Chao Vision Institute

Dr. Chao and Dr. Koh have been my primary ophthalmologist and optometrist for almost 4 years now. Due to some extraordinary circumstances — I see many many doctors of all kinds. I can honestly say that these doctors and this office is one of the most professionally run medical practice I have ever been involved with. The location is very convenient. The office is immaculate. The staff is extraordinary.
Dr. Chao is so very generous and not just with all the time he spends with me. He’ll know what I mean. Renée that runs the front desk is an gem to be greeted by. A very dear heart. The whole operation is awesome and I would recommend them to anyone in need of their services.
As we say in Hawaii (yes… I come all the way from Maui to see Dr. Chao & Dr. Koh) they are No Ka Oi !!

I rarely write a Unilocal review. But Dr. Chao’s professionalism and patience propel me to write this one. I brought my mother (77 years old) to his office last week. We just wanted to hear second opinion to remove my mother’s fear on her upcoming cataract surgery next month. Dr. Chao gave us his highly knowledgeable and professional explanation in a warm and patient manner, which gave my mother strong confidence to go forward with the surgery. His office staff was also very professional and cheerful. Office setting was efficient and clean. Overall, we were very impressed and very satisfied with the visit.

This has been one of the most scary yet wonderful procedures. To have cataracts removed and new lenses put in was amazing. The first surgery was textbook. Second eye, I had a rarely seen issue and Dr. Chao just moved like a blur, picked up another gizmo to hold my lens in place and wham! Wonderful vision already. Dr. Chao has obviously set the tone as all his team have been professional, kind and understanding. To find all this in one medical facility is amazing. Thank you for my new vision!!!

Dr. Chao did a dual cornea transplant for my father-​in-​law 11 years ago. He does superb work. No complications. Life is good!

I had PRK laser eye surgery performed here a few years ago and it was one of the best investments I ever made. Sometimes I catch myself taking my vision for granted. Then I remember the pains of putting on glasses and dealing with irritated eyes from wearing contacts, and it reminds me that seeing the world like this is a miracle. Dr. Chao was very knowledgeable on the different types of procedures and explaining the best possible option for me and my situation. And so I went with PRK over lasik. Seeing the procedure performed on my brother made me apprehensive when it was my turn. However the procedure was fast, and best of all, painless. Though, there were some hiccups. Like the machine was having issues centering in on my cornea or something. I’m not exactly sure what happened, but it took a little longer in comparison to my brother. My vision was very near ²⁰⁄₂₀ after the procedure, but now I believe it has gotten slightly worse. But still, I have excellent vision.
Dr. Chao and his staff were very friendly, actually, too friendly. They were so unrealistically friendly, that for some reason, it bugged me a bit. This sounds like an odd thing to complain about, but my interaction with them felt so artificial. I understand we have to put on our personas and put on certain masks for certain situations, but it felt like I was talking to an overly friendly car salesman trying to sell me a car. And his prices are certainly up there, though I have no regrets and still believe this was an investment. I understand that they’re a business so they should act in a certain manner, but even after I paid, I still felt like I was talking to a car salesman. Maybe I’m expecting too much. And I probably am.
Still, overall I’m very satisfied with Dr. Chao and his staff, and would definitely recommend this place!

This place is amazing, I Got PRK done here and I now have ¹⁵⁄₂₀ vision. Before I was blind without my glasses but now I can read like the smallest font there is across a room. Great if your a college student who wants to sit in the back of a classroom and be invisible but still be able to read what’s the board in class. I don’t usually rate anything on Unilocal but I would highly suggest people to this place. They also give you free eye checkups months after you get surgery to make sure your eyes are healing and check the improvement in your eye sight.

