Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island

I am writing to share a highly concerning experience regarding the front desk staff at OCLI. I recently suffered a retinal tear from PVD that unfortunately failed laser treatment at another practice. When I woke up with the "curtain" effect—a clear sign of retinal detachment—my ophthalmologist instructed me to go immediately to OCLI, let them know she sent me, and have them call her with any questions. When I arrived experiencing a terrifying, potentially blinding medical emergency, I was met with disdain by the receptionist. Instead of a standard greeting, I was met with an irritated "yes?". I explained my symptoms and my doctor's direct orders. In a cold and abrupt tone, she told me, "That's not how this is done; we can't take you." After I reiterated that I was strictly following my doctor's instructions, she abruptly walked to the back, returned shortly after, and stated she had spoken to the lead tech and they would not see me. My primary complaint is not that they were unable to fit me into the schedule—scheduling limitations happen. My complaint is the appalling lack of empathy and professionalism from the first point of contact in a medical office. When a patient arrives terrified of losing their vision, they should be met with compassion, or at the very least, a helpful solution. Instead, I was treated with hostility and a complete lack of care during a traumatic, life-changing event.

I went there for some tests. Everybody was friendly and explained what they were doing. No major waiting time, everything went speedily. I can recommend Dr Lee.

I was referred here by my regular eye doctor to have my retinas evaluated, as they had seen two holes in my right eye. The first time I came to OCLI, I had, generally speaking, no issues with the service or the specialist (dr). I guess the lady at the front desk could've been a little more helpful when I asked how long the exams usually take, so I could give my ride/driver a heads up on when to pick me up/be in the parking lot. The receptionist? If that's what you would call her, she just said she has no idea, and it could take anywhere from 15 minutes to a few hours. As I said, the service could've been better, and she could've been more empathetic. Regardless, the specialist I saw was very quick with the exam and diagnosed me with degenerative myopia and retinal atrophy. Which, at 28, isn't great news. I was pregnant at the time, and was scheduled for a follow-up in 6 months to check and see if the holes were healing. A few days ago, my follow-up didn't go well. The doctor found a few more holes in my other eye, which was unexpected. He recommended a laser procedure on the spot to prevent them from getting any larger. I wasn't exactly mentally prepared since the procedure was a surprise. I also didn't know what to expect from the procedure, other than that the laser would feel like it was pricking my eye. I feel like a more thorough explanation of what the procedure would be like would have been helpful, along with maybe taking breaks during the procedure... although I'm not sure if that's possible. Anywho, when the procedure ended, there was gel on my face and tears running down my cheeks from the sensitivity of the lights. There was a lovely assistant who helped me clean up. But there were no instructions on how to proceed, and I was too disoriented to ask the right questions; can I wear contacts? Can I go swimming? Should I be putting eye drops in my eyes? After the procedure, nothing was said or suggested to me other than that I would be sensitive to the lights. Which I was. I was told to go to the checkout desk and make an appointment in a month for a follow-up, but I wasn't told what would be done in the follow-up. As I said before, this was just a check-up to see if the holes in my eye had healed, and it turned into a procedure. Surgery? Not sure what to call it. When I go to the receptionist desk, I'm met with a lovely lady who could tell I was disoriented and asked if I wanted sunglasses. I was in quite a bit of pain and was holding back tears. The first receptionist asked if the appointment in a month from now was another surgery, and mentioned something about Orchard Park, a hospital. I was confused. She walked to a second receptionist who had purple hair and asked her something about the scheduling. They were conversing when the purple-haired lady said under her breath, "How does she not know this?" which was condescending and rude. So I told her it's not my job to know, as I don't work there and I'm not the doctor. It's my job to attend appointments on time, get my exams, and follow the aftercare correctly. It's not my job to tell the people who are scheduling my appointments after just getting surgery done, and while I can barely see, what will be done during my next appointment, because I am unsure. The appointment I was checking out of was not a surgery appointment, yet it turned into one. Should the doctor or assistant have communicated with the receptionist or maybe put notes in their system?? What would they like to cover during the next appointment? That shouldn't be the client's responsibility?? More care and empathy in this situation would've prevented a bad review and a heated argument. My suggestion to the purple-haired lady would be to keep your opinions to yourself in front of clients, ESPECIALLY when they just got surgery done and is in pain, crying, and sensitive to light. And my suggestion to the practice is to fire anyone who doesn't have the common sense to wait until the client leaves to do their shit talking.

Arrived 15 minutes early for my appointment. Receptionist was speaking with a patient so I was directed to a paper sign in sheet. Waited for over an hour and a half after my scheduled appointment time. Spoke with the receptionist, who began my check-in after finding my name had already been crossed off their list. Received faster service after this, but was still questioned by the staff why I arrived so late to my appointment. Saw Dr Khan for a total of 5 minutes. I was told everything was normal and to have a good life multiple times. Eventually received an additional bill for an impromptu scan that was completed that wasn't covered by insurance and cost well over $300. Go here if you are looking for: - Long wait times - Unprofessional staff - Predatory service offerings

I have been very pleased with all my interactions from my initial consult with Dr. Khan, to ambulatory surgery and then follow up appointments, questions answered, scheduling, and billing. From the beginning, my referring ophthalmologist office informed me that I should expect to be there for 2 hours because of the time needed for proper dilation, vitals, imaging, etc. It’s a very busy practice. I highly recommend.