The staff was not friendly, but not rude - they appeared to be stressed to their limits. I am not sure if this is a medical Institute or a retail business. I honestly can not give you my full opinion of the doctors there, but prefer to find an experienced doctor who cares for their patients. One more picky thing. A brand new building and they didn't think about putting in automatic doors for patients in walkers and wheel chairs and there were a quite a few walkers and wheel chair patients. One more thing - it would have made it a little bit easier if someone would have said "We apologize for your long wait, and thank you for your patience." That would have been common courtesy. read more