All I can say is that Dr. Chao is a true meaning of a doctor and ophthalmologist. Highly skilled and down to earth. When you go to him you wish all your other doctors were like him. Courteous, compassionate, highly knowledgeable are just a few of his attributes. You never feel rushed at his office and are given the highest of attention, which is a rare experience in today’s medical offices.
His office in Irvine is beautiful, first class and uses the latest of technologies.
My whole family and extended family goes to him first for any eye issues.

I had PRK done at Chao Vision Institute about a year ago and had an excellent experience. Dr. Chen and his staff were extremely knowledgeable and friendly. I’ve never had to wait long for an appointment to start and the center was clean, well equipped, and very professional. Before I found Chao Vision I consulted at several other laser eye surgery clinics and always walked away disappointed at either the doctor or facilities. I felt very confident with Dr. Chao and went from 4.5 diopters of myopia to ¹⁵⁄₂₀ with no complications. I later rechecked my eyesight with a different optometrist and he was amazed at how well everything turned out. «This doctor knows what he’s doing» were his words. Dr. Chao is very conservative and diligent with his pre and post ops, and does everything possible to ensure a perfect result. As a previous patient, I would highly recommend this center.

This is a 10 star establishment! Dr. Chao and his team are amazing! I did my research on every eye doctor in LA and Orange county and after visiting about 10 other doctors before Dr. Chao and his staff, the difference was so easy to see. The best part about Chao Vision Institute is that if everything else is going wrong with your day, you can step foot into this office and everyone is so friendly and welcoming that you forget about it and they make you feel so much better!
Dr. Chao refuses to be just another ‘eye mill’ and gets to know each of his patients and spends the time going over every concern you may have and all your available options. I was a candidate for both lasik and prk and after weighing my options, decided to go with prk due to my career.
I was told by many people I knew whom had prk done that the recovery was hell. I was expecting the worst and after having it done, realized most people are just babies, lol. Prk surgery is worth every penny and a few days of being uncomfortable. There is no pain, just a lot of light sensitivity and the feeling of having something in your eyes when they get dry. I would do prk surgery over again in an instant!
Dr. Chao supplied me with all the drops I would need both pre and post surgery. He also gave me sunglasses and night time eye protection so I wouldnt poke/​scratch my eyes while sleeping. He also supplied me with his personal cell phone and home number in case of any emergencies, which I did have to use because I inadvertently poked myself in the eye thinking I had to adjust my ‘ghost’ glasses that wernt even there lol. But everything was fine. I just had to make sure I was using eyedrops every 2 to 4 hrs.
It’s been over a year since I had my surgery and I still see great and don’t need glasses! I highly recommend Dr. Chao and wouldnt recommend you waste your time with any other doctors. Dr. Chao gives a 6 yr guarantee, so if your eyes change during that time, he’ll fix your eyes again for free.

Dr. Chao, the Chao Vision Institute and the Barranca Surgery Center — wow. This truly was a top-​notch experience. My vision was so poor by the time I found them, I was completely frustrated and distraught. Renee, the receptionist, was such a comfort and booked me right away. I had cataract surgery on both eyes, and now I’m contact lens-​free, have superb vision, and I feel like I’m reborn with brand new eyes. Everyone who works there is professional, efficient, kind and extremely skilled. I’m thankful my daughter found Dr. Chao for me on Unilocal.Thank you, Dr. Chao, and to all the Unilocalers for writing your reviews. It truly changed my life.

The Chao Vision Institute is fantastic! Everyone and every procedure was so wonderful, better than you can imagine. Top notch, warm, friendly and explained every detail to both my husband and myself. We highly recommend them. Eyes are so important and we can’t stress enough how wonderful the staff and doctors at Chao Vision Institute are as well as the Barranca Surgery Center. We would put any family member or friend in their hands.

