Carter Eye Center

The wait every time I come here is too long.
I had lasiks, which went well untilI I realised it ruined my farsightedness making me unable to read texts and anything else within hands reach is blurry. I can’t put on my makeup without a magnified mirror. Had they explained that my reading vision would be drastically altered I would not have had the surgery.
I spent ten minutes writing this and I’m still waiting to be called for my eye exam. 45 mins and counting in the lobby. Ugh
They are thorough tho. Which could explain why they run slow.

Where is the ZERO star option??? I just need to change my appointment time but NO ONE is there to pick up the phone during regular business hours. It’s just a recording that says they don’t open until 8:30! It’s 9 am right now!?! What kind of doctors office has their staff showing up 30 minutes late?! How can I trust them with something as important as my vision if they can’t even get into the office within 30 minutes of their opening time? So embarrassing as a business. I’m embarrassed for you Dr Carter!

WHAT A WASTE OF MY TIME, COMPLETELY UNPROFESSIONAL
I went to Carter Eye Center and had the same experience as many on here. I arrived 15 minutes early for my appointment so I could complete all the paperwork before my appointment time which I did. 35 minutes past my appointment time when no one had said a word to me I went back to the receptionist and asked if I had possibly written down the wrong appointment time. No she told me it was 35 minutes ago. She went to the back, I assumed to get me a status but upon her return she walked right past me without even looking at me.
Another 15 minutes passed and still no one had said anything, no we’re running late or please bear with us. I will not spend thousands of dollars with someone so unprofessional and so disrespectful of my time. I cancelled my appointment nearly an hour after its’ scheduled time and left.
Many online reviews of this place all say the same thing, I wish I had read them first; I would never have gone and could have accomplished something with the two hours they cost me traveling and sitting.

****Please take time to read this and scroll to the bottom of the main page where you’ll find a button that takes you to several one star reviews. ****
I went in for the free consultation for lasik surgery. After 4 hours of testing and waiting I see Dr. Carter who tells me my corneas are too thin and that my eyes are too dry. Earlier in the morning Kimberly, the billing person, told me about puncta plugs which help to hold moisture in the eye. I asked her to check with my insurance on cost and, upon returning after 20 minutes or so, she tells me it’ll be my $ 40 specialist co pay. So when I’m talking to Dr. Carter and he tells me my eyes are too dry I ask about the plugs. He said it would help so knowing I just have to pay $ 40 I tell him to put them in. After he inserted them they felt very scratchy and uncomfortable which I tell Dr. Carter and he says its normal. I leave to drive the 5.5 hours back to Lubbock where I live, yes I traveled for this «free» consultation, and a couple of hours after my visit the left plug falls out. Twenty four hours later the right one falls out. I was pissed. So I had to pay $ 40 more to have my local Dr. Put them back in. At that appointment I tell him about my thin corneas. He checks them and they were normal. Additionally, the new plugs have been in for 1.5 months without any problem. Dr. Carter didn’t do his job right. And to add insult to injury, I got a $ 200 bill in the mail today which won’t be getting paid. Kimberly can pay it.

I had Lasik surgery with Dr. Carter in July and so far so good. I could not be happier with the results and the experience. I went in on a Monday and it turned out I was the only patient getting the surgery, so it was quick and effective. I was nervous given some of the reviews, but as I said, I am happy with the results almost 2 months following the surgery.

I contacted Carter eye care and ask if my surgery was covered by Medicare. Yag surgery. Shawn said yes it was. I said it was important to know because I had not used Medicare before and if it was not covered by Medicare I could get it done free at the Va. Shawn said it definitely was. I called again latter to make an appointment and again it was confirmed it was covered by Medicare. I went in for the surgery and handed them my Medicare care card and was told the surgery was covered. This was important to me because I am a disabled veteran and if it was not covered by Medicare I could get it done for free ant the Va Hospital. They assured me it was covered. I get a phone call yesterday and they tell me afterwords that the surgery was Not covered by Medicare and I would need to pay. If they would have told me this in the beginning I would have done it at the VA. It was not urgent. This is a deceptive trade practice and I want them to stand behind what they told me.

