Prince William Eye Associates

I love this place. Dr. Gupta is young but what she lacks in years of experience she has in intellect. She was able to correctly diagnose a serious eye medical issue which was discovered only by one other eye doc few years ago. Last few years, they never discovered it. Pleasant lady and explains things well giving me multiple options. The gentleman at the front desk is super nice and efficient. The other docs in the facility did not seem as friendly but I go here because I trust Dr. Gupta’s skill.

This place is the worst. My parents have been taking my brother & I here since elementary school, but obviously as time goes on places change owners & doctors. We decided to stick it out once our doctor left & continued to go & see whatever available doctor there was for yearly check-​ups, but it had become just mediocre. Even now, as an adult, I continued to go to this office BC it was convenient & I was used to it. However, my last visit was atrocious. Note: I always purchase both glasses & a years worth of contacts… Even w insurance it isn’t cheap.
I had an appointment w Dr. Gupta who I also had the previous two times I went. This appointment was way overdue, considering I missed my check-​up the year before so I was wearing the same prescription for almost three years at that point. Keep in mind that whenever I go, my prescription changes every time. I explained to her I thought it needed to be stronger BC I was having trouble seeing far away & it was affecting my college courses negatively. I either had to get there early & sit up front or take notes from what I hear BC I could not see. I told her I was also having issues seeing signs while driving. I laughed, made a joke about taking a year off from a check-​up was a bad idea. She proceeded to examine my eyes & said «it’s not your prescription it’s your make-​up.»
Here’s the thing, I don’t wear that much make up. If I do it’s a little bit of bronzer & mascara. It is very rare I go the whole nine yards w my make up. I save that exhaustion for special occasions. But I said okay what do you mean. She gives me some list about what I can wear & tells me that most of the time not being able to see specific things far away is due to make up. So then I say that I’ve been wearing the same brands since I started seeing her & two and a half years ago my prescription was just fine & now I can’t see again. She argued w me. Nicely, I will add. She’s nice. I’ll give her that. So I said okay I will take your list (& these drops to use to make sure the make up isn’t drying out my eyes) & try them for a week & call if it isn’t better. She kinda brushed that off & said the problem wasn’t my prescription. Yes, I heard you say that twenty times.
Then I go to check out & decide to glance through the glasses just to get an idea bout prices, what my insurance covered, what it didn’t, etc. So the glasses guy (have never seen him before) calls out to me asking if I’m okay. Compared to all the other really nice staff, he stands out as a prick. But whatever. Maybe that’s just him. Anyway, I tell him what I’m looking for & ask him some questions but also let him know I’m waiting a week to make sure my prescription really hasn’t changed. He shows me what my insurance covers a portion of. Really ugly glasses as usual. Then tells me some deal & I look at those. Then I ask him about contact prices BC they always change & my insurance never covers them. However, he says it does now. So I’m like okay that’s cool again I have to make sure it’s the right prescription. Then as I’m walking out, he says oh wait you have an 85 $ co-​pay. I have never had a co-​pay there before & 85 $ seemed like an odd number. So I asked him where he got that from & to show me BC I was pretty sure when looking at my new insurance that there was no co-​pay but I did know that other doctors offices I owed 25 $ co-​pays so that would make more sense. He says he’ll go check then comes back & says he’s wrong that it’s 50 $. So I’m like where are you getting these numbers? Then another person intervenes (a very nice trendy man who has been a receptionist there for a while) & says he will check BC he could see my annoyance. Maybe the prick was new? Not sure. Anyway he says I have a 25 $ co-​pay now. So, as a server, I pay the receptionist the cash & ask for a receipt (BC I will be calling my insurance when I get home at this point). I also express my concern that if I hadn’t asked any questions & gave that guy 85 $ in cash then he would’ve probably pocketed it. The receptionist smoothed the situation over & I left brushing it off.
Not even a week passes & I know my prescription is not correct. Dr. Gupta refuses to listen to me after what felt like forever but was really only a week of calling & coming in. She swears my make up is messing up my contacts… Except my glasses are the same script & I have the same problem w them. Bottom line is that insurance only covers 1 eye appointment a year. No matter where you go. So I wasted my eye appointment. I fought long & hard, but was just brushed off like an annoyance. I ended up getting contacts BC I needed them & wasn’t paying for an exam out of pocket somewhere else but next year… I’m finding someone else. Years I have gone to this place & for them to change their employees & treat people like this that are loyal customers is completely ridiculous. A guy tried to pocket my money, my eye doctor doesn’t take me seriously about what I can & cannot see… Just avoid it.

Unprofessional, this was my follow up visit, I had to wait almos an hour after my appointment time. Everyone looks at you in a bizarre way as if they were not getting paid to do their job, I wanted to leave asap, The doctor then gave me 5 contacts as trials which made me wonder if she knows that I have 2 eyes. Won’t go there again and definitely never recommend it!

I have been going to Dr. Elena Byrnes at Prince William Eye Associates since I moved to Manassas Park. I Have always enjoyed her people skills and get a thorough exam. I was very impressed that Dr. Byrnes went the extra step and conducted additional tests for glaucoma when one of the standard tests came up as worrisome. Thankfully it is nothing, but I am glad she went the extra mile. If anyone is looking for a great optometrist, go here!