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I know this is an old thread and we’ve come along way since. I have learnt a lot about Australian ophthalmologist and optometrists and have out sourced the best in the business by collecting and contacting them all in a 4,000 email campaign. It resulted in a dozen whom contacted us and claimed to be specializing in dry eye. See ‘find a doc’ at www.australiandryeye.webs.com my colleague mostly runs the site and we both have the same perspective on many issues. You may wish to view the responses and feedback by some of Australias top researchers into Dry eye.
However, as time went on and we consulted a few of these ophthalmologists and optometrists, a different story was being painted – rather disturbing. Upon a few consultations some of them ‘misdiagnosed’ and announced ‘you do not have dry eyes, just use drops if it’s a problem’. Whilst others were indeed very skilled, and highly regarded as dry eye surgeons, but they lacked communication skills, empathy and organisation skills. One of these surgeons (endorsed by simpsondesert) appears at the top of this thread. Whilst he may appear ‘nice and kind’, once you leave his office it’s a different story.
I travelled interstate at great cost and time to see the above mentioned surgeon on a few occasions. I was treated with the basic steroids and doxy. He only spent 15 minutes with me after his assistant performed preliminary tests. During the last consultation we agreed upon “partial” cautery and set a date for the procedure. I had one question about the procedure and asked my treating surgeon to phone me. He never phoned upon repeated requests. Rather, I had to communicate with him via emails from his assistant and they’d convey the messages to him. This is no way to communicate and it’s difficult, if not, impossible to convey any concerns for clarification. As such, the email responses were totally not answering my question. So I was forced to write a longer email and email it directly for the surgeon to read, and insisted his receptionist ask him to read it. I was polite and simply wanted a question answered. As a result, apparently he doesn’t like his patients asking questions so he dismissed me as a patient and told me to go elsewhere and cancelled my surgery. He accused me of not ‘trusting’ him. So we are to go ahead blindly and follow without the right to clarify or have any concerns addressed? Well, with this surgeon – yes.
So please be careful folks. Recently we’ve deleted half the ECP’s on our ‘Find a Doc’ list (along with the above mentioned surgeon by simpsondesert). Those remaining have shown both skill along with empathy and good communication skills. Both are required, especially the empathy, listening skills, compassion, etc because ‘dry eye’ is such a condition that has a large impact on our lives, it’s an ‘emotional’ issue and as such we need empathic surgeons. Indeed, there are MANY out there with huge attitude problems. It’s a matter of weeding through them and finding those ‘gems’ that contain both elements of skill with a genuine concern and empathy towards their patients. Indeed, they are out there. One particular dry eye surgeon listed on our site whom I’ve consulted has spoken with me by phone up to 45 minutes without charge (I’ll call him Dr. X for privacy and forum policies). Dr. X has spent 3 hours with me in consultation, compared to a mere 15 minutes with the other surgeon.
In fact, upon news of this ‘other’ surgeon dismissing me for the audacity of asking a question, I emailed Dr. X to ask an opinion on it. He immediately replied and gave me his mobile to call him at 10.15pm and we spoke at length...he consoled me, we spoke about other care plans, we brain stormed ideas, etc. Now I ask you, “How many top ophthalmologists specializing in dry eye would speak to a client over the phone close to midnight?”... not many. I’ll also mention, Dr. X is just as equipped with dry eye diagnostic equipment as the above mentioned surgeon who dismissed me. In fact, I’ll have to say he’s even ‘more’ equipped and has more options for Dry eye patients.
Dr. X also does not do LASIK surgery!!
Thus, I’d like to retract my above response to Poppy, in 2011...
“POPPY: That's so fascinating to hear. Dr. Chan sounds incredible! it's certainly a far cry from the "use artificial tears" echoes we hear everywhere. Please do keep us informed how the Restasis goes, in fact, I thought it would be more than $60 a month! And to know he does probing too? He's probably one of the best 'switched on' and 'only' dry eye doc in Australia”
He doesn’t do probing anymore, and certainly NOT the best switched on and ‘only’ dry eye doc in Australia. Others exist, they still do probing, they equal, if not supersede his equipment. Knowledge is power.