If I could give this less than 1 star I would. I came in for an emergency appointment because I thought I had scratched my eye. After waiting for OVER two and a half hours, someone finally came to get me. I think the only reason they came then was because the sweet old lady next to me fussed at them for making me wait when I was there for an emergency appointment. Between them getting me from the waiting room and getting in the room to see the doctor they moved me three separate times (and then again after I saw him). The doctor is the most pompous jerk I have ever had contact with. They must’ve done an awful job of writing in my file or either he didn’t read it before he came in because he came in, took two seconds to look at my eyes and said, «Everything looks fantastic! What do you need a prescription for… Contacts? Glasses?» I then told him what I was there for (I felt like I had a scratch) and he took another look at my eyes and told me that I had a staph infection in my eye… 30 seconds after he got done saying everything was fantastic. I do not have a staph infection… this guy was grasping at straws. During the course of the appointment he noticed my place of employment (from the questionnaire) and then proceeded to tell me in a condescending tone that he knew all about the people that worked there. He also went on and on about how much he hated my hometown. Honestly, this was THE WORST experience I have ever had at a doctors office. The staff doesn’t care what happens to you… They just care about collecting their paycheck. On my way out, they made me schedule another appointment so he could «see my progress» in two weeks. I asked the receptionist for the earliest appointment they had because I couldn’t afford to be out of work for another three and a half hours for an appointment and she just looked at me and said, «Oh his appointments always take four hours. Dr. Carter is very busy.» I will never go back.

I chose Dr Carter to perform custom inter-​LASIK on my eyes a year ago. Initially my vision was vastly improved but not ²⁰⁄₂₀. I was told it would improve with time. However it has only gotten worse. I told the staff and doctor before surgery that I absolutely did not want mono-​vision. So when I met with the doctor after surgery because my vision is not improved enough to drive without glasses and he was so proud of himself for giving me mono-​vision I was shocked and angry.
Additionally my eyes have gotten extremely dry.
I’ve kept my follow up appointments and plugs have been inserted into my tear ducts. Amazingly there is a test for dryness that has been done twice now after surgery but was not one of the many done before concluding that I was a good candidate for this surgery.
I saw the doctor again today about the dryness because one of the punctual plugs had fallen out again. What should have been a quick visit took 3 ½ hours. Apparently today was cataract surgery day and the office was packed with senior citizens. This is my third visit in a row that took over 3 hours because the office is overbooked.
For anyone looking for an eye surgeon I’d say run away as fast as you can. The pre-​op testing is just a sales pitch and you can get much better personal care from a smaller practice that is focused on your eye health more than his own bottom line. I will no longer get my follow up care from Dr. Carter. I will be looking for an ophthalmologist who is truly a healthcare provider and not a salesman.

I had LASIK done here a couple of weeks ago. I chose Carter based on recommendations and because Carter has so much experience. My experience here was pleasant. Are they the best when it comes to time management? Not really. Do I really care? Not really. I can see perfectly now and that’s all that matters!

Every time I visit this clinic the experience is horrible. Frustrated patients waiting in the waiting room with long wait times. Been here for 2 hours and 25 minutes and have yet to see the doctor. Guess their time is more important than their patients. They need to revamp their scheduling system if they can’t do better than this!

Carter Eye Care has been taking care of my wife and myself for decades now and they’re the best. Dr. Carter is so personable and takes the time to get to know his patients. Recently my wife had to have cataract surgery with Crystalens implants. Dr. Carter was our first and only choice. He is an expert at Crystalens and was the first surgeon to perform the procedure.
His staff is so caring and genuinely interested in the welfare of their patients. Dr. Carter and Carter Eye Center ROCKS!

I booked an appointment for 10:00 AM, got there early, and waited an hour and a half before canceling my appointment. I could not take it anymore. Other patients were waiting for 2+ hours. Not only that, but after they take you into the exam room they make you wait ANOTHER 30 – 45 minutes before finishing up your appoint. This is absolutely ridiculous and unacceptable. I don’t care how many football players you’ve done LASIK on, you can’t make people wait for 2 hours to see the doctor.
My advice is, if you value time, do NOT book an appointment with Carter Eye Center. There are MANY more competent and more professional Opthomalogists in Dallas.
Also, the reviews about the front desk lady are absolutely true. She belongs in a cubicle, where she does not have to deal with people. When I came in, no «good morning», no «hi, welcome to blah blah blah». Then, when I was clearly upset because I had wasted my time, she didn’t even attempt to apologize or explain why they were not able to see me. This is an epic fail of customer service. The only excuse I would give her for being so dull and non-​personable is that she probably hates her life for working a such a shitty Eye Clinic! Girl, BYE!

