I was seeing Dr Kim annually to check for side effects of hydroxychloroquine that I was taking to…read moretreat Sjogren's. The last 3 years I saw him, I expressed concern that my left eye vision was progressively impaired with blank spots. He shrugged it off, saying it was just floaters. I finally went to a new opthalmologist. At my first visit with my new dr I was advised that I have retinal toxicity in both eyes and that the toxicity is quite progressed in my left eye as a result of taking hydroxychloroquine. It took 4 months for Dr Kim's office to transfer all my records. When they were reviewed by my new dr, it was clear that I had developed the retinal toxicity years before and Dr Kim had missed the diagnosis each of those years. I now have irreparable damage to my vision, and have been referred to a retinal specialist. Had Dr Kim diagnosed the toxicity when it first appeared on the scans, I would have stopped taking hydroxychloroquine then and my vision would not have been impaired. Dr Kim is either incompetent and doesn't know how to identify retinal toxicity, or he just doesn't care. Please take care of yourselves and stay away from Dr Kim!

Dr. Kim made a strange, off-topic, violent political comment during a routine visit. Spent only a…read morefew minutes taking care of my grandmother. Would definitely not recommend.

I went to see Dr. Chapman a few days ago because I was having persistent headaches and my regular…read moredoctor suggested to go see an ophthalmologist for a more comprehensive eye exam. As soon as I walked into the office, they were ready to help me, which I appreciate since I went during my lunch hours. The lady in the front desk did a couple of tests before I went to see the doctor. She was nice and helpful. Then, I went into the examination room where Dr. Chapman came in and introduced himself in a very friendly manner. I brought some medical records from my previous doctor to show him. He went over everything I brought and performed a complete eye exam. He answered all of my questions and prescribed new glasses. Luckily my old prescription glasses were causing my headaches! Since Obama care hasn't gone into effect, I currently have no insurance. Dr. Chapman charged me a reasonable amount for the great services he gave me. I would highly recommend anybody to see Dr. Chapman for an eye exam because he is attentive, helpful and competent.

Dr Yohai is the BEST I had lasik surgery 22 yrs ago. Never…read morethinking about cateract surgery back then and not knowing it was important to have the demensions of your eyes prior to lasik. Fast forward 22 yrs and I need cateract surgery. I had been to two other ophthalmologists and each one told me they could not guarantee what my vision would b after cateract surgery, because I did not have the demensions of my eyes prior to cateract surgery. These r my eyes people, I was not liking those odds. I remembered my optometrist from years ago had told me about Dr Yohai - in fact I had been to him a couple of times for eye exams but we never discussed cateracts. I made an appt with Dr Yohai and told him my story and he told me not having the eye demensions prior to lasik surgery was NOT a problem, he had the latest technology that could handle this. I gotta tell you Dr Yohai is a miracle worker. I have 20/30 vision in my right eye and 20/25 vision in my left eye but both eyes together I have 20/20 vision. These r your eyes people - go to the best. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to have this vision. I was happy if I had to wear glasses that did not have extra thick lenses that I had prior to lasik surgery.

Excellent support staff offer kind efficient service with patience …read more.. Team support at front with courtesy and compassion.

Eye Institute of Marin has wonderful doctors and staff who pay great attention to detail. They…read morehave the latest equipment and take their time. Dr Hemond is following my eyes carefully which hasn't been done before. I do have a problem with needing to make 2 appointment when only one should be necessary. One for the tests and one to have my eyes dilated and speak with the doctor. I don't have time for 2 appointments.

