It's your body. Make the appt with Dr. B. If they say you saw Dr. A...tell them 1) I didn't like Dr. A or 2) I want a second opinion. If Dr. B tells you to go back to Dr. A..tell him no. Period. They work for you when you pay them.

Vickey

DH left one opthalmologist for exactly the same reason. He dropped that diagnosis on him and walked out of the exam room. Only he didn't even give DH a pamphlet on it.

Make your appt. with the dr. you want to see. DH and I go to the same office (not the one noted above) and we see different drs, depending upon what we want done, what questions we have. Of course, that's a little easier for us, because DD works there and generally makes our appts for us.

Please, though, DON'T WAIT ANOTHER LONG span before making the next appt. Even people who have 20/20 vision should be seeing their opthalmologist (NOT optometrist) at least every year or two, to check on the health of their eyes. Glaucoma, for example, usually has no early symptoms but can be treated effectively if caught early. If you wait until you notice a change, the sight you've lost is gone forever. It's something of a crusade with me, to encourage regular eye exams, since I was diagnosed with high ocular pressure in my late 20's.

By the sound of it, the office won't be surprised you are switching. If they ask why, say the recommendation of friends.

Heck no, go see who you want. And I would tell them why, that you didn't feel you got the answers to your questions. And if you don't like the other doctor, go to a different town. There are plenty of eye docs around.

You got excellent advice from azzalea! I needed eye surgery as a young child, and I will be forever grateful to my parents for ensuring that I had the best ophthalmologist in the world. My problem was permanently resolved after the surgery, but I have continued to go to an ophthalmologist regularly all my life.

My current doctor "dropped the cataract bomb" on me several years ago. He didn't give me a pamphlet or go into an explanation about cataracts because (1) he knew I had had eye surgery and had always received excellent eye care (so I was knowledgeable about ophthalmology); (2) I had told him that both my parents had had cataract surgery; and (3) he told me that cataract surgery is a long way down the road for me. I'm sure he would have explained everything to me if I had asked. I didn't ask, because I wasn't surprised, but also because I am aware that surgical techniques are constantly evolving and advancing.

I'm not defending your DH's doctor, but he may have felt that surgery is so far down the road that it would be pointless to go into detail now. If you would be more comfortable with the younger doctor, you should definitely change; but please don't write him off because of his age. My best doctors have been "Medicare-eligible"!

If you are looking for a good reason to switch to Dr. B (other than that you don't like Dr. A, which is reason enough), then just say you are looking for a doctor who will be around to treat you for the rest of your life, not someone on the verge of retirement.

However, sometimes the best doctors don't have the best "bedside" manner. You want the best doctor, not the friendliest.

dedtired did hit a big nail on the head. Sometimes, and I find- a lot, the best doctors have the worst bedside manners and vice versa. Just be careful that that may not be the case here. Experience can mean a lot too. Of course you want to have the whole package but it's hard to find.

For the longest time, I thought the best doctors were those that told me the diagnosis that I wanted to hear in the way and manner I wanted to hear it. But, I found out later those diagnosis's were wrong and those doctor were generally not the best because their strength appeared to be pleasing people and being sociable, not always good medicine. Can Dr. A perform a surgery as well as Dr. B if needed?

Now if you are generally healthy, your main concern may be having a good social rapport with our doctor and being able to ask them questions, and that is fine. But if you often have real health problems, you may care more about a Dr.'s malpractice rate or how many surgeries they have performed successfully.

Of course, I see nothing wrong with you seeing the other Dr. if you didn't particular like the first doctor and you feel the other one may be better. But, and this is my last thought, keep in mind, the staff usually knows -- and they will most often push you towards the best doctor when asked. That may not be the case here, but it's worth some consideration. Why do you think the staff picked the older Dr. for you?

tough question...went to one gyn, but he was kind, gentle and not qualified to do surgery (hyst)...told me so, too...

went to the oncologist gyn...saw him at midnight (yup!), but he was the best surgeon...i stayed with him for about 4 almost 5 years then quit...just couldn't stand him anymore...he'd done what was required of him and i moved on...

Don't even think of seeing Dr. A again. If they won't allow you to switch, can you go to a neighboring town to a new place? I know what it's like to see a doctor you don't like.

Once I tried to switch doctors when there were two in the office, and they would not allow it.

I'm guessing that's how Dr. B's line got that long! :)

The doctor's visit was in February...I remember he had to ask his assistant what the date was.
I'm hoping to wait at least another 4 months before making
an appointment to see the young doctor...because I'm a coward...Hope the receptionist won't question me...I have to get my driver's license renewed the first of January...and worried I won't pass the eye exam.
I'm wearing reading glasses and have used them for several years...I do have trouble driving at night because of the glare from lights.
Thank you eveyone for responding.

There are 2 opthalmologists here that are popular for doing eye surgery. One of them happens to be my doctor and he did my cataract surgery 5 months ago. I used to think he didn't have much personality but I had heard he was just shy. My friend that accompanied me to the surgeries can get anyone to talk. We joked with the doctor. When I saw him in the office for post surgery follow up, he was talkative and completely different than before the surgeries.
Oh, by the way, I just love going to younger doctors and my dentist is young. They are up-to-date on the newest things and are so enthusiastic about their work.

You are inviting trouble with a great big T not going to a dr NOW. You will end up blind and that is not fun. Call Dr. B or another one, and get your eyes checked now. Sorry, I saw my Dad loose his eye sight many years ago, becaue a Dr. told him almost the same thing. We knew he had problems, but between my mom and the really stupid Dr. he lost his eyesight. I go every 3 months and DH has had catarack surgery and has glocoma under remission and if we had not moved and listened to the Dr's in CA we both would be blind. DO IT NOW!!!!!!

I would call and ask for an appt with Dr. B. Don't worry about what Dr. A might think. You and your eyes are what's important here.

Just to reassure you, My mom had cataract surgery a little while back and it went perfectly! (She also had trouble driving at night) The actual surgery was only 10 minutes or so. (Prep, recovery, post-op)made it under an hour. She had both done about a month apart. She took it easy for a day or so, but she doesn't even need to wear glasses anymore. She is so glad she had it done!