Avoid Dr. Edward Koo -- Poor Communication and Unprofessional Conduct We visited this clinic for immigration medical exams for our family. The office was severely understaffed, with only two nurses handling everything for all patients, with no apparent breaks. After waiting over two and a half hours, we were informed that our lab results had not yet arrived at the clinic -- something that could and should have been caught at check-in, not after 150+ minutes in the waiting room. When we raised this concern, Dr. Koo came out and responded defensively, blaming us for submitting our lab work too late rather than acknowledging the failure in their internal process. More troubling: he discussed our test results out loud in the hallway, with no regard for patient privacy. We asked for a simple apology. Instead, he became increasingly dismissive and offered only a refund -- apparently to end the conversation rather than address the complaint. A civil, professional response to patient feedback should not be this difficult. We do not recommend this clinic for immigration exams or otherwise. read more

I rarely give one star reviews because I understand business reputation. But in this case, it's a PSA: I don't want another person to go through the hell I did with Dr. Koo. I've had my share of surgical appts. This was the worst. We waited 75 minutes. No problem--I don't mind waiting--I understand doctors get backed up, especially at end of day. But I expect that when the Dr. comes in, he'll pay attention. When Dr. Koo comes in, he was harried, rushed, huffing and puffing as if running a marathon, he pretty much sprinted into the office. He did not look at me or my husband, no greeting, made a beeline for the ledge/desk, started rifling through my chart. He's sitting on a rolling black stool, vibrating on it, almost bouncing--either too much caffeine or ... As he's flipping through the papers, he complains about my chart not being "complete," tells me to bring my optometry records. I ask, "can we do it electronically?" He says, "No, it's a different system; get a copy and bring it in with you." [my optometrist said, this is not the standard protocol]. While looking through my chart, he was muttering/ mumbling to himself, something about my "very high myopia astigmatism" cornea, "not looking good, "high risk." He adds, "You have a rx. of minus 17, you're legally blind." WTF? I'm freaking out. I tell him I have mono vision. He says "No you don't, we only do that for contact lenses." I reply, "I don't have progressives or bifocals, nor separate glasses for reading. I said, "when I wore gas permeable contacts, we started mono vision, which we continued with glasses." He did NOT listen. NEVER listened. He waived me aside and didn't respond to me, more interested in pressing his opinion. He's rambling about cataract surgery in my case, and the higher risk of "retinal detachment." We ask him "what is the consequence of this?" Koo replies, "blindness." We ask, "permanent blindness?" He says, "yes." I'm in shock. This is going downhill. Koo is impatient, irritated, never once slowing down to answer a single question. My husband asks him "What's the statistical risk of retinal detachment?" Koo tells him, "There's risk in everything--you could cross the street and get run over by a car." Whaaat? My husband repeats his question. Koo gets more agitated, aggrieved repeats his lame getting hit by a car analogy. Koo had a strange manner of acting aggrieved that we were asking questions, as if we had no right, as if we were encroaching on his knowledge. He seemed oddly entitled. For the third time, my husband presses him for a statistic; Koo says 5% risk. He saw we were upset and finally says, "It's rare." But by this time, my husband and I are inconsolable. My husband is angry and I'm shocked. Koo rolls his stool to where I was sitting, looked at each eye for 3 seconds--and proclaims, "You have cataracts." Ummm, duh?! This is not news. My optometrist referred me because I have cataracts! His manner: gruff, snippy, harried, impatient, irritated, manic. He did not listen at all, cutting us off mid-sentence. He was dismissive, never acknowledging what I said, nor investigating why I could not read the chart out of my right eye. Arguing with me when I'm telling him I have monovision ... appalling--he was too busy proving himself, getting defensive. He did not bother to test my vision! He did not want to take the time. He has zero understanding, zero care. None. Nada. Throughout the entire visit, several times, with great impatience, he said "Okay, Okay, Okay??" As if we should now have enough info. to leave his office. After waiting 75 min., the entire appt. lasted less than 10 min. Obviously he was rushed to get to his next patient. We were shell-shocked, upset, confused. I picked Dr. Koo because of his stellar online reputation, experience, expertise in this area and rave Yelp reviews. Maybe he's usually an excellent clinician and surgeon, but was having a bad day. But that shouldn't be my problem. He needs to modulate his moods and maintain professional composure. Before the visit, I was hopeful and positive. I was tearing up when I left his office, shellshocked, crying, despairing, confused, upset, hopeless. During my visit, his clinical skills non-existent, diagnostically incorrect, assessment incomplete, he irresponsibly gave me wrong information, e.g. I clarified with my optometrist about mono vision and "legally blind." I felt sick about my encounter with him. There is no way in my lifetime on this earth, I would ever let Dr. Koo near my eyes with a laser or scalpel ... no way. If he was the last surgeon remaining, and I was gonna go blind, I would steer away from Koo--and learn braille. read more

