I wonder why my experience wasn't like all the five-star raves here, because honestly, this person…read moredoes NOT deserve that. To preface: I understand if an optometrist suspects something, they refer you to an ophthalmologist. That's normal. I also understand nerves can look "questionable," and I'm fine with being referred. In fact, I loved the ophthalmologist I ended up seeing. What bothers me is the sketchy way this all went down, which left me with a very suspicious gut feeling.
First off, the "exam room" was basically a long storage closet with old papers stacked everywhere, a chair, and i actually think it was the closet -- just fully not a professional medical office. It felt dirty and disorganized, 100% total opposite of every other optometrist I've ever seen. First red flag.
Then during the exam (not dilated), he kept making "hmm...uhhh..." noises while looking through his lens. When I asked what was wrong, he literally said: "When I look at your eye, I SEE GLAUCOMA." I was shocked. I had just turned 40 three months ago, have zero family history, and every other optometrist has told me my nerves looked healthy -- one even showed them on a big screen and called them "healthy nerve examples."
I told him this and he replied, "Well, glaucoma can show up later," then added I "may need" laser treatment -- even though when he finally did a pressure test, it was normal. If my nerves looked suspicious, fine -- just say that and refer me. But declaring "I see glaucoma" without proof, without even explaining what glaucoma even is, was just so beyond unprofessional and unnecessarily frightening.
ok SO the BIGGEST red flag: he insisted that I ONLY SEE HIS "friend" in Culver City, and (i am literally quoting him verbatim) "no ophthalmologists in Pasadena or this area are any good." Excuse me? We live in Los Angeles -- one of the biggest cities in the world, with UCLA, USC, and countless world-class specialists -- not the middle of nowhere. Meanwhile, I'm sitting in this dude's gross closet of an office, thinking, "Does he not see where he's practicing? He expects me to trust this??" The irony was laughable if it hadn't been so alarming.
Finally, despite acing my vision test, he told me I needed low-grade glasses. At checkout, the staff kept tacking on add-ons I didn't ask for ("blue light $60, anti-reflection $30, another $30..."), and I walked out $80 poorer for glasses I didn't need.
I left in shock and immediately called my mom and brother (both MDs), who were just as stunned. I refused to call his "friend" and instead went to a reputable ophthalmologist my brother recommended. That doctor did a full workup with multiple scans, tests, and dilation, and told me my optic nerves are completely healthy -- just naturally a bit larger than average. He also confirmed I DO NOT need glasses.
So this optometrist was the ONLY one who's ever told me I "have glaucoma." To me, it felt like fear tactics and upselling, and taking advantage of a woman he assumed was naïve.
My advice: do NOT go here. If you're told something serious, get a second opinion from a board-certified ophthalmologist before you spend money or agree to treatment.