I first met Dr. Chao about three years ago when I was searching for an eye doctor in this area. I went to three different doctors before I met him and his staff. I really liked him and trusted him. I had a vision problem arise that was diagnosed as «narrow angle» and he sent me to a glaucoma specialist. The specialist said that cataract surgery would fix the problem, and that, while he could do it, no one was better than Dr. Chao. I have now had both eyes done, and I could not give a higher recommendation. Every one of his staff is excellent and client-​oriented. They try hard to please you and to meet your personal needs. Their scheduling is easy and very responsive. I have never had to wait very long in the office, either. This was a top-​notch experience all the way around and I am so glad to have found Chao Vision.

I had PRK two years ago instead of Lasik and am so glad! The healing really wasn’t much more difficult than I expected with Lasik. Dr. Chao and his team are top notch, professional and super friendly! One of the best decisions I ever made!

Overall, I was very satisfied with the level of care that I received from Dr. Chao and his staff. I had the procedure performed on 12÷19÷14, and am very happy with the results.
The reason this isn’t a full 5 star review is because I felt that during the consultation, Dr. Chao’s sales pitch came off friendly and well-​articulated, but still slightly aggressive. We were talking about the cost of the PRK procedure, and he mentioned that I would not want to be like those Asian women who haggle over prices. Negotiation should not come as a surprise in the consultation, and I thought the slight on the ignorance of some potential clients was unnecessary and detracted from my overall impression of him as my physician, still keeping in mind that yes, this is a business, too.
With that said, Dr. Chao and his staff seemed very friendly, knowledgeable, and extremely thorough in their work habits, which stands in contrast to the impersonal touch of several other Lasik centers that I had consulted with beforehand. In explaining the difference between PRK and Lasik, one of his staff gave the analogy of your cornea being like a book — PRK shaves off fewer ‘pages’ of the book… Lasik has faster recovery… and so on.
For those who are just now exploring the different laser eye procedures, the recovery period for PRK can be extremely painful for some (I’m told that people experience varying levels of pain). This is where I realized the importance of being in the care of a physician like Dr. Chao, who has excellent bedside manner. The day after my procedure, not only was it impossible for me to keep my eyes open without my sunglasses on (inside the house!), but I was eventually in a great deal of pain. Dr. Chao provides you with his personal contact information for after hours, and I was very glad to have it that evening. He was willing to meet me at 8pm and replaced the band aid-​like contact for my eye to alleviate the pain. Even though it was nothing serious, it’s always a relief when you know that you can always reach your physician and get checked.
Good luck to all of you on your search!