Bad visit. Went with my wife to see Dr. Koo for a first time appt. I'm usually a fairly relaxed guy and don't write reviews, but something was majorly off about this guy. He was in a mad rush to finish up and kept interrupting, disorganized. I should've said, "Dude, slow it down." I took time off work for this. It was bs, the Dr. had no time for u, and didn't properly explain the treatment. He was rude, disrespectful, no manners. I went with her to help but I couldn't figure out what this Dr. was talking about. He was in a huge hurry, told us we'd figure out next steps in the second appt. But why couldn't we get the basics answered in this first one? Weird. Strange man, jacked attitude, big ego. I hope he reads this cuz I wanna say,  Dude, chillax. Won't be going back, gotta find another doc not in this group now that we're burned. We were there for 10 min. max. but they charged insurance hundreds of dollars for a 60 min visit. read more

Dr. Koo is not caring doctor. I went to see him. His treatment plan did not make any sense. He does not spend time to listen to your issues. I went to different doctor using my knnowledge. I do not recommend Dr Edward Koo. read more

The pressure on both my eyes have been managed beautifully by Dr Edward Koo for several years now. With the prescriptions prescribed, my eye pressure has been stable. I recently requested for an refractive eye examination so I could order a new pair of reading glasses. Dr Angela Yang performed the eye test and suggested to add distance to my reading glasses to aid seeing when driving in the evenings. I really liked that suggestion. I have been reluctant to drive at night. Shali was able to guide me in choosing a nice and comfortable pair of glasses. Kudos to the whole ophthalmology support team. read more

Dr. Koo performed my second cataract surgery four days ago and I am seeing amazingly well. While removing the cataracts he put in new lenses to correct my vision. I was very nervous and apprehensive and he was very reassuring that things would go well, and they did. I was both extremely nearsighted and somewhat farsighted, but did not want the trifocal lens because it was very expensive and I was afraid it would make me dizzy, like trifocal contact lenses and glasses. Instead, at his suggestion, I went for "mono-vision" which is adjusting one eye for distance and another for close up. The result is much better than I hoped for. I can read the newspaper and watch television and go places without glasses and now just need them for driving. My brain is still adjusting a bit to the mono-vision, but so far so good. And just in time for my 50th high school reunion. read more

My vision was 20/400. I was severely near sighted. I wore hard contact lenses for 50 years. Dr. Koo performed cataract eye surgery on both eyes (one at a time) and now my distance vision is 20/20. I still need reading glasses but at only +1.0 that is minor. I had no pain or no scratchiness. My recovery was very quick. I'm very pleased with the results of the surgery. read more

This is only for the front desk workers who schedule the appointments. They are terrible. I had a referral to see a Renya specialist and it was a pain to get them to schedule this appointment. Had to call multiple times and speak to a couple different people to get it done. Unacceptable. read more

Strictly for the front desk lady who I'm assuming schedules appointments - I was referred to them from my primary care physician and from the beginning of the call the lady was not very friendly. I asked if they might have time to see me today - as my PCP said they're across the street and are good about getting people in on short notice - she scoffed and said their day was over (it's 4:30 and your hours say you're open until 6). When she asked me what was wrong and I proceeded to try and tell her, she didn't seem too keen on listening and kept cutting me off. She asked what kind of insurance I had and I said I had no clue, so she scoffed again and said well that's what we would ask you if you came in. If I were to come in for an appointment clearly I'd bring you my insurance card but it seemed like she was trying to avoid having me come in altogether, as I was calling to schedule an appointment but she would not do that for me. In the end I was told that my problem didn't sound like a medical problem (again, I was referred to your office BY MY PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN), and that I should see my optometrist again. I told her I had already done that and she started trying to get me to go see someone else again. I wish I would've gotten her name but I just hung up and told her I'd find another ophthalmologist. Whoever she is - she is rude and has no business being the first point of contact for any business let alone one that requires compassion for patients. Sad because I was told good things about the Dr., your front desk staff just lost you a potential patient. read more

