I had cataract surgery on both eyes there. It all went smoothly and successfully. The wait can be a little long. They have a lot of patients. They are very close to my home. I was pleased with the results- for me that's the most important issue. read more

Poor front office. Emails, texts , all about details of my appointment, including the day before , but no one says anything about not receiving a referral until I'm standing at the front desk ? Don't tell me you value my business when the answer is " we don't do that " . Well enjoy your empty slot and lost customer who was interested in LASIK . You know a business is s**t, when their own process kills customers. I would not trust them with my eyes . read more

If you want a blind dog to do your cataract surgery go here. Suffering with a botched surgery. The worst place I have ever been. read more

Dr Mackool is a excellent surgeon, however his staff, Nubia never has the decency to return a phone call. I Howard Enright had questions about my eye drops, I must have called at least 10 times & never a call back. I hope Dr Mackool is aware of the unprofessionalism of Nubia, she should not be working for a great doctor like him. read more

My wife was nervous about her cataract surgery. The staff was so comforting. The doctor is amazing. The quality of care was amazing and she relaxed read more

The staff are very professional and caring. They made an anxious "me," a very satisfied patient.

The younger doctor tried to schedule me for unnecessary cataract surgery. Luckily, I got a second and third opinion and was advised by other ophthalmologists that I didn't need cataract surgery and I should stay away from this place. By the way, if you ask them for your records, they actually will charge you for each page. I was hoping to become a patient of the older doctor, the father. He is world-famous and well-respected. However, he was out that day and it appears that his son was in this profession for the financial rewards. What a waste of time at this dump that felt like an assembly line with patients being scheduled for cataract surgery - the younger doctor's specialty. Like the saying goes - "when the only tool you have is a hammer, everything you see is a nail". I cannot recommend this place. read more

I have been a long time patient at Mackool Eye Institute . Since they sold out to OCLI it has been impossible to deal with them. For example, I have received several recorded messages telling me to call a specific number to make an appointment. I have called that number several times over a period of days, never spoken to a live person, nor received a callback when leaving a message. Likewise, an effort to use their online appointment scheduling has yielded only frustration. I regretfully must now look for a different opthalmologist, though I have been a patient of Dr. Monsanto for many years and respect her. read more

4mph98gzw9 every one was very caring and made sure i had the best of care and my check ups were on time i would tell any one they are in good hands thank you Josephine: read more

I've coming here for over 20 years. I've had 2 laser procedures. Came here today for a routine check up. They are extremely professionally run. They don't waist your time.seeing 3 techs before the doctor took about 30 minutes. You can get your eyes checked at an eyeglass store, but here you get a very thorough exam unlike an eyesore. You're in great hands. Our eyes are so important, don't be chintzy with them. These are doctors here. Again, that I've been going here over 20 years, isn't that a recommendation? I highly recommend them. And, Dr. Monsanto, who I've seen for many years is awesome, as well as the whole staff. read more

This is the worst most unorganized place I have ever been to. My appointment was at 1pm it's now 2:20 and nobody seems to know what's going on. Ridiculous, awful and unorganized. read more

My purpose for visiting was to see if this OCLI office, which is very local for me, might work as an emergency resource when I am unable to visit my primary OCLI office in Oceanside, Long Island.  I had not expected such a long wait today as a new patient at the Astoria OCLI office.  I spoke to the person at the front desk and explained I had been waiting over an hour. She expressed concern that my chart had not been brought up as yet. I mentioned that I was leaving. I am disappointed that this did not meet my expectations. John Colligan read more

I should have followed the reviews but I was in an emotional place at the time of my double cataract surgery. I was a younger than usual candidate, but nonetheless had to have it done. I agree with others regarding the assembly line feel and their interest in the financial aspect more. The doctor who did the surgery and the follow up doctor that I was handed off to were apathetic at best. They'll remain nameless. I do visit a different doctor there for my annual visits, he is not a surgeon however. He's wonderful! Otherwise I cannot recommend the practice. The staff in the surgical area downstairs were helpful but you can see there's pressure on them to keep it moving. The front desk and billing staff were helpful and friendly. Making appointments was easy, wait times understandable. Lots of paperwork on the front end and they're not electronic as a practice if that matters. The worst of it all was the amount of pain I had post surgery, something that shouldn't have happened. Perhaps this would have been manageable had the doctors been more interested in what I was experiencing. I'm not an alarmist or have a low threshold of pain but this was nearly unbearable. I'll leave it there. Good luck in your search. read more

I am an Ophthalmologist, an eye surgeon. I requested Richard J Mackool to do my cataract operation. We all hopefully have choices in our lives. I selected the most talented surgeon. Also he is a kind and compassionate human being to go along with his gift of restoring sight. My pre operative evaluation with his team was thorough and then he listened to my concerns (especially since I too do these operations) and gave me the confidence that I had chosen wisely. read more