I cannot explain how impressed I am with Dr. Chao & his staff!
I called a few weeks ago to make a consultation but with my schedule, I could only come in on a Saturday and they accommodated me! Dr. Chao answered all my questions (& then some) in the consultation — he explained the PRK process and why my eyes needed it. (My corneas were too thin for the regular LASIK flap.) They let me know about Care Credit financing and special cash/​credit card pricing! They let me go home to think about it more. I didn’t NEED to go to another consultation, because as soon as I was done with my consultation with Dr. Chao, I knew I would end up choosing his office. I’m just that type of person that if I never went on that 3^rd consultation, I would always be curious what it would have been like. My first consultation was with a different dr & let me just tell you… scary. I was never informed that had thin corneas & that getting regular LASIK would have been a bigger risk in the long run! Dr. Chao & the 3^rd office I visited both told me that I would need the PRK because of my thin corneas.
Anyway, the tie breaker between office #3 & Dr. Chao: Price/​All inclusive cost (With ALL the drops/​medicine you need) & the fact that I saw Dr. Chao himself & not a tech or optometrist who wasn’t even going to be performing the surgery. I was much more comfortable w/​Dr. Chao than anyone else!
Anyway, back to CVI! I called a few days after my consultation with the other office and asked a few more questions to Lisa over the phone. adn BOOM surgery & Pre-​op was scheduled! The day of my pre-​op they did that same (& i think more) testing that was done at the consultation, I saw Dr. Chao again and he gave me some pre-​surgery drops and reassured me that with the test results, everything seemed perfect to proceed!
The day of my surgery i was VERY nervous. I ate a good breakfast like was recommended by the pre-​op staff & Dr. Chao, My MIL drove me to the office and we were out of there in about an hr/​hr and half? I can tell you. I did not feel an OUNCE of pain! the numbing drops worked wonders… all i felt was the swab when Dr. Chao was removing my epithelial tissue above my cornea (felt like someone was just tickling my eye).oh, and you feel the tape/​retractor thing they use to keep your eye open for you during the surgery. Not not painful at all & your eyes stay open the entire time even though you get the relief of FEELING like you have blinked! (Once you get the surgery, you’ll understand what i am saying). My mother in law watched the whole surgery through the door window & on the TV screen they were showing my procedure on in the room. So glad she recorded it for me! so cool to watch after! Dr. Chao will prepare you for every noise, smell, sensation and make sure you are comfortable the entire time! I was very very amazed at how quick, easy and pain-​free it was.
As for the recovery, i feel like I could have driven home straight after the surgery, but my mother in law would not let me. I felt invincible without glasses and being able to see more than 3 ft in front of me! I did rest my eyes that night as they were starting to feel a little itchy/​dry. USE THE DROPS PEOPLE! they help immensely! The next day wasn’t so bad– the same itchiness/​dryness throughout the day and light sensitivity. I made the mistake of attempting to drive at NIGHT to get my nails done (of all things) and every single car light, stop light, etc had starbursts! A little nerve-​wrecking, but I really needed a Mani!
On Sunday, (Surgery was on Friday) that’s when the light was nearly unbearable. I wore the sunglasses that Dr. Chao gives you (for free) indoors, outside, watching a movie, etc, etc, etc. Everywhere. Even to bed!
The Monday following my surgery was my next follow-​up visit with Dr. Chao. This is where he takes off the protective lenses aka «Band-​Aid» and makes sure you’re healing well. He puts the numbing drops in again so you don’t feel a thing. My eyes were healed at 95 & 98% on each eye so he said to keep them really most the next few days and the vision should clear up, and they will be completely healed. Did as instructed — BOOM, perfect vision by Wednesday! At the follow-​up I could already see 10x better than before the surgery, but the few extra days of healing were magical.
I have been writing this review on/​off for a few weeks now (busy schedule) and wanted to just let everyone know how amazing this procedure was. It was a little scary at first knowing the healing process would take multiple days rather than just one day like conventional LASIK, but over-​all EXTREMELY happy I researched and found Dr. Chao on Unilocal!Eveyone was perfect, and now so is my vision. :D
FYI: Surgery date was 2÷6÷15. 3 days later I was seeing close to ²⁰⁄₂₀. By ²⁄₁₁ I was seeing perfectly! Now, 3/​20, I still have some dry eye right when I wake up, but I just use some of the blink drops Dr. Chao give you (again, for free) and it’s all better. BEST. DECISION. EVER.

There’s no one I would recommend more than Dr Chao and his team. A big round of applause for the receptionist Renee, best eye exams from John, and best care from Dr Chao. I came with a complicated issue and they took every procedure to isolate the problem and they give you the most honest answers. Facility is super clean, neat, and organized.
Renee: it seems she knows all the patients by name. And the patients LOVE her too. She will give you the best service.
John: he gave me the most careful and thorough eye exam. I was super nervous but he helped me relax and gave me loads of advice. Friendliest and intelligent guy ever.
Dr Chao: trust him, trust his expertise, you’re in great hands.

Vision is an essential part of life. Like many I grew up wearing glasses. Later on I switched to contacts believing they were my best option. Recently I learned how wrong I was.
Over a year ago I began going to consultations with different doctor offices regarding correcting my vision. After speaking with many doctors I felt most comfortable with Dr. Chao at the Chao Vision Institute, strongly because of the friendly and knowledgable staff.
Having other surgeries I feel I must trust the doctor who is working to improve my daily life. Dr Chao from start to finish has been professional and caring. LASIK can be a scary procedure but Dr Chao talked me through each step before and during the procedure.
To any of my friends and family I would strongly suggest coming here.

