Dr. Jovkar is the best ophthalmologist in the bay area. He is intelligent and cares about understanding your condition. He also possesses a great sense of humor. The staff is great and the office/facilities are always clean. Would recommend to anyone looking for great quality eye care. read more

Simple eye exam turned into a full snake oil pitch. First, $60 for a 'refractive measurement' of my old glasses. Any lens place will do that for free - takes 2s on a machine... Second, while your pupils dilate you get the pitch for a new frame and lenses right there - $540 for what Costco or Pearle charge less than $200. Another perhaps fine doctor turned insurance "player"... Greed... read more

Dr Jovkar is simply the best. I have this horrid issue of eyelashes getting lodged in my eye. First off, his office staff always squeeze me in on the day I call. Dr Jovkar is caring and is simply amazing. He takes the time to explain what he's going to do. I have been to other eye doctors in this similar situation and they cannot do what Dr Jovkar does. I would not trust my eyes to anyone else ever! read more

Probably the worst experience in my life. I would AVOID AT ALL COSTS. First I go there for a consult on a cyst I had in the inside of my eyes. Pretty much a pimple in my eye socket. Consult seems fine, but would like a follow up says the Dr. When I go up to the desk to pay, they said I don't have a co-pay. I know I do, so I say "TAKE MY MONEY!". Nope... they argue I don't. This goes on for 3 visits. It's also weird that I need 3 follows up in a span of 1.5 months. The 3rd visit, they suddenly found out that I DO have a co-pay. Bills me for 3 co-pays. Also tell me I now need surgery. Tries to refer me to a surgeon, where it would costs me thousands of dollars. When I try to back out of it, he suddenly says I can now have an inhouse procedure and it would cost me a few hundred. Get the surgery to get it over with, but of course the upsell comes in. Cost me $300 dollars + $60 in office visits, when it costed me $50 at a different doctor's office in Southern California. NEVER AGAIN! read more

This is my only review on Yelp. I had such a bad experience that I specifically signed up on Yelp to make sure no one else makes the same mistake. They are unprofessional, disorganized, inefficient and dangerous. My doctor recently retired and all of his patients went to Dr. Jovkar. First, I had to wait over 20 minutes to see him. On my visit, he did a brief exam and dilated my eyes. After ten minutes longer than they said it should take, they invited me back in. He said I should have the same prescription, then wrote THE WRONG PRESCRIPTION. I only noticed this when 1-800-Contacts said that it was not the same one I had last time. Had he been writing a drug prescription, he could have seriously injured me. When I told them, they DID NOT APOLOGIZE but explained how the mistake was made. They did not offer to pay for the incorrect contacts I was sent. I had to request it and follow-up to get it. While I was in the office waiting, one of the nurses asked to dilate another girl who was waiting. She needed to inform the nurse that she had already been dilated 20 minutes ago. The nurse had no clue what was going on. While I was with the girl to order glasses, she took three full phone calls while she was sitting, talking one-on-one with me. She did not offer to call anyone back or let the voicemail take it. So, to get an exam and order glasses I was in the office for TWO AND A HALF HOURS!! That is ridiculous. I just went in today to request my file because I am obviously going to another eye doctor. While I was there, a man had to go to the desk to tell them it had been half an hour since his eyes were dilated. They do not know what they are doing over there. read more

Does not know how to measure for a glasses prescription... I too loved and miss Dr. Wand. Dr. Jovkar is running a factory. 3 exam rooms where very young and inexperienced nurses prep and dialate you. Then he comes in for 5 minutes -- spending 3 telling you how great his new computerized auto-prescription maker is, 1 telling you how Dr. Wand was getting old and about 1 more minute writing your prescription. His prescriptions were so bad, I could not use the glasses. They geometrically distorted everything so badly it was worse than not wearing them. I went back a year later (like a moron) and tried to tell him this. He told me I was wrong, bragged a bit, and walked out. It was getting to the point where I could not use my computer which I need for work so this was becoming a career problem... Out of desperation, I asked my pharmacy clerk about the optometrist next door and she said he was great. I went in there and asked his assistant if he'd be willing to talk to me about problems I had with other prescriptions. She said, "Of course. You can't shut him up..." :) I made the appointment and he spent over an hour with me and I ended up with two perfect pairs of glasses. First thing to note, Dr. Jovkar is very proud of himself, his accomplishments, and his cool gadgets -- turns out he got an engineering degree before heading off to med school. Second point, seems that real eye doctors kinda suck at setting you up for glasses. An Ophthalmologist goes to med school for years and takes about a semester in what's called "refraction and focus" measurement -- the things they do to fit you for glasses. An Optometrist goes to school for years learning how to fit for glasses. Do the math on that. I wish I could plug the new guy, but that would discredit this review. There are so many eye doctors and optometrists in the Los Gatos area, all I can do is urge readers to try any one who's not Dr. Jovkar. P.S. Agree with the previous post. I waited over an hour every time because he's intentionally overbooking to rake in the dollars. read more

