I had the good fortune of having Dr. Hovanesian perform two back-to-back eye surgeries on me. The first one, for cataracts; the second one a vitrectomy to repair a macular hole, both on the same left eye. I felt compelled to write to you about this doctor and his professional skills. Having surgery on my eyes was something I never imagined having to do, and I was very afraid of any such surgery. You can imagine how I felt when I found out I needed to have two surgeries. However, Dr. Hovanesian made me feel safe and secure immediately. Of course, meeting the doctor and feeling this way does not necessarily translate into having a good surgery experience. Fortunately for me, that feeling was again felt when I had the cataract surgery and I sensed him in control and totally knowing what he was doing. That surgery went without a hitch, as did the recuperation. For the second surgery, 15 days later, I was a little more apprehensive because I knew it lasted much longer and I had difficulty getting sedated for the first one. Again, Dr. Hovanesian made me feel at ease and he spoke with the anesthesiologist about the need to make me feel comfortable. Surprisingly, that surgery was even easier than the first, as my sedation worked better than expected. Dr. Hovanesian gave me clear instructions about positioning and cautions, and at the one month evaluation, we were both elated that the hole had closed! I have every expectation that I will get good vision results as I'm already experiencing some of that as the gas bubble in my eye recedes. Dr. Hovanesian also has excellent bedside manners. I felt he really cared about his patients and is very compassionate. He also knows how to control people like me, who can be quite pushy at times! As if all of the foregoing were not enough, I interacted with his staff at three of his offices: Sherman Oaks, Glendale and Hollywood, and everyone was professional, courteous and friendly. I would not hesitate to recommend Dr. Hovanesian to anyone, and have already done so to my friends in California. read more

It was the worst experience with me seeing him for the first time ever and it will be the last time he basically looked at my eye after I had the cataract surgery. I want the second opinion he was rude.cold personality and showed no manners very careless. I can say enough about him terrible. read more

Run . Don't walk. Run from this doctor. He is absolutely the most dishonest and incompetent doctor I've ever met . If you value your vision and your eye care , find anyone else but him . If i could give negative stars I would read more

I was sent to Dr Hovanesian after a botched cataract surgery. Dr Hovanesian is unethical and malicious because he performed a surgery on me without a consultation first to review my eye and using his own words "withhout reading your medical record." When I asked him for an explanation why the surgery he performed on me failed he said he wasn't there to give any sort of explanation, that he was merely there to tell me what to do. When I insisted on an explanation he said I don't want to be questioned by you anymore he left the room and said "I'm no longer your doctor, and I will not refer you to another surgeon to get your eye fixed." He told me to go to Olive View Hospital and to go now because if not I would lose my eye. I felt discriminated against (because of a language barrier) and violated as a human. It was a horrible experience and I'm writing this review so no one else goes through this. 1 star because I cannot give 0 read more

One of the worst doctors ever destroyed my mother's eyes. Put the lens on the wrong place. She had to go through USC to get it fixed. She was tortured for one year and almost blind If you want to be blind, then you can visit this doctor nothing but fraud to medical. Do not go for any reason to this doctor I cannot believe doctors like this still are able to practice. read more

Dr. Haroutun Hovanesian is a brilliant ophthalmologist who treats a wide variety of complex eye conditions, including glaucoma, retinal detachments, and cataracts. His strength is in dealing with any issues that arise. My wife had suffered a serious cataract dislocation (and loss of vision) from an original surgery done 10 years earlier by another doctor. Dr. Hovanesian skillfully removed the old lens and structure, successfully implanting a new lens. The resulting eye debris caused critical eye pressure increase and pain over subsequent days, but Dr. Hovanesian saw her repeatedly over this period, even personally directing laser treatments at a different location. He is an impressively skilled doctor who very much cares for his patients and is joined by a friendly, highly professional, caring staff. At first visit he may appear curt, but it is because he is focusing on the medical treatment and issues. If you value your vision, your eye health and the surgical outcome over bedside manner, Dr. Hovanesian is a great choice with whom to entrust your care. read more