Dr MacKool runs a frumpy eye surgery mill. The free ride that is offered is to be avoided unless you like riding in an aging jalopy. All that would be minor stuff if it weren't attached to a totally disappointing experience. I wanted a mult-focal lens. It comes with a somewhat riskier failure rate than a mono focal lens. Dr. MacKool enhanced the failure rate by opting to use an Johnson & Johnson lens. The implant placement was fine, but the visual experience has been a failure. I have glare and halos with having any middle or close up sight . Two other ophthalmologists said the J&J multiple lens have a higher visual failure rate than its competitor. Dr MacKool never discussed this with me or gave me a choice of lens. His solution was to want to go back into my eye and revise the surgery. This revision procedure has even a higher complication rate than the original surgery. I told him that I wanted more time to think about doing that. He eagerly pushed to do surgery on my other eye. My instincts told me that Dr. MacKool was more eager to maintain his cash flow and less interested in what was best for my well being. I opted never to return to his care. If you are wise you should do them same thing. Getting followup calls on postoperative care was unsatisfactory. There is no emergency number to call. The staff is polite, but stiff and somewhat tentative. It seemed as if they were following a script and were afraid to go off it. Waiting times were long in an crowded office. I do not recommend using this doctor for cataract surgery. read more

I needed cataract surgery. My doctor is Dr. Shepps, and he does surgery here. He's great, the surgery went well with no problems and my vision is much better. The OR staff were all very good. The general staff here were also friendly and helpful, if a bit harried. The problem I had is with the office itself. The waiting area on the main floor is in need of renovation and is very crowded and set up poorly. Operations are done in the basement, so there are no windows and that's also a bit depressing. They cram far too many people into the basement waiting room (this is for those having operations) and subject you to horrific ancient game shows featuring the usual cast of brain-dead types screaming and yelling, not exactly what you need when you are waiting for or recovering from surgery. And it's a long wait, too. The whole place has a real assembly-line feel, which I do not like at all. So the bottom line is, if you have a good eye surgeon who you trust and they do operations there, don't worry about it and go, just be prepared for the things I've noted above. Regarding my rating: I would give 5 stars for Dr. Shepps and 2 stars for the general experience, so rounded it to 3 stars. read more

I would avoid this place at all cost. First they scheduled me to come at 8, doctor didn't show up until 10am. Okay it can happen. In the meantime, his father checked me up and said that I will never see again, my only solution is to do laser surgery. (His explanaition was that somehow after 15 years of wearing contacts I became allergic on them?) Long story short, dr finally showed up, nothing serious is happening to me, I can just buy eye drops and that will do it. It didn't help. They are calling me to make a follow up appointment, okay lets do it. When I wanted to schedule my follow up, they magically don't have anything for more than two weeks, but when I said I will go somewhere else, oh than they can check for something sooner. I just want to mention, when they were taking me as a new patient, they scheduled me for day after. Just avoid, go to some place that really cares for your well being. read more

Never will I ever so glad I didn't go their staff was awful, they dilated my eyes and then asked me to sign a bunch of disclosures

My mom had Cataract surgery at this facility twice and I must say I was very impressed with the overall service she received from the moment she walked in till the moment she left. The staff is very caring and polite. Very well organized. In both cases, one week apart, we were in and out in less than 2 hours. Surgery was performed by Dr. Anthony Napolitano, one of the finest in this profession. read more

Dr. Gerald Shepps, M.D. performed cataract laser surgery on me at the Mackool Eye Institute. The entire experience was top notch. All the staff at the institute were friendly and professional. My vision is perfect once again. I can't recommend Dr. Shepps and the institute highly enough. read more

Both my wife and I had our cataracts removed there (2016, 2019), and are thrilled with the results and treatment received. When I had asked my optometrist to recommend an eye surgeon for the procedure she gave me three names, the top one being Dr. Mackool. She said "Mackool is the one I sent my mother to". I suspect the reviewers who complained about spending a couple of hours at the clinic do not appreciate how lucky they are to be there. It may seem like the institute runs like a factory assembly line, but that's because they have so much experience they know exactly what they are doing. I wore corrective lens for 60 years and now no longer need to carry around glasses or contact lens. Never imagined this day would ever come. read more