I had a practically perfect experience at this office. I received an extensive detailed answer for every single question I asked. Dr. Jovkar is a very intelligent man, and he definitely deserves his status. Also, random observation, but cleanliness is a top virtue in this facility. Every single counter top and machine was cleaner than a new bar of soap. My only tiny complaint was it was a bit crowded, and my appt. took a bit longer than expected, but other than that the experience was perfect. Thank you to the very warm and knowledgeable staff, I will be seeing you next year! read more

I was referred to Dr. Jovkar's office by my PCP for a 2nd opinion since I had been treated by another Opthamologist with no positive results or improvement for my condition, which is not a serious issue but one of constantly tearing that doesn't stop. It took a month but the original Dr's office finally sent my medical records to Dr. Jovkar's office. I never was able to see Dr. Jovkar so I can not speak to his skill or lack of it. What I can speak to is the attitude and lack of patient communication skills exhibited by his office employee, "Carol". When I called to make an appointment, she came on the line and simply said, and I quote, "There is nothing we can do for you"! No explanation, no information, no nothing. When I tried to ask if there was nothing else that could be done, she simply repeated her original statement...."There is nothing we can do for you", and she hung up on me. It was clearly obvious that she wanted to control the conversation and was unwilling to even offer an explanation. I'm a mature adult. I can handle the truth. If there is nothing else that can be done, I'll live with that...just tell me the truth, don't give me a belligerent attitude. i would never recommend this office to anyone. There is clearly a "control" issue going on. read more

Surprised to see these reviews. The doctor was very friendly, and I had no issues with the office. He knew what he was doing, by treating my eye issue. He saw me until the infection was cleared up. If I had another problem, I would go to him again. read more

I have been seeing Dr. Jovkar for a few years now. His is very friendly and knowledgeable. His staff too have always gone out of their way for me. read more

Dr Jovkar performed surgery on my right eye to remove a pterygum that had already been removed once. I cannot even describe what a great experience I had going though his practice for my surgery. My previous experience was awful and. Dr Jovkar made me feel very comfortable, he explained the procedure thoroughly and what I loved the most is that he uses the latest techniques so the surgery went extremely well and the recovery time was way shorter. He has been on top of my case following up on my progress with several appointments, monitoring my eye sight, pressure and the overall healing. I really appreciate this since after my first surgery I only had one follow up and had regrowth within 2 months. Dr Jovkar and his staff also go above and beyond caring for you, I moved to Sao Paulo Brazil couple weeks ago so he made sure he saw me up to the last day I was in the US and ensured my recovery was going well, he also searched for local doctors for me who specialized in the cornea so I can work with them locally for future follow ups. I am so glad I went to Dr Jovkar's practice, him and his staff are great! read more

I switched to Dr. Jovkar from an eye clinic where I never seemed to see the same doctor twice. That was OK for routine checkups and new eyeglass prescriptions, but when I began to develop cataracts I wanted consistency and experience. Dr Jovkar did a wonderful job with my cataracts, from explaining things in advance through surgery and follow up care. I'm very happy with my new improved vision. (Not so new any more, actually; it's been several years.) I've been going to him ever since for routine checkups and adjustments to my prescription. (Yes, your eyes still change even after cataract surgery.) And I've been buying my glasses from his in house optician. Because he's small, with only one person dispensing eyeglasses, there are sometimes delays on that side, and perhaps less choice than I might get elsewhere - but it's conveniently under one roof, and the optician has been an absolute genius at finding me glasses that look wonderful on me. So I'm happy doing this. My only real complaint is that Dr Jovkar is older than I am. He'll eventually retire and then I'll have to find a new eye doctor. ;-) read more