Dr. Koo performed my cataract surgery a few years ago and I was very pleased with the result. He is thorough and professional in his follow up visits and he always takes time to answer my questions. It is a very busy office, with a separate staff of optometrists who perform the comprehensive refraction portion of an annual exam. He also has team of optical personnel who help with ordering new glasses. I recently had a problem with a new pair of glasses ordered in his optical department, but with help from his staff the problem was fixed. Problem: When my glasses first came back I complained the vision was not good, so the office did a second refraction. A second prescription was written and they sent my glasses back to be redone. When those glasses came back and I still could not see clearly, I was frustrated; but after numerous discussions with the optical staff and their supervisor, it was decided to perform a third refraction with a new optometrist. During this time, the staff was professional and patient as they worked with me to get the correct lenses. The third exam was the most thorough one I have ever had in my life. The new optometrist expertly determined the problem was not with the glasses or their materials, but with the prescription itself. She wrote a new prescription, my glasses were reordered and I picked them up today. I see perfectly and I am very happy!!!!! It took some time, but the end result was a success. I was pleased the staff was willing to work with me in guaranteeing I have the best vision possible with my glasses. read more

After a bad experience at another ophthalmologist's office, I am relieved to have gone to Dr. Koo. The office is totally Zen, which helps to relax you before they poke you in the eye to test the pressure. Don't worry; they put numbing drops in your eyes! After dilating your eyes, you can watch fun nature programs on the flat screen in the dark room if you can still see. HKB didn't have his contacts in, so he had no idea it was me. Dr. Koo is also awesome because he replaced the contacts/glasses for his patients that were victims of the San Bruno fire. read more

After a lifetime of wearing glasses and lenses I finally decided to take care of my eyes at the age of 65. So I did my research and I decided to go with Dr. Koo as he had the best surgical reviews in my area. I have never been happier! From my first appointment I sensed professionalism and a friendly environment. So after my first visit I immediately decided to give it a shot and try to make my life little better , and few weeks later I scheduled my cataract surgery with the special trifocal lens and now my life has been changed in a such a positive way that I can't believe it took me all these years to decide before seeing a doctor . Great experience and great stuff , highly recommended. read more

Given his good reviews on Yelp, I decided to see Dr. Koo for a worsening condition where I was seeing hazy and darker out of my left eye, and was getting headaches everyday. The wait was comparable to the wait for most doctor's appointments. However, during my exam, Dr. Koo seemed distracted and rushed. He was less interested in my answers and concerns, and more interested in rushing through the general list of questions that are typically asked about your eyes (do you wear contacts, for how long, dry eyes, etc) during an exam. After the list of questions, he sent me off to do a visual field test. They tested my left eye first, and I clearly could not see properly. However, I was given the test again, and was told that I had "passing" marks on my left eye though my right eye was "much better". After the test, I was taken back to the room for further examination by Dr. Koo, and again had to wait for 5-10 mins. It seemed as if he was attending multiple patients at the same time. After a few more questions, he remarked that I "was the most interesting patient he had all day". Regardless, he "diagnosed" me with dry eyes and told me to wash my eyes twice a day and to use drops. As he was walking me out, he commented that he'll see me in a year, and asked the assistant to book an appointment a year from that day. I refused to set the appointment as I was unhappy with the examination. After 2 more months, I visited an optometrist who quickly spotted a pattern representing a common type of brain tumor. He asked that I do an MRI the next day, which confirmed the suspected brain tumor. Since I had mentioned that I had gone to an ophthalmologist before, he mentioned that an ophthalmologist should be able to easily spot this type of a tumor. I strongly believe that he missed my diagnosis primarily because he was more interested in churning patients in and out rather than doing a thorough examination. Luckily, my tumor was benign, and I was able to recover most of my eye sight after surgery, but those 2 extra months may have been crucial in damaging the optic nerve where the tumor was pressing (according to my surgeon). read more

I have been under Dr. Koo's care since I was diagnosed with a cataract. Dr. Koo performed surgery to correct the problem and my vision is perfect now. He is a fantastic doctor who is patient, kind and above all else, brilliant! Wouldn't trust my eyesight to anyone... read more

Quick, knowledgeable and friendly. Very clean office and looked like they had a decent selection of glasses. Luckily, I won't need cause I got Lasik...life changer! read more

