Ophthalmology Associates of the Valley

I can say that I've grown old with Dr. Karlin over the years and over these time, he has always taken cared of my eyesight with careful attention to my health and vision. Ophthalmologist usually just do eyes and it ends there but he takes time to build a lasting friendly and forward-thinking cordial relationship with his patients. He speaks with you as a family member, pointing specific areas of eye disease prevention and health, and most importantly, meticulously explaining every anatomical and psychological aspects of his treatments. Yesterday, I asked how long he's been taking care of me, we both had a boisterous laugh when he said, "I think we've grown old together, Conrad!"

You see, he's not just an eye doctor, he considers himself smart of your family. I appreciated his kindness for taking care of my entire family for more than 30 years. Now, that's perfection at its best. Thank you, Dr. Karlin!

I've just completed cataract surgery on both eyes with Dr Huynh . The professionalism at both offices as well as at the Freedom surgery center was outstanding. Dr Huynh is fantastic . From diagnosis through post op I felt well informed and well cared for. I could not be happier with the results and highly recommend them to anyone who is having eye problems .

I came here to relieve an eye infection, left in excruciating pain, no improvement, and hundreds of dollars in medical bills.

This doctors office is located in west hills, and it is a really nice office. The staff in front and nursing are okay and friendly enough. They make you sign forms including signing your life away. I asked about this and the staff just said it's a formality. It basically prevents you from seeking any judgement against them probably in cases of medical malpractice... shoulda known this from the start. I should also note that they are short staffed and it shows with long wait times and even hard to call them (took 7 attempts to cancel my follow up appointment).

The nurse began a typical eye test and was nice. However, it all went downhill with the doctor. Kyle Huynh does not care about you or what you're going through. This doctor was awkward to discuss my issues with and flippant about it. He then began to put an eye drop without warning me nor telling me what it is or what it does. Then pressed and applied pressure to the problem area. If that wasn't bad enough, he then took a Q tip and peeled my eyelid back and applied additional pressure, though at least for this part he did warn me that this part would hurt. I looked it up and there is eye numbing drops he could have used but he said there wasn't. As I was agonizing in pain, he read me off what I needed to take and then walked off. I couldn't think clearly nor ask the questions I wanted to afterward. The follow up nurse explained it to me in further detail but I was in terrible pain from what he did for the next few days PLUS my eye looked even worse than it did before for weeks.

Update: I went back to see a different doctor and it was a much better experience with Dr Zeegan. He gave me my different options I needed to do and was told what they were going to do beforehand as well and why.

Overall, avoid Dr Huynh, but seems the rest of the staff does care.

Went a few weeks ago for an eye exam. I feel the staff was rude and cattled me around. One gave me a nasty look for asking her to repeat what she said (she was facing away and I couldn't understand her), just felt like they were doing me a favor for me to be there. I was not happy. Then I order my glasses, it was a frustrating, as they kept trying to upsell me, regardless of me saying what I wanted. I picked up my glasses and I couldn't see well, and they made me feel like that my problem, and again making them stay on my face was made like they were doing me a favor. And the case they gave was the junk, worst then reader case. I left with crappy glasses, and was upset, but not worth it. Also, they have a new policy of 3.5% for credit card use, beware. Note to self, don't go back.

Have always had a great experience with Dr Huynh. I am highly myopic and at risk for retinal detachment so I come here for my annual comprehensive exam. I come in and get shuttled around for various imaging and then get to chat with Dr Huynh while he reviews the images. It seems like they run a pretty tight ship. He's friendly, knowledgeable and his advice always feels objective - never pushy. His staff are also kind and accommodating, which is pretty remarkable for the volume and range of personalities they must deal with on a daily basis!

I've been there for eye check ups and two surgeries with multiple doctors such as Dr. Huynh and I loved it every time. Their staff is super nice and friendly and are always quick to respond.
I will always go back since they take care of me so well.

The place is definitely busy, like a mill for people with eye problems, so yeah, they're popular. The doctor was nice and they did do a decent eye exam, but the billing was just a fiasco. In a nutshell:

- Insurance told me: "You should not have had to pay them anything beyond the co-pay. Our contract with them is that the patient pays the co-pay and nothing more."
- Billing department told me: "You had no vision coverage on your medical insurance policy so that is why we charged you for the eye exam."

