Sandia Vision Clinic Nob Hill

Yesterday I went too the Sandia Vision Nob Hill location for the fitting of my new Prescription Eye Glasses, I sat, the young sales associate sat, she pulled out my new glasses, I took my old glasses off, put on the new pair and immediately had Zero Focus in any range, I went from full clear vision to seeing through Beer Bottles, this made me very angry but I was still composed as I tried to describe what I was experiencing, the associate belittled me and like a frustrated teacher in a class room and told me to work with her, she acted as if the 60 year old man sitting in front of her didn't know how to use a pair of no line progressive lenses, then instead of allowing me to talk with a location manager or the optician who performed the Prescription adjustment, she put my new glasses back in the case then in a not very happy tone Told me to step up to the receptionist desk for a new appointment, I did so then the nice yet unapologetic desk person immediately started locating me another appointment 3 weeks into the future as i tried describing my experience to her hopping for her to provide me someone to speak with for a resolution, but no, just a here's your appointment reminder and a Have a Nice day sir. I left yesterday's appointment feeling like a Number instead of a Valued customer. I was so angry i drove over a parking barrier, luckily I didn't do any damage to my car, that might have really set me off. Only after a very heated text to them from my driveway did I receive a sooner appointment for next week but still no apologies, no "Gee Whiz, we are sorry this happened Sir"! Literally every time I've gone to receive my new eye glasses, the vision was Clear with an obvious improvement in Prescription strength, the glasses I put on were so bad I saw clearer without any glasses.

Sandia Vision was the second time that I went to get glasses, and I was skeptical as the first time at another company that I won't name went very poorly. I could not have been happier with my experience. Unlike the other place, all eye exam tests are done in person, not via telehealth. I don't know the name of the man who did the initial tests, but he was very professional and patient. The doctor I saw was Dr Byington and she was terrific. She listened to my concerns regarding my prior experience and everything went smoothly. I felt comfortable with her recommendations and appreciate her combination of professionalism and kind personality. The third person I interacted with was (I believe) Tati. She helped me pick out frames and some of the add ons. She explained everything clearly and did not try a hard sell to get more money out of me. She was very helpful giving opinions on which frames looked best. It took about 3 weeks for my glasses to be done, when I went back to pick them up, the lady who helped me was very knowledgeable. I got progressives which were new to me. She took the time to explain what to expect and she was right, it takes a while to adjust. I got a pair of Armani frames and am very happy with the lenses. I highly recommend going there

Disappointed at their new *mandatory*, *out-of-pocket*, *annual* $50 cost for unnecessary retina screening. Feels like a scummy cash grab they are trying to disguise as good patient care. Last year after a discussion and me accepting the risks of a potential missed diagnosis they let me decline. This year I was invited to leave partway through the visit if I didn't want this done. After months of waiting for an appointment that was not a great option. What happened to patient autonomy? On the other hand the optometrist has always been (otherwise) very polite and courteous and had good bedside manner. Ultimately will likely be looking elsewhere for future care, which is a shame as we really liked our optometrist, but I don't like patronizing institutions that take advantage of me.

Do NOT recommend! Went in for an eye exam. Got scammed into being screened for dry eyes. I was told my health insurance would pay for it. NOPE! Now Sandia Vision wants me to pay. NOPE! AND I didn't get my eye exam. What a crock.

I needed to find a new eye doctor and these guys were the only ones I could find that could fit me in before October. Everyone, from reception to the tech to Dr. Estrada was very professional and efficient, and I was seen right at my appointment time. Dr. Estrada was very thorough, listened to my concerns and treated me with respect. They do make you sign indicating that you understand that your visit is going to go through medical insurance (rather than vision) for pretty much anything other than a regular glasses prescription update, which I find reasonable. They warn you in advance (when you make the appointment) of a $49 fee for a test that insurance won't cover, and that you'll have to pay your medical copay if you have medical concerns. Nothing was a surprise. My only mild complaint is that they have only one person on at a time who can consult with you regarding picking and ordering glasses, so there was a wait for that. I would definitely visit them again.

In 2024, I was diagnosed by a doctor at this clinic with dry macular degeneration. Believing that diagnosis to be correct, I lived for more than a year under the impression that I was slowly losing my vision. The anxiety and emotional stress from that belief had a significant impact on my overall well-being. Recently, a comprehensive re-evaluation by a retinal doctor at UNM Hospital confirmed that I do not have macular degeneration. My findings were instead limited to mild hypertensive changes and a small, stable retinal traction area--conditions unrelated to any degenerative disease. I believe this experience underscores the importance of confirming complex retinal findings through advanced imaging and specialist review. I encourage patients to seek a second opinion when facing a serious or life-altering diagnosis.

I've been going to this clinic for years seeing Dr Chinsci, always treated with respect and professionalism. Unfortunately, he retired and I felt dismissed and ignored on my last visit here. The young assistant handed me some instrument to check my vision with moving images within my field of vision. Well, a 67 YO with arthritis is bound to fail a test that she must hold, respond to, and look into. This was the first time I was given a handheld instrument for this test, and had no idea how difficult it was to handle. Up to this point, my score on this test had been perfect. When I explained that my score was poor because of all these factors, the young doctor completely dismissed me and strongly recommended that I buy a macular degeneration supplement that the office sells, even though my macular looked perfect on imaging. Also, when I asked the office manager to make sure my exam got charged to my medical insurance because I have cataracts that were diagnosed at this clinic the visit before, she told me that it's "up to the doctor's discretion" to bill it as medical or not. Well, wouldn't it be illegal not to submit it as a medical charge since one of their docs already diagnosed me and submitted it to medical insurance the year before? It's like saying "yes, we see that you have a broken leg, but it's up to the doctor to bill your medical insurance or not." Really??? Also, they don't tell you anything-I had to ask this doctor about the cateracts, and she said they stayed the same. So, I obviously had a medical exam-cayetacts don't go away on their own! This office also ordered the wrong contacts for me twice! I had to go back and forth to finally get the correct ones. I've never had this much trouble with this office and will be making my appointments at the Eubank clinic from now on.

I arrived 15minutes early, the staff did the prep work..now I have been waiting for a doctor for 45 minutes. No one checked in, one one explained. There was not a long line. A few other patients are sitting in the rooms also waiting.