Dr Koo knows eyes like we know how to surf the 'net. He seen just about everything and treats eye issues with actual experience, not trumped up confidence. read more

My experience with Dr. Koo and his staff was excellent. I didn't spend time in the waiting room feeling like I wasn't important. It is a very relaxing atmosphere. I was able to ask all my questions and felt comfortable with the feedback. After my surgery, Dr. Koo called personally to check in on me and see how I was doing. I highly recommend Dr. Koo if you are having cataract issues. You will not be disappointed." read more

Not knowledgeable and dishonest He had a failed diagnosis. Edward refused to respond. He promise to examine my eyes himself but ended up not showing up and let someone who can hardly understand English do the job, and she did a horrible job. Edward refused to respond. I would not trust my eyes on Edward Koo. read more

I was referred to Dr. Koo by my primary care physician to treat what could be pink eye or contact overwear syndrome. The diagnosis turned out to be the latter. But the reason I am providing Dr. Koo and his staff with 5 stars is I received excellent priority care the same day I needed it along with truly hospitable service. I've returned for contacts and eyeglasses which I've also been happy with. I highly recommend this office. read more

Dr. Koo is wonderful at treating my son. I don't know what I would have done without him! Turns out he use to be a pediatrician, so that is probably why he is so good with kids. My son has a really hard time at doctors offices. read more

My wife and I have been patients of Dr. Edward Koo for almost 30 years. He has treated us for everything from cataracts to macular degeneration, glaucoma, etc. I recently had a serious condition of extremely high pressure in my eye after cataract surgery. Dr. Koo was so reassuring and took wonderful care of me. He was able to remedy the high pressure and now my eye see's perfectly. I highly recommend Dr. Koo. He is a fantastic, knowledgeable doctor. He treats his patients as if he were treating his own family, with respect and the utmost care! read more

I am so happy with the care that I receive from Dr Koo that I fly in from Ft Myers FL to see him. He is a consummate professional and is thoughtful and thorough. He has a terrific staff and state-of-the-art equipment. I know I am in the most capable of hands and will continue to make the 2,000 + miles trip to keep my appointments read more

The first time I went to see Dr. Koo, I thought he was pretty good and thorough. However, I quickly realized that he didn't really provide any diagnostic information or solutions about the vision problems that I have been experiencing. I have been wearing contact lenses for many years and started to get redness when I wake up or when I did computer work for a long period of time. He only prescribed an antibiotics drop and told me to stop wearing contact lenses until the redness was gone. However, the problem recurred a few days after I stopped using the drop and the redness continued everyday even if I wore glasses. I went back again to tell him my problem, but he basically just told me to stop or reduce the time of wearing contact lenses. I went back to this office and also saw another doctor when Dr. Koo was out. By this time, I had to pay the deductible for each visit, and the time the doctor spent with me was less than 5 minutes (I want to say less than 3 minutes). Both doctors didn't give me any diagnostic information about the cause of my problem. They only handed me a sample lubricating drop and said to come back if the eyes got worse. I really feel like that this office is trying to make money from our visits, so the doctor only spends very little time with each patient that he doesn't have the quality time to work with patients. read more

I felt this office in the end is a commercial outlet, they really do not take their time and explain it seems like they rush for the next patient, also they charge unnecessary different fees without outlining in advance and their excuse is house policy? so do not be surprised if you get a bill after the insurance pay even thou they have to go with the in-network policy without charging extra except if they mention it in advance not later so I do not recommend this outlet as you know there are lots of fish in the ocean ( many eye doctors ) that is my opinion read more

Professional, Personable, and Thorough. Clean office, many glasses to choose from (if needed) onsite. Great staff too.

Dr. Koo is a very personable doctor. He is caring and makes you feel like you are special to him. He knows what he is doing and takes good care of you. He sometimes runs a little late, but he spends time with you. I highly recommend him. read more

I have been a patient of Dr Koo's for several years. He has done cataract surgery flawlessly for me. When my husband needed cataract surgery as well recently, I brought him to Dr. Koo. My husband had a very complicated situation, a result of lots of damage created by very early radial keratotomy surgeries in the past. Dr Koo worked with him performing cataract surgery and guided him through the difficult aftercare and post treatment that has been able to reverse some of the damage. My husband is a happy camper now, with great vision. Thank you Dr. Koo for taking such good care of the both of us! read more