The worst dr ever. The board of optometrists should suspend the license of this unprofessional dr. Never listens to questions. Hires people who are far from the optometry. it's so surprising that regal medical grou is still working with this horrible office. if you want to loose your vision, then this is the office to go. . read more

BEWARE! No one cares about previous allergies to the drops used... My both parents had exams here and every time they had dilating drops put into their eyes, they had horrible reactions to those. I understand, you can get a reaction to a medication, but every time ignore the past reaction? Last time it happened, I asked the staff to have it on the file to make sure it's not going to happen again and here are are! My father had an appointment at Brand location today, and again, he has very bad reaction to these drops. I wasn't allowed to go inside with him because of corona virus situation and wasn't able to remind to the staff about his previous adverse reaction. Is it so difficult to mark his file, so he wouldn't get this reaction again? It's pure negligence. The doctor is wonderful though, and the surgery results are great. But such neglect from his staff is unacceptable. My mother had the same reaction to these drops at Central Ave location. She had to get steroid shots to help extreme swelling to subside and get rid of this very bad allergic reaction. It took her almost 3 weeks to get back to normal... staff there was very nice though trying to help afterwards... read more

Haroutun Hovanesian,MD - This is not a normal reaction after every appointment ... yet, it's always the case as no one checks his file for previous reaction. - Ophthalmologists Near Me - Glendale, California

Not too happy with this doctor, so I've gone to another highly regarded doctor and the difference is worth it even though my insurance does not cover the new doctor. Dr. Hovanesian was very fast and perfunctory with me, just quickly wrote out a prescription and left. I had to chase him down in the hallway whereupon he asked the receptionist to write it down on a post it note (Blepharitis, which I researched at home on my own). read more

I don't believe this guy is a doctor... For sure he's is a butcher!!! I wonder why there are no "Minus Stars" available... Because this animal doesn't even deserve plus 1/2 Star! You know old days, real butchers after finishing the job they made an OOF sound that they did a fabulous job... This son of the filthy mutton made that same sound... This explains a lot!!! This low level dirty animal that calls himself a doctor used laser on my eye over 30 times without even consulting me that he's going to laser me that many times... On top never mentioned anything about pain or blurriness that I'm still having after 6 days! The problem is that if he's done this to me as a brand new patient... I wonder what he has done to his regular customers and lied about it continuously without any remorse! read more

Dr. Hovanesian is a great doctor. He did a cataract surgery on my mom. My mom was so nervous about her procedure, but Dr. Hovanesian and his staff answered all her questions and got her ready for surgery. My mom was so impressed with the nurses kindness and how they treated her in the OR. Results are perfect. I highly recommend Dr. Hovanesian and his staff. Souzan B. read more

Because of Dr. Hovanesian's neglect, my 4 year old little girl has a severe eye disease that has gone untreated for nearly 6 months that is effecting her vision. About 6 months ago, my daughter had some eye redness. We were referred to this doctor and he said it was pink eye. He gave no medication but told me how to treat her eye from home. He did not do ANY kind of exams or tests except to shine a flashlight in her eyes. Her eye seemingly made no progress after we diligently followed his instructions every day. I called for more guidance and they said to keep going. Another two months went by and I called for another follow up appointment. He did the exact same thing- took a look with a flashlight but said he could see some progress. This did not sit right with me. I took her to her 4 year old check up with her pediatrician and they said she was having vision problems in that same eye. After taking her to my regular ophthalmologist, not on a referral, she actually has an eye disease that has gotten severe enough (because of his neglect) to where I need to do 9 different treatments per day and it has hurt her ability to see clearly. Thank goodness, her blurry vision is not permanent or else I would have considered a lawsuit. To add insult to injury, my doctor told me that his instructions to treat my daughter's eye were also wrong and wouldn't have yielded results anyways. Needless to say, I am furious at this doctor's neglect and arrogance. If he is unwilling to properly care for a child, I hate to see what he would do to an adult. I saw this doctor at Specialty Eye Care in West Hollywood. I highly suggest that if you value your vision, do not see this doctor. read more

