Let me start off by saying I'm so disgusted with Dello Russo Laser. My ex-husband had surgery with the father, Joseph Dello Russo and was satisfied. Fast forward 20 years later, THIS PLACE HAS BECOME AN ASSEMBLY LINE!!!!!! ALL THEY CARE ABOUT IS MAKING MONEY AND THEY LIED TO MY SON TO DO IT!!!
First, upon entering the Garden City location, there was a man dressed in gray pants, black jacket sitting alone at the front desk, he was sitting on a chair, one leg resting over the other, about 2 FT in front of the computer and leaning back in a relaxed position on the chair. When we got to the desk he asked "Can I help you" WHILE STILL RESTING, LEANING BACK!! I work in customer service, front desk position and this was totally unprofessional, like he didn't care we were there. I thought he was the security guard and just there while the receptionist went to the restroom, HE WAS DR. DELLO RUSSO'S RIGHT HAND ASSISTANT, Michael.
So when my son was called into the room I went with him and this same man (Michael) came in and said he was the Dr's assistant and will be examing my son's eyes. I told him that I didn't really think my son was a candidate because my son's eyes are so bad 6.25 & 6.75 and he is far sighted. He looked and said oh I think we can do it, I've worked with Joseph Dello Russo over 20 years and we can correct your son's eyes so that he won't need glasses anymore. I asked, even reading, he said yes, he won't even need reading glasses. He told us the doctor will be in to speak to us further. With that Dr. Dello Russo walked in (Jeffrey, the son, father is not working during COVID), He comes in and doesn't give a fist bump, an elbow hello, doesn't seem interested. I was appalled that he left the office door open while he sat with my son and I. I don't care if people in the hall cared what he said, I was bothered by all the conversations in the hallway. He doesn't look into my son's eyes at all and verify the report that Michael gave him. Then he tells my son he could do the surgery and I said, "What about his prescription being so bad at 6.25 and 6.75" He said "Well the one eye that is really worse, at 6.75, no one will ever make his prescription, since its too severe and the cost of studies to do it is too expensive, I will TWEAK the eye a couple of weeks later to get it to the right prescription".
(Yes I said tweak, really, you don't tweak an eye that is 6.75 when the machine only does 6.00, the machine does that for a good reason!!!!
When I asked the cost he said someone will be right in. He didn't say, nice meeting you, or anything else.
With that Michael (YES, THE SAME MICHAEL WHO IS A LAZY RECEPTIONIST, AN ASSISTANT, NOW HE IS THE FINANCE MANAGER TOO) comes in and says "Okay it's $3,200 an eye, I said, "Wow, didn't think it was that much" he said "Yes, but with the online offers and you had a referral (20 years ago) we can make it a total of $4,500" but it gets better, Then he said "If you pay $600 down NOW and make an appointment NOW, some people even do it same day (OMG SAME DAY OF CONSULT) we can do it for $4,000"!!!
(REALLY, NO PRESSURE THERE) I FELT LIKE I WAS IN A CAR DEALERSHIP. I said we need to think about it (Going for 2nd and 3rd opinion for sure, this is my son's eye for god sake)
Then I said "Why come to you, verse your competition?" He said we have the lastest technology. Sure you may get it cheaper, but you get what you pay for since our machines are the newest out there"
I asked "How new" He said like a little over a year. Didn't seem too convincing.
Well, the reason I am writing this 3 weeks after our consult with Jeffrey Dello Russo is because my son went for two other opinions. (both reputable, Harvard graduated doctors with the same technology, 3D laser (so many drs have it now, not just Dello Russo, which they make you believe they are the only ones)
MY SON IS NOT, I SAID NOT A CANDIDATE FOR LASEK SURGERY!!!!! Not only would I have wasted $4,000, but MORE IMPORTANTLY my son's eyes would have always been blurry, dry, with halos. Both doctors told my son that his eyes are too far sighted and too extreme and he is not a candidate. When we told them of our meeting with Jeffrey Dello Russo they said "He can't tweak your eyes, so he's going to manipulate the machine?" We said thats definitely what he told us.
PLEASE, if you ever do lasik eye surgery, get 2 or 3 opinions and stay away from this ASSEMBLY PLANT!! I mean it, they had so many people in and out when we were there. They don't care about you, only your pocket. There are people that aren't candidates and they don't tell you when you're not. My son really has bad eyes, so if anyone would not have been a candidate it was my son, so if they were going to be honest with anyone, they would be honest with the worst case scenario, and they WEREN'T!!! Far sighted people aren't always candidates but my son really wanted to stop wearing glasses so we thought we would get an honest opinion. NOT HERE! read more