Duke Eye Center

I started going to Duke Eye Center when I was two months old. IF it weren't for them, I'd be completely blind by now. Fantastic doctors who truly care. I have to say though, the wait times are legendary. 3-4 hours on average. I'm not even being hyperbolic. This wasn't just a one time thing. Besides that, a great Eye Center that is filled with dedicated, talented doctors. Shout out to Dr. Sharon Freedman!

My daughter is in the spectrum and has a hard time with doctor offices. They are so amazing and patient with her! They have accommodations for things that help her be able to complete their tests in a way that's more comfortable for her. Everyone we interacted with was smiling and pleasant. I highly recommend!

Knowledgeable Doctors and Nurses, in general good customer service. This building is kind of new, only few years. Located on Duke Hospital Campus but it has its own building and paid parking deck, research institute, treatment for adults and children(pediatric wing), an optical center , and also a coffee shop.

What should have been a simple request turned into days of frustration due to sheer incompetence and indifference. I requested a copy of my daughter's eye prescription multiple times via MyChart and by phone. I was told it would be faxed on Thursday--it wasn't. On Friday, I was told it was "available," yet only a doctor's note appeared. Even after another medical office (Wilmington Eye, Scotts Hill) called twice the same day, the prescription still wasn't sent. This isn't a HIPAA issue. It's a customer service issue--and a very clear we don't care attitude from the front office. Faxing a prescription should not require multiple calls, portal messages, and outside intervention. If this is how basic requests are handled, I'd hate to see how more serious issues are managed. Do better.

Very good experience and outcome with Dr. Williams for complicated cataract surgery. This review concerns recent emergency retina and vitrectomy. Retina staff are personable but Dr. V treats more like a case and quick to move on to next patient. Would prefer to have a better understanding of the condition that brought me to emergency surgery, progress and if healing appropriately, and a few minutes for questions and answers. Dr. V is very quick to exit the room. Instead find it necessary to read the doctor MyChart clinical notes and google for answers. Assume the surgery went well and the healing although slow with gas bubble now gone on track despite challenges. With Duke being rated #7 in the nation the assumption is that the care would also include the total patient experience which at times can be a little disappointing but to be expected perhaps with the volume and being interconnected with the main hospital.

Appointment wait times that are 3-4 hours in length for small children under five are not reasonable or feasible. The online check is offered and you are not told until you've walked all the way from the parking garage to the clinic in the back that it is obsolete. The desk will then direct you to walk back all the back to the front of the building and then return with a color-coded ticket (with small child(ren) in tow).

My son has been a patient here all of his life so for about six years. We come here at least twice a year and every time is worse than the last. They put you in for 15 minute slots but the appointment really takes three hours. They at least updated that in the my chart notes but what they didn't update is that you now have to check in as soon as you walk in through the doors. They won't tell you until you get down to the pediatric center. My son has cerebral palsy and wears leg braces so walking from the parking garage to the front door to the pediatric Eye Center just to be sent all the way back to the front door was too much and somebody should be notifying people when they walk in that they must check in before going anywhere in the center . They increase the price of valet from $12 to $15 but the employees do half the work . Since you have to check in at the front door, the people working in the pediatric Eye Center are only there to check you out and a lot of of them were on their cell phones while I was waiting to be checked out. Do better Duke. I have multiple appointments with different doctors and locations and this is by far be worse and I wish I could switch my sons doctor so I do not have to come here.

Staff were fine but man, a routine eye appointment really does take 2-3 hours for pediatrics. Most of that is just waiting for the next person to see you. It's crazy. I grew up getting routine eye appointments and it rarely took 45 minutes in and out. It wasn't even that busy.