Dr. Chao and his staff at Chao Vision Institute are incredibly patient and caring! I’ve been to the office twice now because of eye infections and both times they were able to book me an appointment at the last minute! Wait time was minimal to none and at the end of my appointment, they even gave me a nice supply of samples to use! I always know that I’ll have an amazing care experience every time I go to Dr. Chao.

Dr. Chao reiterates constantly that the goal of him and his team is «perfection», and there’s not a doubt in my mind that that’s what he’ll produce. Even during the consultations prior to the procedure, his demeanor said nothing but «warm» and «accommodating». Accordingly, it’s not surprising that I felt completely at ease and devoid of any of the expected anxiousness during the procedure.
In a week when the doctor had removed my bandage lenses, though my left eye had not achieved ²⁰⁄₂₀ (it’s ²⁰⁄₃₀ at the moment), I was back to normal – no pain or excessive tearing. Right now, I merely have to wait until the left eyes catches up the right eye (which is ²⁰⁄₂₀ at the moment).
A huge plus is that Dr. Chao will give you his personal contact information so, if at any given time a complication turns up, he is accessible by home and cell phone and will meet you at the office if the situation warrants. A saturday two days after PRK, when the pain was a little to much to bear, I rang Dr. Chao who promptly scheduled a time to meet up. An hour or two later, he was checking out my progress at the office. I went home with extra-​strength numbing drops that helped me through the rest of my healing process. That three or four days following PRK – while I generally was extremely uncomfortable – I felt secure that care would be there when I needed it.

Let me start off by saying that I am an attorney, so my vision is very important to me. I look at the computer screen anywhere from 8– 10 hours per day, and was tired of wearing glasses and contacts.
My Background with Glasses and Contacts
I have an odd prescription and am left eye dominant even though my left eye is much worse than my right eye. I basically need to wear glasses all the time.
I was very particular when it came to my glasses and did not like anything on my glasses lenses. I constantly had to clean my glasses and became annoyed if I even saw one tiny speck on them. I didn’t like the feeling that my vision was being interrupted. I also disliked contact lenses because they would constantly move and dry out my eyes, and I could not wear them for more than a few hours. I hated having to take them out at night when I was tired and just wanted to go straight to bed.
I began looking into Lasik. I researched online, looking for someone who used the latest technology, and who I could trust to be straightforward with me.
I came across Dr. Chao and decided to make an appointment.
Conclusion: Lasik has totally turned my life around and is one of the best decisions I made, no more seeing my life through a frame!
Experience With Dr. Chao
I am a pretty skeptical person and don’t trust just anyone so I would be lying if I said I wasn’t skeptical about the whole Lasik process when I first went to see Dr. Chao.
Dr. Chao took the time to explain everything to me in detail. He made sure that he answered every question to my satisfaction and that I walked away understanding what I would be getting into with Lasik. Dr. Chao was very honest with me and recommended the PRK surgery due to my dry eyes, and because it would be safer for me in the long term. I am so glad Dr. Chao suggested this to me, even though it would be a tougher recovery because it is safer in the long term.
Dr. Chao was with me every step of the way during my surgery and made me feel like I was his only patient. He gave me his cell phone number and told me to call him anytime if I had any pain or problems, even in the middle of the night .
Dr. Chao made me feel extremely comfortable and confident with the whole process.
Even though PRK involves more recovery time and some pain, I am very glad I made the choice to go with the PRK surgery. I am currently 2 months post surgery, and my vision is excellent. I was able to see the fireworks on 4^th of July perfectly, which was a memorable experience.
If you are considering lasik, I highly recommend going with Dr. Chao. He will explain the whole process to you and make you feel comfortable, and there is no pressure at all to get the surgery. Your safety and health is his number one priority.