Peter M Odell, MD

Went to Dr Odell based on recommendations from several people including my internist. Needed simple cataract removal with lens implant. Came out of under-​sedated surgery to learn that the cataract had been removed but lens not implanted.
I will not go into the intricacies of the followup for the past 6 months. But, bottom line is this man told me first, that in 2 weeks or so he would be able to implant the lens in the front (not the preferred place) rather than the back of cornea (where he failed).
Two weeks passed into many many weeks. Meanwhile, I could not walk the streets of Manhattan alone because of loss of vision and balance. Time went on. His ‘fix’ was going to be to put the new lens (after surgery failure) into the front. I asked him if it was possible to put the lens into back (after healing from his first surgery) as is usually done. His answer: ‘Someone might be able to do that but I don’t know if he could. I can’t do that’. He never recommended that I consult a doctor who might be able to do the ‘fix’ the right way.
This awful experience is too long to repeat in detail. But to summarize: I consulted several (5) other ophthalmologists who all said that they thought there was enough tissue left to insert a lens in the right place (posterior vs anterior) but that the eye needed months to recover from first surgery. I finally found an excellent ophthalmologist who could implant the lens in the preferred location and do a corneal transplant if that proved necessary. It has taken 6 months of my life being unable to walk outside alone. I have lost musculature in my legs, confidence about walking, and have lost so many corneal cells that I may need a corneal transplant. But at least now (after finding a wonderful surgeon), I can see.

One of the best ophthalmologists in the city. Doesn’t take insurance directly, but I’ve learned that saving money on stuff like this doesn’t necessarily save money in the big picture. It’s a spiffy, modern, clean, well maintained office that is a pleasure to visit.