Frequently Asked Patient Questions
Q. Are you employed by Costco?
A. No. I am an independent doctor of optometry who chose to locate my practice at Costco, which is my landlord. I make no income from selling glasses or contacts, only from providing comprehensive exams and treating ocular disease.
Q. How can your fees be so much lower than other eye doctors? Will I receive a quality exam?
A. We provide a thorough exam with the most advanced diagnostic instruments to evaluate your vision needs and uncover any other ocular conditions that may go undetected, if not regularly monitored. I received my doctor’s degree after the same four years of training that all optometrists receive and was licensed to practice by the state after extensive testing. We can offer lower fees because our overhead is lower operating within costco, and we are able to keep busy seeing patients all day because of our convenient location.
Q. Will I receive a written prescription after the exam? Will the prescription be accepted anywhere?
A. We will supply a written prescription and summary of your exam as you leave the office.The prescription is valid anywhere in the U.S.
Q. I had an eye exam a little over a year ago, and my vision seems fine. Why do I need another exam?
A. We think it is important that all of our patients receive an annual eye exam. Your vision can change over a 12-month period. A regular check-up enables us to uncover any sight-threatening ocular conditions that can develop, unnoticed by you.
Q. Will you accept my insurance plan?
A. For the convenience of our patients, we accept most vision plans for whatever portion of the examination cost the plan covers. Please let us know your insurance company so that we can confirm your coverage.
Q. Why does it cost more for a contact lens exam?
A. We do additional testing with contact lens patients to measure the curvature of the eye to ensure that we prescribe the lens that optimizes fit and comfort. We also do an evaluation after you have worn the lenses for a given period to make sure there are no complications.
Q. Aren’t all contact lenses the same? Shouldn’t I just buy the cheapest ones?
A. They are not all the same. The contact lens companies spend millions of dollars every year to improve their lenses and regularly introduce new and better technology. You wouldn’t want to buy a five-year-old computer. For the same reason, it’s best to keep current and wear the latest and best lenses. Right now the companies are introducing new lens materials that allow much more oxygen to pass through, making them healthier to wear and enabling people to wear them in comfort for 14 hours or more per day. We recommend these new materials to most patients, even though they cost a little more, because we think they are better for their eyes in the long run.
Q. Will my contact lens prescription allow me to buy any brand of lens I want?
A. Your prescription is for a specific brand of contact lens that my examination and experience tell me is best for your vision and ocular health.
Q. Is it safe to wear a contact lens with a small tear in it?
A. A torn lens can damage the delicate outer tissue of your eye and lead to serious infection. If you tear a lens and do not have a replacement, come into the office right away and we will provide, at no charge, a lens that you can wear until your new supply arrives.
Questions on Ortho-K
Q. Please explain what Ortho-Keratology is and give a basic sense of how it works.
A. Orthokeratology is a procedure using specially designed gas permeable contact lenses to gently reshape the corneal curvature of the eye while sleeping. The lenses are designed to be removed upon awakening and the patient will have great vision throughout the day without the need of daily contact lenses or eye glasses.
Q. How does the Ortho-K assist in treating nearsightedness, and astigmatism.
A. The way to have clear vision is for light rays that travel through your eye to focus on your retina, orthokeratology does this by gently reshaping the cornea. It's a similar philosophy (changing corneal curvature) as LASIK but orthokeratology does no permanent damage or removal of corneal tissue as with LASIK.
Q. How does the Ortho-K slow the progression of childhood myopia.
A. It has been concluded in many studies that orthokeratology will halt or slow down the increase of axial length of the eye which is directly correlated to halting or slowing down progression of myopia.
Q. What is it about this particular technology that you find most exciting, or the component that made you feel you need to use in this for your practice?
A. I love practicing orthokeratology because of the myopia control aspect. It's great to keep a child's nearsightedness from increasing exponentially and by doing that it will decrease the child's risk of developing retinal detachment or glaucoma in the future.
Q. What results can a patient expect from being treated with Ortho-k?
A. While being treated with orthokeratology, patients can expect clear daytime vision without the need of daytime glasses or contact lenses.