I read a lot of Yelp reviews before interviewing two cataract surgeons. Dr. Shin's negative…read morereviews all had to do with personality; unlike the other surgeons reviewed, no one complained about his outcomes. That seemed worth following up. I found Dr. Shin matter-of-fact and knowledgeable. He knows what he's doing and is ready to get on with it. During the process of preparing for and following up on two cataract surgeries, I had lots of questions, and always got the support I needed from his staff, and when necessary from him. He knew I was nervous about the surgery and took the time to allay my concerns, including scheduling an extra visit. I was a little concerned at first about having state-of-the-art surgery in a charming 100 year old building, but in retrospect it was a much more comfortable experience than a hospital setting, and probably more sanitary. Having to fast the day of the surgery, I wasn't thrilled to have my two procedures scheduled for mid-day. It made more sense when his scheduler told me that Dr. Shin does the patients first who are least able to tolerate fasting. This is someone who worries about his patients. My wife's cataract surgeon had her come in for follow-ups the day after surgery, the next week, the next month, and so on. Dr. Shin saw me the day after, and then said to see my regular opthamologist in a few months. Some might find that off-putting. I was reassured by his attitude that this is routine stuff. OK, you know what to expect. Dr. Shin might not suit everyone, but if you want your cataracts fixed skillfully and efficiently, he's the guy.

I went to Dr. Chin for a chalazion on my eyelid that was blurring my vision. At the first visit he…read morewas confident and clear: it was pressing on my eye, and I should try compresses and ointment, then schedule an excision if that didn't work. I followed his instructions exactly. It went downhill from there. I was called in on a day he doesn't do procedures, told there was only a 50/50 chance he'd actually do it, and nearly charged for an unnecessary second consult. Staff falsely claimed I'd reported pain. When I finally saw him, he contradicted his own diagnosis, said my blurry vision was just my glasses, hadn't reviewed his notes, and seemed reluctant to do the procedure he'd told me to schedule. In fact, he said I think this is scar tissue at this point. If I do this, you might just have more scar tissue. This completely contradicted what he told me on the first exam. The excision itself was worse: not enough numbing, nothing to brace my head against as the blade came toward my open eye until I asked, and a wobbly headrest. I could feel the cutting, and when I said so, he dismissed it. In fact, when the Q-tip he was using to clean it afterwards hurt like hell he said oh it's only a Q-tip. And I said well I don't care what it is. It hurts. I was on the verge of a panic attack. I had to sit with my eyelid in a clamp, flipped open and had to watch a sharp blade repeatedly come towards my eye. You really gotta be numb for that! The procedure worked, but only because I pushed for it and survived it. My adrenal system is wrecked.

I highly recommend Dr. Bonnie Nickel. She was absolutely lovely and you can tell she has deep…read moreexperience. We were concerned our 6 month old daughter might have had a lazy eye. On our way to our appointment, we got stuck in some traffic and called ahead. Dr. Bonnie Nickel was very kind and understanding. When we got there, I was a bit worried because our daughter is going through a major stranger danger phase. Dr. Bonnie Nickel couldn't have been more warm and kind. She clearly knows all the tricks of how to put a baby at ease, and she also moved through the appointment efficiently which I appreciated. She explained everything in easy terms for us, instead of medical jargon. I wish all doctors were this wonderful to interact with.

This review is really more of a nostalgic review. Dr. Bonnie Nickel was my doctor when I was a…read morechild. She helped my parents with my cross-eye issue (double vision) and my parents would always praise her. She was my doctor in my childhood years and eventually we moved to Sacramento from the Bay Area so I never returned. I see that she mostly treats children, but also adults. Anyway, I can only imagine how scary it is to be a parent that has a child with a very visible vision problem such as mine -- and while I still remember visiting her office, it's really my parents that got to experience working with her. I was happy to learn that she's still in practice. P.S: my double vision cleared up on its own when I was a teenager! I like to think that Dr. Bonnie Nickel's expertise and prescriptions allowed my eye to straighten itself out eventually!