Waste of time for eye exam
I made an 8am appointment and at 8:15am, there was no sign of receptionist, assistant or eye doctor. This was a waste of time for an eye exam,

Only come here if you have 2 – 3 hours to spend. Longest appointment ever. They might be good but speed if service they really really need to work on

Couldn’t be happier. Got my surgery done back in January, and every day has been better and better! It feels awesome that, after 21 years, I no longer need glasses :)
The in-​office experience was excellent. There was a soothing, relaxing waiting room, and friendly staff making sure you are 100% comfortable. The entire surgery was literally only about 4 – 6 minutes per eye! Would definitely recommend!

(Prior to reading my review, please note there are over a dozen reviews for Carter Eye Center on Unilocal that are being censored from public view. Look for the link that reads «other reviews that are not currently recommended».)
I was left in a difficult position after Dr. Carter performed my LASIK surgery. During surgery, I lost my vision and I was unable to remain focused on the red dot. This is common during LASIK surgery and I was advised prior to surgery by Dr. Carter’s staff that surgery would be stopped if there were any complications. Dr. Carter was impatient and lost his temper, and told his assistant to make note that the patient was not cooperating. I would later learn from two of Dr. Carter’s employees that I was placed on a black list to receive no further treatment from his office. There was a significant divide between Dr. Carter’s approach to my health and his staff’s approach to my health. I spoke with lawyers regarding this, and while I was a victim of medical malpractice in court all Dr. Carter would have to do is say he tried his best. My experience was no more different than a sloppy surgery that leaves your body scarred, although it has personally been the most traumatic medical experience of my life.
From my personal experience, I deeply encourage everyone to not immediately trust a single opinion, advertisement, or review. Please seek opinions within the medical community from optometrists before finalizing your decision for a surgery that cannot be reversed. Following my experience, I have met a handful of other patients of Dr. Carter who shared my experience to various degrees. I have spoken with members of the medical field who recognize Dr. Carter is not in healthcare but the healthcare business. When you choose a surgeon to work on your body, you want someone who has a record of patience and care with minimal harm.

Booked 1:15pm consult arrived at 1:11, sat in empty waiting room until 1:53 and then left without being seen. I don’t mind a wait if the front desk notifies me of a delay or at least provides update but to just sit in a waiting room with magazines from 2012 is a place that doesn’t respect peoples time. Waiting room tv also set to some junk yard show. No idea if actual services are good or not but will find a different office rather than go back.

The doc and staff are nice except the receptionist. I received a call today and called back, She hang up my phone when I was still talking. What a bitch.

I went to Carter Eye Center a few years ago for my LASIK. I could not be happier. The staff was professional and nice. And i was able to get a LASIK package I wanted and could afford.
A big THANK YOU to Dr. Carter and his staff for helping my vision. I would recommend anyone else to go here as well.

(my review was in the wrong place… so moving it here)
With all these reviews popping up has made me realize I should review Dr. Carter. I had LASIK performed by Dr. Carter about 5 years ago. On the initial visit I went in to see if I would be a good candidate for LASIK. After a bunch of tests by the office staff I was told that LASIK could indeed help me see with out needing glasses or contacts. I was told I have very dry eyes, and was asked if that had ever been an issue. I hadn’t really noticed, but I did have problems with my contacts drying out all the time. I was told that if my dry eyes weren’t a problem to me now, they wouldn’t be a problem to me after LASIK, but if they were there was some other surgery they could do for my tear ducts. Any who.
I showed up for surgery on a Friday morning. There were dozens of other people there for the exact same thing. They ran a few more tests on me, and then about 20 minutes before surgery I was given a valium. I was put in a room where we laid back and listened to relaxing music.
I didn’t actually meet Dr. Carter until they cattle called me into the operating room. I was told to lay down on the operating table and they immediately went to town on my eyes. I was trying to freak out, but Dr. Carter kept asking me questions about my job. I used to work at Presbyterian Hospital and he found that very interesting since he is on staff there. He and the tech (not sure what he was) in the room where cracking jokes to each other. It was kind of odd, but at the same time it kept my mind off the laser on my eye!
The whole surgery took about ten minutes, if that. They cattle called me out of the surgery room and I did an eye test. I had perfect vision. That rocked! I was bandaged up and my mom took me home. They tell you to keep your eyes closed as much as possible for 24 hours so I popped some Tylenol PM when I got home and slept the day/​night away.
Although the whole experience wasn’t really personable, everyone that I encountered were really professional and answered any questions that I had. I would do this surgery over again and I would recommend Dr. Harvey Cater to anyone.