ICON Eyecare - Cherry Creek-Denver — Attraction in Denver

I had a terrible experience at this office in the the last 5.5 months. I went in for an exam after having severe vision problems and itchy and painful eyes. Dr. Solomon said that I had dry eyes and put in plugs. My condition improved short-term, but became worse, so I went back for a 2nd visit. The plugs had fallen out, so smaller plugs were put in. I said that my eyelids were very itchy, red, and puffy, and was told that was just from allergies which I have never had before. I still had major problems with my vision and my eyes were secreting thick mucus, so I went in again and met with Dr. Sturdy. He said it was dry eyes, but I complained so he finally flipped my eyelids up and discovered that I had Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis. I was annoyed because the previous doctors never looked under my eyelids. He explained that I would need to wear glasses and use steroid drops. I told him that I didn’t own any glasses, so he said I could wear contacts, but it would take longer for the condition to improve, which I was fine with. I went back for a follow-up and Dr. Sturdy said my condition was improved and I could continue to wear my contacts if I wanted. Later, I went in for my annual exam and met with a tech who argued with me saying I had an annual exam a month before even though I had cancelled the appt. She finally did the exam and I saw Dr. Greeley who said my condition had gotten worse and lectured me about not having glasses. I told him I would get glasses, but that I couldn’t function with them, so I would need to wear contacts at work. I explained that I didn’t have any glasses or contacts left, so I asked if I could get daily lenses to try, but he said I would need to come back for an annual exam later. I said I thought that’s what the appt was for, but he said it was just a follow-up for my conjunctivitis. I was frustrated because no one in the office knew why I was there. He finally agreed it was an annual exam, so I asked about the lenses, but he told me I would need to come back for a lens fitting. I came back and met with Dr. Drucker who was abrasive right from the start. He looked under my eyelids and stated that I still had conjunctivitis and asked if I was using drops. I took out a bottle of Refresh drops from my purse and asked if that’s what he meant. He rudely stated that I needed to use the ones that were preservative free because the ones I had been using would worsen the conjunctivitis. I stated that the 3 other doctors told me to use these drops. He said, “I don’t care what they said, this is what I’m telling you!” I said I understood, but the other doctors had given me bad medical advice, and he might want to discuss that with him. He said he didn’t care what they told me. He then stated that I looked irritated and asked why, so I told him that he was rude and he became more nasty. I explained that this was my 6th appt and that no one even looked under my eyelids until my 3rd appt, so I was pretty fed up. He angrily stated that this is what he was telling me now and I told him again that he was being rude and that I would be finding a new eye doctor. He said, “I hope you do!” and walked out of the room. The tech took me to the front and I told her I still needed the trial daily lenses that he said he would give me and she said in a nasty tone, “You said you weren’t coming back. Why would we give you any trials?” I said to tell the doctor that I would be leaving a very bad review and she said, "Go right ahead!" and stormed off to talk loudly about me with some other techs. A woman working in the check-out area overhead and so did the assistant manager who asked to speak with me in private. He was apologetic and gave me sample daily lenses to try and preservative free eye drops that were not offered to me by the doctor. I was grateful, because I had not tried the daily lenses and I felt like the doctor should have tested my vision with them in before handing out a prescription and sending me...

Note the two prescription images I have included. One is my prescription from ICON and the other is my prescription from the optometrist at Costco. It’s pretty easy to see that one of them must be horribly wrong, right? Bear with me. This may take a minute to read, but it could have bearing on your decision about working with ICON.

ICON is not a healthcare provider. Don’t think of them as Ophthalmologists. They aren’t interested in your eye health or corrected vision. They are a cataract surgery sales center. Period. Remember that time share presentation you wasted hours of your vacation on? Like that, but they bill you.

My vision has declined a bit over the last few years. So I decided I needed an eye examination. Naturally, I made an appointment to see an Opthamologist - Dr. Kim at ICON. The first step was, as expected, an eye exam. My tech was Brian. Brian was disinterested and brusque. He may have missed his calling in corporate IT. I assumed it might indicate that he was an experienced expert (so wrong!). After the exam, I was handed off to Dr. Kim, who told me surgery was optional for me. I have cataracts, but they are a 4 on a scale of 10. I decided to give glasses a try. They gave me a prescription and I took it to Costco.

A week later, I got my new glasses and, excited to start seeing better, tried them on. Imagine my shock when they made my vision much worse than my naked eyes.

Here’s where it gets worse!

I waited a week for another appointment at ICON. Dr. Curt Greeley was in a hurry. I tried to explain to him that the new glasses actually made my vision worse. He told me my problem is cataracts and that glasses can’t fix it. I figured he was right, but I wanted to understand how the glasses could actually make my vision worse. It didn’t feel logical. I tried to ask questions. He was clearly irritated and said “I don’t have time to teach you optics.” I told him I’d be getting a second opinion. Look at the photos I attached. Wow! Just wow!

My new glasses work great. I love them. Thank you Costco!

ICON only cares about selling $12,000 cataract surgeries. Healthcare and the practice of medicine clearly don’t matter to them. Money, money, money. If you aren’t a big ticket, move along and go back to the optometrist you should have seen in the first place.

Epilogue: The optometrist at Costco charged me $109 and absolutely nailed it. Want to know what ICON charges for an eye exam with a visit where eye health is not considered or discussed? See the third image I’ve attached: $861. They are billing me now for my remaining balance. I’m sure they are vicious enough to report me to the credit bureaus, but this is now a matter of principal. I’ll take the credit rating hit. No way I give them a dime, and I demand a full refund for the money I’ve...

It took them five months to get my prescription emailed to me. They wouldn’t give it to me at the desk after the appointment. they told me to wait until later. I called several times the next few weeks and then they said they didn’t know where my prescription was, since they apparently change systems that week, but they could have just scanned the physical form. they made the same excuse again in August that they changed the systems again recently - doubtful. I needed my glasses for a reason and quickly and it took them 5 months guys.

So now I have the problem of having my insurance cover this initial visit and now I can’t go to a different place until next year when insurance covers it again. Additionally an expiration date on my prescription that is very soon now because they just finally sent it to me.

Consequently it meant I had to use my contact lenses much much much longer than I should have. Which can lead to bacterial issues. Since I couldn’t buy new ones because they wouldn’t give me a prescription.

I have an astigmatism and his prescription did not give me an astigmatism. I’ve gone to at least 15 doctors in the past and all have stated that I have an astigmatism so it’s annoying that they’re giving me the wrong prescription already.

Additionally, the prescriptions for glasses only last a year and most other places last three years.

My boyfriend had similar issues that they wouldn’t give him his prescription and then argued that he didn’t pay for a contacts prescription check when that was the sole purpose that he came in -he has keratoconus and he was trying to get sclera lenses. At one point in the arguments they used that excuse with me too over my glasses prescription. Getting a glasses was the only reason I was trying to get my prescription because I scratched my eye twice and needed glasses / nice to have them at night. I had been shopping for glasses all week before I got the appointment. They are definitely great at gaslighting

Don’t waste your time coming here

Edit: they finally sent a prescription to me but it was definitely wrong. Wasted hundreds of dollars on glasses because the prescription they gave me is not mine. It’s like looking through a fish bowl. Legitimately one of the most incompetent places I’ve ever been. They will say they’ll send it and end the call and it’ll never come.

Edit adding more photos of how every place declines the prescription the incompetent staff gave me

Legit the doctor should not be in practice and this place should be closed due to the entire staffs negligence. I got my real prescription at a Warby Parker place and I’ve never seen better in my life. Go elsewhere let this place go...