My mother has been seeing this doctor for more than a year. She has macular degeneration, is elderly and lives alone. I came to town recently and I realized that she's not been taken care of AT ALL by this guy. He has spent ZERO time talking to her, testing her, explaining things to her. Totally dismissive. While I was in town, I got her an appointment with a really good eye doctor, which was difficult because she has this horrific SCAN policy (which also nobody should have!). We met two people in the waiting room who had also been to Havanesian and had the exact same complaints. What he has done is just underbid for the SCAN contract, and does the absolute minimum for his patients. NOBODY should go to him if they have any real problems with their vision. And I'm getting my mom out of SCAN because they have allowed this to happen. read more

The front office staff was unfriendly. Harounian had no bedside manner, did not explain anything to me, and only saw me for 10 minutes. The nurse was nice and took copious notes. The first thing the front office person said to me when I walked in the door was "Have you been here before?" No "hello" or any other greeting. A form was provided for me to sign stating that I had been given privacy paperwork that not been given to me. The copies of the other forms I had to fill out were so shoddy, they were illegible in some parts. My appointment was at 9:00 a.m. I wasn't seen until 9:25. I was the only patient there. No receipt for co-payment was given. I had to ask for it. I had to wait an additional 15 minutes after my exam to get the receipt. During the time I was waiting, the front office person went over to a mirror and adjusted her hair. The waste baskets in the bathroom and in Hovanesian's exam room were full. Obviously no one took out the trash the night before. There were no paper towels in the bathroom. It's not very reassuring to feel like you are in a dirty clinical environment. Hovanesian did not see the growth in my right eye until I pointed it out. I mentioned it when he was finished with the exam and about to leave. He looked again and saw it. He did not address my other problems, which I had explained to the nurse. After he saw the growth on my right eye, I asked if he saw anything in the left eye. He said no. He did not take another look. I had told the nurse that I felt something on my left eye. Did he even read the nurse's notes? He did not discuss with me the results of any of the exams. He gave me a prescription for eyeglasses, but did not discuss how much or little I needed glasses. read more

Worse doctor I've ever been to. Make me fill out all these papers and then they don't even read it and ask you the questions all over again. At the office in Simi, they don't take cards, so you can only pay in check (something that is obsolete for anyone under 30) or with cash (unsafe to carry around, easy to steal). My appointment was for 2:20 not 3:15 (when I finally saw the doctor) After making me wait an hour to finally see the doctor, he doesn't even look at my eyes properly, he says "because I don't have any symptoms wrong with my eye at the moment, nothing is wrong with you". That has to be the worse fucking answer I ever got from a doctor. I explained what else was wrong, he seemed to be completely incompetent. When I mention putting tubes in my tear ducts, he said he doesn't do that, that's some other doctor in the building. I stormed out, he is a pathetic excuses for a doctor. I wouldn't see him anymore, I also refuse to pay the copay, I will only pay for the proper service I expect, which was not met. read more

I agree with the other review and am looking for another referral. He didn't even do my exam someone else did and she had the biggest attitude! He basically looked at my eyes with a flashlight and wrote the prescription which I don't even think is right! read more

From a referral by my primary care doctor in Eagle Rock, I drove out to the office in West Hollywood to see Dr H Hovanesian for an eye exam to diagnose a chalazion. I don't believe I have ever received more unprofessional, cursory and rude treatment from a doctor in my 40+ years. The office staff who checked me in and did intake were excellent, friendly, professional, welcoming and knowledgeable. However, Dr Hovanesian seemed to not have looked at the intake information at all, did a perfunctory and seemingly inadequate exam of my eye (did not even look at the lesion under the lid), gave me a confusing explanation of my diagnosis, and showed absolutely zero patience when I asked questions for clarification, to the point of becoming hostile and rude. He and the staff sent me off without a single word in closing (just left me alone in the office!), or any documentation of the diagnosis or prescribed treatment. I gathered my wits before driving away and went back for some kind of documentation, and Dr Hovanesian refused to make eye contact with me and ordered the office staff to write up the diagnosis/prescription on an Rx slip. I've never left a medical facility without being given documentation of the visit and outcome! I won't ever go back to this office for ophthalmology. It was a really awful and disturbing experience. read more