If I can give this place a negative -5* rating I certainly would. The fact that it took 2+ months to get an appointment for a needy senior aunt of mine was the first red flag. We filled out tons of paperwork prior to appointment and they told us to be prepared to wait at least 4 hours upon arrival. On the day of the appointment, we were scheduled to be there at 8am, but due to local road closures we were 15 minutes late and they TURNED us AWAY! So unethical. I'm going to file a complaint with 311 and the nerve for them to say that they couldn't accommodate us. Even restaurants have a 15 min reservation policy -- are you freaking kidding me? No way. Avoid this place at all costs especially for seniors and fragile elderly folks that can't deal with their insensitivity and nonsense. Shame on you all, including Dr. Patel that ultimately refused to accommodate my request to speak to him. This place needs to do way better for the oath they took to become doctors and help the needy. read more

I took here my grandmother for a lazer surchery. They are very friendly, with fabulus results. read more

The Mackool Eye Institute - Ophthalmologists Near Me - Astoria, New York

I cannot say enough good things about this masterful surgeon, who is as nice & easy to talk to, as he is as an excellent doctor. My cataract surgery was smooth & excellent. I highly recommend him and the staff. read more

Terrible staff and services! Not recommended!! $450 just for consult, $5000.00 for revision If needed. All they care about is $$$ not you as a patient! The staff are loud and extremely rude!!!! read more

The wait can be a little long, but after my cataract surgery in each eye, there were no side effects and was able to see clearly by the time I got home. Well worth the wait (and having to get from Yonkers to Astoria was not the easiest, but the results more than make up for the travel time.) Staff was fine - had no issues. Very thorough - prior to surgery, I had five or six different people check and measure my eyes. Gave me an accurate prescription for temporary glasses to use between surgeries. Everything carefully checked for the followup the next day and a few weeks later. Very specific directions for taking medicine after surgery - follow them and you should have no problem. read more

The Dr.s are fantastic, if you ever get to see them. Trust the reviews that call this place a "meat processing plant." It's a cattle call here, and to make things worse, the staff routinely argues with patients, loses their tempers and are completely disorganized. After seeing the Dr and obtaining clearance for surgery (my partner was told that he has an issue with his eye that is extremely time sensitive or he may permanently lose vision) we were then told by the receptionist that we had to wait for the "girl who does the schedule" to get back from vacation to make the call to the eye bank for his cornea transplant. We were then told that she is in the building now, but just too busy with other clients today. This was probably our 7th or 8th visit to this place where they continually jerk you around and ask you to reschedule after waiting 2-4 hours in the waiting room. My advice; go somewhere else. read more

My lucky day was when I met Dr. Richard J. Mackool at The Mackool Eye Institute in December. I had been suffering after having cataract surgery performed on both eyes in October by a different doctor. I was seeing large, concentric six foot circles on every crosswalk, every traffic light, all streetlights and car lights. I literally had given up going out at night. At night in my apartment circles were on every lighted appliance. I felt as if I was losing my mind. Dr. Mackool listened to my problem and assured me he could remedy the situation. In addition to being the most skillful cataract surgeon he is also one of the kindest and most understanding doctors you'll ever meet. During the next few weeks the doctor replaced the original lenses from my prior surgery with a new set of lenses. The circles are gone, my vision is the best it's ever been, and I am pleased beyond words. Everything about my experience at the Mackool Eye Institute was first rate. The entire staff is dedicated to providing the best service and care to every patient. The receptionists, the technicians, the nurses and the doctors are all amazing. During my treatment I also met with Dr. RJ Mackool (Doctor's son) and Dr. Vivian Monsanto on check up visits and they were wonderful. read more

Simply said. The place is a love it and hate it kind of spot. If your having trouble with sight. I would recommend this place! The doctors are helpful and very efficient with their work. The workers keep things flowing. Down side. Parking is a pain and the wait is quite long sometimes. On a busy day. If they booked you 11pm.. You won't be leaving till 3 the least. On a good day. You'll be in and out within the hr or 2. so it's 50/50. But, it's better then the ones in the city! read more

When you have four hours of wait time for a 15 minute consult, you're left with plenty of time for a yelp review. Waiting with my aunt, who is here for the second time for cataract surgery consult and scheduling. Have heard great things about the doctor, but the wait is incredible, and not one person on staff has been kind, or even understanding that they've kept us here for going on four hours. Expect to spend your whole day here, and that's just the consult. Waiting at the end for the scheduler is icing on the cake--what century are we in? read more

I had cataract surgery on June 15th. I am due for the other eye on the 29th. I have to say I am extremely surprised at some of the reviews. I have nothing but good things to say about this institute. My surgery was scheduled for 2:15 and I went into surgery at 2:30 Fifteen minutes is no cause to complain. I read where others have said to expect 2.5 to 4.5 hours waiting time. That was not the case for me. Also the place was immaculate, the staff helpful and informative. I was very pleased. Rosemary Ilardi read more

