I have glaucoma and dry-eye, so I see an ophthalmologist at a local clinic. But I don't get glasses there, because they're too expensive. I broke my glasses in FL over the winter, got new ones at Sears and was very happy with them.

Because of medical issues, we go to the group connected with our other Dr's. From the optometrists to the ophthalmologists, all in the same building and because the records are on the computer, they can access our medical records from other doctors. One of the eye Doc;s has developed a way to put in a shunt into to eye to help those with glaucoma etc. Not sure about glasses, so far haven't need to replace mine yet. My eyes have not changed much if any over the last 4 years----pretty good for a old lady!!!!!
Marie
I try to stay away from J.C Penneys (had bad experience), etc try Costco or Walmart for glasses. Not sure arout Sears, not much cheaper in my opinion.

While I have no problem with going to a "big box" eye store for glasses, I have always had my eyes checked by an ophthalmologist. (I had eye surgery as a young child for an inherited problem, so treatment by an ophthalmologist was a given.) Since I have gotten older, I have checkups every year. I will not cut corners, where my eyes are concerned. There are problems that can be corrected if caught early.

Years ago I always went to big box optometrist. After experiencing problems with prescriptions more than once I went to a local optometrist. He does a thorough job, is not rushed, and the staff gives great service. DS(14) left his glasses on the floor and they got stepped one. 9 months had passed since he got the glasses-the office immediately ordered him new frames at no cost. They actually replaced them again at no charge when a small cosmetic piece came off the arm of the new ones. My glasses are quite expensive ( the particular prescription plus progressives). I get my contacts from the optometrist and take home my eyeglass rx and shop around for that. Probably with the correct rx you can order from anywhere. In the spring I bought my glasses from BJ's which I love!!! DD(20) just got glasses from there too. You don't have to be a member of a club store to use their optical store.

I go to an opthalmologist yearly for my eye exams. I have a medical condition in one eye so Medicare or my secondary insurance pay for it. I got 2 pairs of glasses (one was sun glasses) at Sears. I wasn't very satisfied with them and then the place closed. Shortly after that I had cataract surgery on both eyes and Medicare paid for new glasses. I got those at the opthalmologist's office and there was a huge difference in quality. You get what you pay for.

I think much depends on where you live. Not long ago we lived in a tiny rural community and I think that I had excellent care from the local optometrist.He was ';there for me' immediately when I fell or got something in my eye, as well as being on top of my early machler degeneration (sp?). Yes, my glasses were more expensive.... but I did get more than excellent eye care. I hope he is still there, raising his family and doing well

Now in a larger city; have an excellent opthtalmologist who after 8 years is doing cataract surgery in a week or so.I get great care, since I am diabetic and on medicare, but I usually take my Rx to Costco to get glasses. He has a glasses shop at his practice.... I just didn't see what I wanted selection wise..

I have strong family history of eye disease & am highly myopic (nearsidedness), so I would never go to a "big box" store for eye care. When my optometrist first started practicing he worked part time in a local doc's practice & part time @ WalMart. He told me that @ WM they have to cut corners to keep within the price constraints. So I guess "you get what you pay for" applies. I do have vision insurance so that helps too. I can get my contact lens cheaper online than thru him, so he just writes an Rx, no problem & he told me the lens are exactly the same.

For routine eye exams, I go to Walmart (Dr. Pike) here in Panama City, Fl. - he discovered my cataracts.

I go to Advanced Eye Care in Panama City, Florida, for all my eye care, now that I've had cataract surgery in both eyes. The doctor (Ben Hasty) is an M.D. and gives superior care to his patients!!!!

I would not trust my eyes to anyone but a very very well known and established eye Doctor, ophthalmologist/surgeon! I have a lot of eye issues very myopic, very bad astigmatism, lattice degeneration of the retina, legally blind with out correction and I am on medication that can cause loss of visual field. I have my eyes examined every 6 months or less. That is one place I will never skimp, I don't have a lot of vision left and I sure won't trust it to someone that is not a top level specialist.

I always use an Ophthalmologist. I figure my eyes are worth the extra little bit of cost. They are something I never want to take a chance with.

We see an ophthalmologist. Although the Lens Crafters' doctors who saw my husband in a need-new-glasses emergency were good, they are limited. The ophthalmologist can do a lot more to check out the eyes and make sure they are as healthy as possible. For my husband, we finally got an answer from the ophthalmologist about an issue he's always had, and it turns out not to be a problem. It eased my mind to know his eyes are totally healthy.

I go to an ophthalmologist/surgeon also. I'm have borderline glacoma. I've been with the same doctor for over 30 years and will not change. I am trying to find an eye place that specializes in high density lenses. The closes one I seen was Canada. My glasses are really thick and would like to see if I can get them thinner.

I value my eyes, and I see a private practice ophthalmologist now that I have 'issues'.

We also go to a Board Certified Ophthalmologist. Our insurance policy covers the exam.