Dr. S. Jovkar has been my eye doctor for over 13 years. He is one of the BEST I have come to know. He is kind, compassionate and always available for his patients. Dr. S. Jovkar is highly qualified and experienced on the most advanced options for proper eye care. Because of his impressive body of work, Dr Jovkar was chosen by San Jose Magazine as one of San Jose's Top Doctors. i have recommended Dr.Jovkar to all my friends and family. He also has an outstanding staff. Thank you Dr. Jovkar for your contribution and dedication to eye care. read more

When I was unable to sleep because of eye irritation at night I sought an ophthalmologist. I found Dr. Jovkar on Yelp, and decided to make an appointment. Though I had not been a previous patient I was seen the same day. After a brief exam I was found to have calcium concretions under the lid of my eyes. Dr. Jovkar removed them the same day, and I had the first good night's sleep in weeks. Dr. Jovkar was very caring in his demeanor and explained everything he was going to do to me before he proceeded. I was at complete ease under his care. Dr. Jovkar is a pleasant, well-mannered, talented ophthalmologist. I found his entire staff to be courteous and competent. I ordered some reading glasses for the computer, from the in-house eyeglass store, and was very happy with the service I received. read more

Dr. Jovkar is undoubtedly one of the very best eye doctors in the area. He helped me through a very painful eye injury after my cat scrateched my eye and has always taken a lot of time to explain things to me. read more

Dr. Jovkar has taken care of me for several years. Dr. Jovkar is very knowledgable and thorough. I have high confidence in his expertise. He's quite personable and doesn't dismiss questions and concerns out of hand. Dr. Jovkar is the best ophthalmologist I've ever visited. He has been always available for emergency visits and same-day visits, when needed. I have recommendeded Dr. Jovkar to my family and friends who have been very happy with his care. read more

I had a situation where I got a bunch of sudden floaters, and called a vision care clinic near my house. (Not Dr. Jovkar,..) The doctor I saw said I had a small tear, that she needed to take a bunch of pictures of it to later measure how the tear had changed, and that I should come back after a week and they'd see if it had gotten bigger. The guy who took the pictures kept saying he couldn't find the tear, but that he'd take the pictures anyhow...I went home, looked it up on the Internet, and found out that a tear is supposed to be dealt with right away. I then found that they had had me see an optometrist, NOT an opthomologist. I called my primary care physician to ask his thoughts, and he suggested that I go see Dr. Jovkar. I am really glad I did! He met me at his office during off hours, gave me a complete exam, and thoroughly explained everything that was going on with my eye. It turned out there was NOT a tear. I just needed to watch and wait, and he told me exactly what to watch for. I found him professional, knowledgeable, and very nice. Also, his prices were very reasonable; I think he charged me something like $125 (can't remember the exact amount but it was definitely reasonable). I later got a bill from the FIRST clinic I went to for the first eye check, and it was more than $800, for what actually turned out to be a wrong diagnosis...) I wish I had gone to Dr. Jovkar to begin with; he gave me an accurate diagnosis, he treated me respectfully and kindly, and his price was significantly lower than the first doctor I visited! I highly recommend him. read more

My previous eye doctor sent me a letter before he retired. I went to Dr. Jovkar. I was very impressed with his credentials. During several visits, he has taken time to listen to me. I've noted that he is polite and kind to his patients. I have seen Dr. Jovkar on multiple occasions, and on one occasion the wait was longer than usual. But I understand that in a doctos's office there are times that a patient has an emergency or may need more time. Dr. Jovkar has helped me when I needed his time and help. Dr. Jovkar has a busy office since his patients value his expertise. The office is very organized. As a matter of fact, he is among the very few doctors that I have that use electronic medical records which makes it easy to see everything about my medical history and previous visits, labs etc. Before becoming a doctor, Dr. Jovkar was an elctrical engineer and his office has some of the most modern precise equipment in an ophthalmology office. I recommend Dr. Jovkar's office highly because of his bedside manners, excellent care, and his friendly staff. read more

I am a Medicare only patient needing cataract surgery and explained to Jovkar and staff that I could not afford any extra expense. He tried very hard to get me to go for the most expensive (non reimbursed) lens but I declined. He did the first eye as I requested but made and error and used the expensive lens in the second eye. So now, not only do I have different lenses in each eye but a huge amount of extra expenses that he expects me to pay for anyway. His only response to my complaint has been a letter telling me I am no longer his patient. Underhanded and unprofessional. Definitely, DO NOT use this guy for ANYTHING!!! read more

