Of course I always procrastinate getting my eyes examined until I'm on my last pair of contacts. It…read morealways goes that way! Was lucky enough to get squeezed into the busy schedule at Eye Microsurgery. I used to go to Clarkson Eyecare, and had a really bad experience with them last year, and vowed that I would no longer go to them for my yearly eye examination. Using my insurance's "find a provider" tool, I just took a chance on Dr. Andrea Andrud based on how centrally her office is located here in St. Louis. I'm glad I rolled the dice! The entrance to the medical building where Eye Microsurgery is located is actually across from the building's parking garage, a bit hidden but eventually found it with some help from a friendly patient sitting in a waiting room. Historically, I'm a bit grossed out by hospitals. I'm a germaphobe and hospitals always seem like a breeding ground of communicable diseases and bacteria. I was obviously very happy to see all the COVID-19 precautions the facility was taking. Elevators had rules posted and even had markers to mark where you should stand if you have to share an elevator. The waiting room for Eye Microsurgery was very easy to locate, and was very comfortable and welcoming. I really liked that the office sent a packet to my home a week before my exam to fill out and bring with me. That cut down wait time before being seen. The women who greeted me at the front desk were very hospitable and professional. Typically, when I go to a more "big box" eye care center like Clarkson or Lenscrafters, it's not that I don't trust the doctor I'm seeing, but going to an eye surgery center felt different. The doctors there are Opthamologists, which means they diagnose and treat eye diseases, including vision loss, detached retinas, cataracts and glaucoma. They perform laser retina surgery, refractive surgery and lens replacement operations. Dr. Andrea Andrud was a pure joy to visit with! She had an incredibly warm bedside manner and made meaningful small talk during our visit. One example was talking about my dog and suggesting I could get a halloween costume for him with "Doc Hound" embroidered on it. (Doc Hound was a play on words on dachshund! I love word play) She fully explained all the exams she was performing, and made me feel very at ease. It was incredibly easy to trust her expertise! She set me up with a very comfortable pair of contacts as well as some great eye drops for my excessively dry eyes. Really looking forward to my appointment next year!