Luckily I'm still buying reading glasses wherever I find them on sale. My eye doctor told me which ones to buy.

I see an ophthalmologist. Over time I developed a cataract in my right eye. Surgery was recommended and I agreed to have it done. Every one that I know who has had cataract surgery has been pleased with the results, and loved to tell about how happy they are with the results.

So I went in expecting good results. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. As the surgery concluded, the doctor told me there was something she had to tell me. I don't remember the exact words, but she was saying that she had not been able to retrieve some bits of the lens that had fallen back into the area of the eye. She cried as she told me that; we both cried. Her reputation and expertise is excellent.

I was taken immediately to Charlottesville to a different doctor who specializes in such cases. I was put to sleep while he worked on my eye. Incidentally, I quite breathing at some point and had to be brought out of the anesthesia. He, and his assistant finished up and I was taken home. That was 6 years ago.

I have limited vision in that eye and there is nothing that can be done about it. I'm getting a cataract in the left eye now and I admit to being hesitant about a possible surgery.

I still see that same ophthalmologist, every 4 months. I accept the fact that "stuff happens" and this time it just happened to me, and, to her.

I have never mentioned this here at the KT when someone posts that they are going to have cataract surgery, and the responses are always positive as to what to expect. I would not be the one to throw in a wet towel. We never know what is around the bend, but we do need to understand that, as I said..."stuff can, and does happen."

Life is a bowl of cherries. Some times we end up with the pits. The thing is to just keep on enjoying the cherries.

Sue

Gosh, that's really unfortunate, Sue. I've never heard of that happening. Seems like you have a good attitude about it. One thing is, if you had never had the cataract surgery, you would have eventually lost the vision in the eye anyway. I would be hesitant to go for the next surgery too, if I were in your shoes, but hopefully it is an extremely rare situation.

I've gone to the optometrists in the LensCrafters for years for exams. Just two weeks ago I had an exam and she said I had signs of glaucoma. So I made a follow up appt with an ophthalmologist at my medical clinic. He did a thorough exam today and said my eyes are completely healthy and saw nothing indicative of glaucoma. Needless to say I won't be having any more eye exams with the ODs at LensCrafters. I'll be having them done at my clinic. Even there if you have no eye diseases or complications the exams are done by ODs, not ophthalmologists.

I've always been skeptical of healthcare provided in a strip mall but this is the first time I've had an actual problem with it. I'll probably still get my glasses there as the selection is usually good and I particularly like one of the techs. If she leaves I may leave too.

I go to the one that my primary care physican refers me to and of course, its the one in his HMO. I do see an Ophthalmologist to guide my eye care. In her office, many of the regualr procedures are prefomed by technicians - cost savings - but anything related to eye health, she does the exam and reading of test results. We are watcing my retinas and one small cataract, something an optometrist is not qualified to do.

I just went in for my yearly checkup with my eye Dr. a few weeks ago. I had cataracts removed a couple of years ago and I have macular degeneration (dry, not the bad one). ....

I insist on seeing an Ophthalmologist also, particularly since I am diabetic and eye care is an important part of my overall treatment plan. I saw a local Ophthalmologist up until last year, when my company changed insurance coverage and his business did not accept the insurance that they changed to. I found Shopko was on their list of providers so checked with them and found, to my surprise, that they do have an Ophthalmologist on staff. I had my eye exam and purchased two pairs of glasses there. I am very satisfied with the glasses.

I go to an ophthalmologist for my eye exams, an optometrist for my contact lenses and an optician for my glasses. I use a private optician who charges me a fortune for my graduated lens glasses. I may give costco a try one day, but I like really nice frames.

I am skeptical about those glaucoma tests where you click the clicker when you see a light flash. I think they send people for them unnecessarily just to make a few bucks off the test. My eye pressure is just fine but I've been told my optic nerve is large and I should be tested just in case. A lot of my friends are being tested "just in case", too.

I have gone to an optometrist in private practice for quite a few years with good results. At one point, several years ago, I worried about something she told me so I booked an appointment with a retinal specialist, and expressed my concerns to him. He told me that this optomerist was very good and I should not doubt what she had told me and I should do well in her care.

When the cataracts she had been keeping an eye on were finally ripe enough she booked me with an opthamologist who did the sucessful surgery, and after follow-up, turned me back to the optometrist for continued care. She is very thorough and does a number of tests and does review my medical history each time I see her.

I do wonder about the quality of glasses from one of the Lenscrafters-type of places as my prescription is quite expensive and with no insurance it's quite a bit to handle. I'd love to be able to get good quality lens a bit cheaper. Their frames seem to be quite a bit cheaper also. But. . . I agree. I guess you get what you pay for.

Thank you all so much for your input!
I have made an appointment at my local private practice.

If I do need corrective lenses, I plan to ask their opinion about other sources for the frames and lenses.

I really do have a tight budget, but having the technician and longstanding Dr within minutes of my work and home (and the advantage of a small community) will probably outweigh the savings.

Fingers crossed, my worrying is for naught!