I saw Dr. Shimokaji for about 10 years as did my son. Thought she was great. Was always put off by…read morethe $250 annual administration fee but I paid it as I could afford it. She was good with my son and while I feel she over tested me for glaucoma (with no family history) I went along with it every 6 months even though the test always came back normal. When my income dropped I qualified for a lower premium through Covered California, the same Blue Shield PPO insurance where she is listed as a provider. Blue Shield assured me it is the same coverage so I was shocked when I went for my exam after paying the $250 for the "administration fee" and the was charged $415 for the exam as she denied taking my revised insurance. So, basically $665 for one appointment! Needless to say, I found a new doctor. They take my insurance no problem, no annual processing fee. I should note, that my other doctors have no issue with my insurance. The new place I found also charges half what Dr. Shimokaji charges for a refraction prescription. While I had a nice long run with Dr. Shimokaji, she just priced me out of her practice. I wish I had searched for someone sooner, it would have saved me a lot of money.

Unfortunately, I was not able to see the doctor due to a $250 up front "administrative fee" to even…read moresee her - a fee I can't afford at this time. I think it is unfortunate that, even when one has insurance, there is a premium that has to be paid to see a doctor, especially the top choice on YELP!

Not a trustworthy facility. They seem to want to make all sorts of exams and tests for additional…read morecharges. No follow up, no discussion, no answers to questions. And Dr Hammond is so spastic that it's very awkward. Never seen Drs act this way. See them at your own risk.

A Life-Changing Experience…read more I recently underwent cataract surgery with Dr. Najafi where she expertly replaced my cataracts with intraocular lenses (IOLs). I will admit I was hesitate and concerned about anything relating to my eyes. I have had other surgeries but anything to do with my eyes are different. Dr. Najafi is very conservative. She did surgery and replaced my cataract with an IOL in the first eye. We then waited over 2 weeks to determine the results...which were excellent. Then we replaced the cataract with and IOL in the 2nd eye...with the same excellent results. I couldn't be happier. From the very first consultation to the post-operative follow-ups, Dr. Najafi and her amazing team made me feel informed, comfortable and genuinely cared for. The entire process was smooth and reassuring. Dr. Najafi took the time to explain every step, answer all my questions, and ensure that I felt at ease throughout the procedure. Her attention to detail and expertise truly shone through, and the improvement in my vision has been nothing short of life-changing. I can now drive at night! Her professionalism, compassion and skill have given me a new lease on life, and for that, I am forever grateful to Dr. Najafi, for giving me the gift of clear vision! Thank You, Dr. Najafi

I have complete faith in Dr. Amitabh Bharadwaj, my retina specialist and the founder of Marin…read moreRetina. His training is first class: he attended Harvard for his undergraduate education, medical school, and internship, and later completed a fellowship at Wills Eye Hospital, one of the very best eye hospitals in the country. He is also on the faculty at UCSF and has more than 25 years of experience. I can't tell you how lucky I feel to have been referred to him when I was diagnosed with macular degeneration. Simply put, he saved my eyesight, which was quickly going downhill. He started treatment at my very first appointment, and not only did my eyes stabilize, they actually returned to their previous condition, which, as I understand it, is highly unusual. Dr. Bharadwaj stays current with cutting-edge research and has been an investigator in numerous clinical trials. But what makes him especially wonderful is the amazing person he is. He has a calm demeanor, is always happy to answer questions, and is warm, kind, and extremely knowledgeable. I have complete confidence in his judgment and expertise. The waiting room is not luxurious, and it is usually packed with patients. But believe me, a short wait is more than worth it when you are seeing someone with the expertise to protect your eyesight. I can't recommend Dr. Bharadwaj highly enough. I feel incredibly fortunate to be his patient.

I am updating my earlier review. I had a miraculous repair of a torn retina. Dr. Amitabh Bharadwaj…read morewas thorough and answered all my questions. He's a great doctor and has a wonderful staff. I had mentioned wait time, but upon review, that was only when I had to come to the office for an emergency, for which is logical to have to wait a bit :-). Five stars for Dr. Bharadwaj and team!

It wasn't recently but, while my family was under his care, there was not one thing that slipped by…read morehim. I only wish he was still in Copperopolis.

Dr. Goodman, Ted, Yajaira and his team are amazing. They are all kind, patient and very attentive.read more