I had cataract surgery on 9/6/17 with Dr. Mackool. Everything went exceptionally well from the time I arrived to the time I left the office. Dr. Mackool is very professional, as is his office staff. Everyone was very helpful and courteous and very patient. All my questions and concerns were tended to. It is 9 days since my surgery and everything is perfect. I will be doing my other eye in the next two months, again with Dr. Mackool. I have every trust in his capability. read more

If I could give this a zero rating I would. I trust the surgeon who did the surgery for my cataracts, but this place is really awful. It looks like a Greyhound bus station; I had to wait for several hours for the procedure sitting in a shabby waiting room with unsmiling, uncommunicative reception. Finally, I get "dressed" in a gown for surgery and waited some more (2 hours in total). The operation prep staff was ok; I had the laser portion of the surgery and then was ushered to the "operating room". Because there was no room for me to wait in the waiting room, I was put in a hallway in a chair outside the operating room waiting for maybe a half hour unable to see. Medical personnel raced past me with carts and equipment. A male nurse attempted to wipe away drops without even looking at my face, surprising me and stabbing my eyes with dry gauze. Then I went into the operating room where all the staff was complaining about their work environment. WITH ME THERE. The lovely male nurse shows up again and stabs my chest with a cable (attempting to connect it to a snap on my chest). Then I get the anesthesia and the rest of the surgery. They walk me to post-op (a chair in this crowded chaotic room) and guess what they gave me after 12 hours of fasting? Nothing. A little bottle of water. Then I was sent home with an instruction sheet full of wrong instructions, wrong medications and instructions which were different than the ones given to me by my own doctor's office. This place is the ever-loving pits. A conveyor belt of cataract surgeries and you are handled like a product on an assembly line. AWFUL. Insist on a hospital. Not this dump. read more

I really can't say enough good things about Dr. Mackool. Faced with a complicated cataract surgery, he took my concerns incredibly seriously and his ample experience with even the most complex procedures put me at ease. Along with being skillful, he was also incredibly kind and reassuring to this very nervous patient. Best news of all- my vision went from 20/200 to 20/30. I will always be grateful to the MacKool Eye Institute. read more

Caring, clean and very professional. My father had cataract surgery and he received the BEST care!

Dr. Mackool is the finest eye surgeon that I have ever seen and I have seen the best as I am a retired eye surgeon myself. I always thought that I was superior to all other surgeons untilI I observed Dr. Mackool. I humbly say he surpasses me. So if your worried about having to wait or any other nonsensical thing, remember- your getting the best. read more

I had the RK (Radial Keratotomy) eye surgery done by Dr. Mackool to correct my nearsightedness in 1997. Dr. Mackool made one eye with better nearsightedness and the other with better farsightedness so that i could put off wearing reading glasses until later than i would normally need them. I couldn't notice the difference at the time. Fast forward to 2017 and I am unable to work because my eyes are so damaged and i can't see very well. Through the natural age progression of my eyes, the mono vision has become very difficult to live with. I made a terrible mistake having the RK surgery and very distraught that Dr. Mackool thought it would be best to give me mono vision. There are no glasses that help very much because the RK surgery has mishaped my cornea. My name is Debbie Paciello. read more

so it's 4.5 hrs and I'm still waiting in the office for my grandma to receive her procedure. Had to wait because the assisting physician forgot to wake up on time. the receptionist is pleasant and so are the nurses; if your insurance covers the care sure why not go. Be prepared however to wait and comfort your loved ones read more

If you are searching for the best eye care the Mackool Eye Institute is the BEST!!! I have been there numerous times and I always found the staff to be efficient and professional. While there I encountered some patients who were there to have remedial surgery for botched operations by other Doctors. I had Artisan lens implanted in both my eyes and my outcome was perfect.That procedure gave me back a true quality of life. I had been severely nearsighted and wore hard contact lens for most of my adult life. Without correction, I was considered legally blind and under Dr. Mackool's highly skilled hands, I was able to throw away my lenses and my glasses and see the world perfectly, both distance wise and close-up. I found it to be worth every minute of the wait at that office...I will continue to travel from Connecticut to Queens because when it comes to my vision, I need to know that my eyes are being taken care of by the best. Dr. Mackool can do eye procedures in his sleep because he does so many. After many years of wonderful vision with my lens implants, I am presently going to revisit him for Cataract surgery. I feel utmost confidence in the outcome I will have! read more

Back for a follow up and it's the same story...the dr. Had a last minute emergency in Manhattan and appointments are behind by 45 minutes...add that to the already 1 hour that we've been waiting. Also there is no wifi available. This place has to learn that healthcare is not supposed to be centered around physician satisfaction but rather patient satisfaction. You'd be much better off finding an alternative provider...there are many out there that do a much better job!! read more