However, as time went on and we consulted a few of these ophthalmologists and optometrists, a different story was being painted – rather disturbing. Upon a few consultations some of them ‘misdiagnosed’ and announced ‘you do not have dry eyes, just use drops if it’s a problem’. Whilst others were indeed very skilled, and highly regarded as dry eye surgeons, but they lacked communication skills, empathy and organisation skills. One of these surgeons (endorsed by simpsondesert) appears at the top of this thread. Whilst he may appear ‘nice and kind’, once you leave his office it’s a different story.
I travelled interstate at great cost and time to see the above mentioned surgeon on a few occasions. I was treated with the basic steroids and doxy. He only spent 15 minutes with me after his assistant performed preliminary tests. During the last consultation we agreed upon “partial” cautery and set a date for the procedure. I had one question about the procedure and asked my treating surgeon to phone me. He never phoned upon repeated requests. Rather, I had to communicate with him via emails from his assistant and they’d convey the messages to him. This is no way to communicate and it’s difficult, if not, impossible to convey any concerns for clarification. As such, the email responses were totally not answering my question. So I was forced to write a longer email and email it directly for the surgeon to read, and insisted his receptionist ask him to read it. I was polite and simply wanted a question answered. As a result, apparently he doesn’t like his patients asking questions so he dismissed me as a patient and told me to go elsewhere and cancelled my surgery. He accused me of not ‘trusting’ him. So we are to go ahead blindly and follow without the right to clarify or have any concerns addressed? Well, with this surgeon – yes.
So please be careful folks. Recently we’ve deleted half the ECP’s on our ‘Find a Doc’ list (along with the above mentioned surgeon by simpsondesert). Those remaining have shown both skill along with empathy and good communication skills. Both are required, especially the empathy, listening skills, compassion, etc because ‘dry eye’ is such a condition that has a large impact on our lives, it’s an ‘emotional’ issue and as such we need empathic surgeons. Indeed, there are MANY out there with huge attitude problems. It’s a matter of weeding through them and finding those ‘gems’ that contain both elements of skill with a genuine concern and empathy towards their patients. Indeed, they are out there. One particular dry eye surgeon listed on our site whom I’ve consulted has spoken with me by phone up to 45 minutes without charge (I’ll call him Dr. X for privacy and forum policies). Dr. X has spent 3 hours with me in consultation, compared to a mere 15 minutes with the other surgeon.
In fact, upon news of this ‘other’ surgeon dismissing me for the audacity of asking a question, I emailed Dr. X to ask an opinion on it. He immediately replied and gave me his mobile to call him at 10.15pm and we spoke at length...he consoled me, we spoke about other care plans, we brain stormed ideas, etc. Now I ask you, “How many top ophthalmologists specializing in dry eye would speak to a client over the phone close to midnight?”... not many. I’ll also mention, Dr. X is just as equipped with dry eye diagnostic equipment as the above mentioned surgeon who dismissed me. In fact, I’ll have to say he’s even ‘more’ equipped and has more options for Dry eye patients.
Dr. X also does not do LASIK surgery!!
Thus, I’d like to retract my above response to Poppy, in 2011...
“POPPY: That's so fascinating to hear. Dr. Chan sounds incredible! it's certainly a far cry from the "use artificial tears" echoes we hear everywhere. Please do keep us informed how the Restasis goes, in fact, I thought it would be more than $60 a month! And to know he does probing too? He's probably one of the best 'switched on' and 'only' dry eye doc in Australia”
He doesn’t do probing anymore, and certainly NOT the best switched on and ‘only’ dry eye doc in Australia. Others exist, they still do probing, they equal, if not supersede his equipment. Knowledge is power.
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