I have to say I recently created a yelp account and I wanted to make sure my first review doesn't go to waste. I was referred to Dr. Jovkar by one of my friends, he says he that he is a very kind doctor. I totally agree. When I first walked in their office made me feel warm and greeted like my own home. I was greeted by their kind staff and they told me to fill out a form. Moments later they told me the doctor was ready for me. Dr. Jovkar was very friendly and he answered all of my questions. He also told me about his site www.jovkar.com which contains many patient education videos that were very helpful. Overall a visit to the doctor's has never been more enjoyable for me and I am looking forward to my next visit. read more

I was a patient of Dr Jovkar's for several years and recently switched to another ophthalmologist. I realized that Dr Jovekar did not communicate well except talking checks and tests. He asked me to come every 6 months for last 3-4 years and performed too many tests, which I now believe were unnecessary. His staff focused on selling me expensive eyeglasses. My new ophthalmologist is great at communication and warm, discusses my issues at length, does not sell eyeglasses, and also suggested next checkup in 3 year. I wish if had switched earlier. read more

I went to this guy two years and I felt like he was trying to upsell me on him. According to him I needed to come back and see him far more often than any other eye doc would recommend. I am in the market for a new provider. read more

About 20 years ago my wife had a benign brain tumor that caused some damage to the right optic nerve. When her ophthalmologist, who ordered the MRI that led to the discovery of the tumor, retired many years after her surgery he turned his business over to Dr. Jovkar. She has been going to Dr. Jovkar for the past several years. She told him early on that her parents had both suffered from wet macular degeneration and she was concerned about getting it. So, every time she had an appointment she would ask if there were any signs of macular degeneration, and the answer was always no--until about 18 months ago when he said she was showing some signs of macular degeneration. It caught my wife off guard and she didn't think to ask what she should do. I went with her to her next appointment. After the exam, when he didn't say anything about macular degeneration, we asked if he saw anything signs of it. He said "No" and that he was watching for glaucoma and cataracts. At her last annual appointment she had her vision tested, needed new glasses, and ordered them. Shortly after she got the new glasses she started telling me that she couldn't see very well out of her right eye and blamed the new glasses. We went back to the optician in Dr. Jovkar's office and my wife told her that she was seeing a lot of darkness and didn't think the glasses were right. The optician said the glasses were not the problem and she told Dr. Jovkar about my wife's vision problem. Without even examining her eyes, he told us that the brain tumor was probably coming back and she should go get an MRI to get it checked out. We then made an appointment with her neurologist, who has been monitoring her since the brain surgery, and told him that Dr. Jovkar had recommended getting another MRI because of a vision problem. He ordered the MRI, as well as an EEG, and when the results showed that everything was normal, he referred us to a retinal specialist. Nearly two months passed from Dr. Jovkar's MRI recommendation until we could get in to see the specialist. The retinal doctor immediately diagnosed a case of wet macular degeneration and recommended a course of treatment, but warned us that at this point the treatments may or may not help. She may never see again out of her right eye. We were of the opinion that an ophthalmologist should be able to diagnose macular degeneration. We are not sure why Dr. Jovkar was unable to diagnose the macular degeneration, when at one examination he apparently saw signs of it, and then later said there were no signs. But when he was told my wife could not see out of her right eye and incorrectly attributed it to a nonexistent brain tumor without even examining her, we lost all confidence in him. We'll never know whether quick action at that time could have saved my wife's vision or not, but we can't imagine that the two month delay did it any good. One thing for certain is that we will never be in his office again. read more

Dr. Jovkar is a pleasant man who does not explain things very thoroughly, but he was helpful in prescribing eye drops and glasses that worked well for two years. But the last time I saw him, the adjustments he made on his lens adjustment device weren't able to improve my vision, and he suggested that a cataract in my left eye was preventing me from getting maximum results from glasses. He advised me that the cataract wasn't very far along, and that it would have to be considered elective surgery. I sought a second opinion from Dr. David F. Chang in Los Alto, a renowned expert on cataracts. His optometrist enabled me to get perfect focus with the office's lens adjustment device, thus making better glasses possible. Dr. Chang said that Medicare wouldn't approve surgery for my left eye because the procedure wouldn't actually improve my vision. He concluded that my cataract would not require surgery for many years. read more

Dr Jovkar is friendly and a wonderful doctor. My 3 boys also go to him, and they never complain about seeing the Dr. His staff is very friendly, and the waiting room is clean and comfortable. I would recommend him in a heart beat. read more