Sadly, there are medical offices out there - few and farther between - who do this. They know the insurance will not pay them for certain things and they will strong-arm the patient into paying them more money. They should have told me this ahead of time; I would've gone to some other office or even just skipped it until open enrollment time when I would've picked up vision insurance. My fault for not getting these details ahead of time but their fault for not telling me before I came that they would be charging me above the co-pay.

So, I tried to get them to make good on the situation and give me the benefit of the doubt by refunding the excess paid but they wouldn't. The billing department is not nice at all. I had two phone calls with this rude woman some weeks after the appointment and both calls ended with her just stopping talking as a way to end the conversation, and then she was gone (like, dropped off the line intentionally as a way of saying "thanks for wasting 5 minutes of my precious time.") Then again, billing departments do deal with a lot of crap from patients, I get that. But come on, my complaint was pretty easy to handle, and legit. I guess that's what you need - someone to make sure you collect every penny you can. It does mean, though, that you lose customers. And you just lost another one.

I feel fortunate to be in Dr. Kyle Huynhs care. He is a blessing. He represents excellence.

They've moved! Same building, but they just moved to Suite 300, which is a much bigger space. I was there on only the 2nd day in their new digs, so they were still figuring out where everything is, etc.

The receptionists are always friendly, the optometrists are nice and helpful, and Dr. Elkins is always kind and super chill.

Why only 4 stars? It's a bit inconvenient to have to deal with Andrea, who is (for lack of a better term) the "contacts" lady. She doesn't work in the West Hills office and has some pretty sweet hours (that is, not a full 9-5, ever). They should probably have a "contacts" person in each office. It won't stop me from returning, but it's an odd business practice.

These doctors at OAV may seem competent but I have yet to see evidence of that. I've actually been told I should have plastic surgery to "correct" my vision because I'm apparently so old, my eyelids are the problem to clearer vision, not my eyeballs. (Do the docs lay that spiel on all the olds with bad eyes and old [read droopy] eyelid skin to gin up the $$$ the plastic surgery surely brings in?) And surprise! There's even a plastic surgeon right there in the office just waiting to take your money. How convenient for them. Instead of feeling like I had gotten a sound exam, I left once again secure in the knowledge that yet another male physician had just the solution for "improving" a woman's appearance, never mind doing his job in examining my eyes and prescribing glasses. Because if only we women would just do what men tell us, life would be so easy!

The in-house optical department is even worse in the treatment of patients, if that's possible. I've seen Claudia Gonzalez who completely blew me off, reluctantly showing me only 2 or 3 of the ugliest frames from the most pathetic selection ever (I've been buying frames from many others for longer than these "opticians" have been alive so I know of what I speak). Then she chose to spend about 5 minutes ignoring me, and when she'd had enough (of what, I'm not sure) she proceeded to let me know she would be gone for the entire month of August so don't even count on her to help. I could not have cared less; I simply wanted a, ya know, skilled and personable optician to do her frigging job, which is to recommend and guide folks in the selection of glasses and any available options. She did none of that, abdicating her duty in my mind; she should not be advising patients at all. And then there's Stacy Mincheva, ostensibly the "Optical Supervisor" whatever that means. As with Miss Claudia Gonzalez, Miss Mincheva approached me with the same ennui, quickly sussing me out as inconsequential, someone she didn't value or care about to again DO HER JOB. As I sat down with new prescription in hand to solve my very pressing vision needs, Miss Mincheva begins by spouting off disclaimer nonsense about what, I could never determine. I'd barely spoken 10 words about what I needed and wanted. She couldn't even articulate beyond "Disclaimer! If it breaks, we aren't responsible! Disclaimer!" (I am still unclear why she kept shouting "Disclaimer!?!? at me, as I never even got a patient assessment from her.) Never asked for my prescription, never sat down to listen; when I calmly said I simply wanted her to fill my prescription from a doctor in the very SAME OFFICE, she defensively disclaimer'd me until I finally had had enough and walked out. (No attempt to call me back in to de-escalate or problem-solve--bad reviews, be damned!) So this is my damning review, as you all asked for and deserve.

I will never darken the doors of OAV or its dysfunctional optical shop again. And I will continue to review this group for every rude, negative, and incompetent treatment that I received for just simply needing a prescription filled. My business will never be missed by this group and their so-called medical professionals; the maltreatment that happens daily here is very sad for earnest patients like me and is an indictment of America's broken and poisonous health care non-system. Thoroughly vet this office before you go. Ask questions, indeed question everyone and everything, and don't be afraid to walk out. Plenty more fish in the sea.