So very surprised to see the negative reviews. I have been going to Dr. Jovkar for over ten years and think the world of him. He is kind, compassionate and a wonderful doctor. The staff has always been professional and caring as well. He even suggested and referred me to a second opinion from a colleague of his at Stanford when I needed eye surgery. I ended up having the surgery in Dr. Jovkar's office but I really liked the fact that he cared enough to have me see another doctor for another opinion. Once when I had an eye infection over the weekend I had called his emergency line, he told me to meet him at his office straight away. His office was closed as It was a Saturday afternoon. I am grateful to have him as my doctor. Honestly, you couldn't pay me to see another eye doctor. He is the best! read more

I am a priamry care physician in Los Gatos and my wife is a physician also. Dr. Jovkar is our family opthalmologist and has been for 6 yrs. I would not trust the eyes of my pateints or my wife and children to anyone else but him. He is the doctors' opthalmologist as I am not the only physician that sees him. read more

I generally agree with the comments about Dr. Jovkar on here~he's a pleasant man who appears competent. The staff, particularly the woman in the eyeglasses department, well, that's another story... And the fact that she remains there, continuing to FLEECE and INSULT patients, I can only conclude that Dr. Jovkar condones her actions. To back up: I, too, was a patient of Dr. Wand's and miss him TREMENDOUSLY! It's funny to see the people who've comment that their previous doctor "recommended" Dr. Jovkar. Dr. Wand's name is still on the door and very likely he still has a stake in the practice which was taken over by Dr. Jovkar. Who ELSE is he going to "recommend"? Without exception, every visit has resulted in a too long wait, including the time I had to sit back in the reception area while my eyes were dilating. On my last visit, the assistant FLOODED my eyes with an excessive amount of solution such that they felt as though they were on fire. She only needed to put in a small drop (I'm familiar with the procedure) but seemed to have emptied most of the dropper; it took several minutes for my eyes to calm. But the worst is the eyeglasses department. The woman is RUDE RUDE RUDE! Those on here who've written she answers the phone and doesn't even give those of us sitting right there the courtesy of putting callers on hold or telling them she'll call back are correct. Was she never taught the: "The person sitting in front of you has priority over the caller" rule?! She has a way of framing things that is belitting. Just one small example: when I said I didn't want the "scratch-resistant" coating because it attracts dust and smudges, she'll repeat on every point "and since you don't want the features the doctor recommends..." as though shoving it in your face that you're going against doctor's orders or that you're cheap. Anyway, after today's visit and having spent over 90 minutes for an appointment that took about 8 and having to deal with the eyeglasses woman who was particularly obnoxious, I decided I've had it with that place. I'm leaving and buying my glasses elsewhere and transferring to another practice. read more

I would not recommend this doctor and this office. For one thing, due to their own logistics, they set up your annual check up as two appointments, so you have to come back for one of the tests and that way get to charge your insurance two office visits. I had to call and get them to bill correctly and let them know I or my insurance is not liable for their shortcoming and lack of adequate number of rooms to do all the tests in one visit. Also I had to wait more than 45 minutes each time to be seen. His assistant who does the tests does not observe proper hygiene. She has large acrylic nails which prevent her from properly wiping the surfaces where you as the patient often have to rest your chin on to get you eyes examined/tested. When I asked her to please wipe the surfaces properly or adjust my chair so I could be sat comfortable to the peripheral vision test, she did not and was rude to me. When I brought it to the attention of the doctor, he did not seem to care and did not apologize. I will not be going back to see Dr. Jovkar or visit this office again read more

initial appointments went fine but when mt insurance changed and i needed my records sent to kaiser it took over 5 phone calls and a month and a half and the issue is still not resolved. read more

I just had emergency surgery by Dr. Jovkar, My regular optometrist is on vacation and his office recommended Dr. Jovkar to me. I woke this morning with a very uncomfortable feeling in my eye. I thought I had a lash or something but the more I probed the more it hurt. Dr. Jovkar's office made an appointment for me by 2 p.m. the same day. Dr. Jovkar discovered a very rare ingrown eyebrow in my eyeball and proceeded to remove it completely and painlessly right then and there. He also diagnosed very dry eyes which have been plaguing me for years and prescribed medicine that should offer some comfort in the future. Here I was, a referred patient with an emergency problem and was treated with sympathy and respect. The office staff were friendly and helpful. The office was immaculate. I was so happy that my doctor chose Dr. Jovkar as his on call doctor when he was on vacation. I would recommend him to my friends. read more