Diamond Vision

I had my vision corrected at Diamond Vision about a month ago and my only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner!
I have to admit I was pretty scared of having laser eye surgery, but the doctors and staff at Diamond Vision were incredible. They made the process quick, easy, and painless. Dr. Stetson (the surgeon) was friendly, accommodating and caring. Generally, everything you would want a surgeon to be when they’re going to be working on your eyes. He sat with me for about 5 – 10 minutes before I went into the operating room and explained everything to me, any side effects that might occur after surgery, and answered all the questions I had. I appreciated having that one on one time with the surgeon who was performing my procedure. As soon as I went into the operating room, and laid on the chair, he numbed my eyes. I did not feel A THING during the procedure! It literally took 5 minutes. When it was over and I sat up from the operating chair I could already see WAY better than I ever did before, this blew my mind! I had PRK and was scared because everyone that has had the surgery told me it may be painful and uncomfortable… to my surprise I did not experience ANY pain, not the day of, not the day after, not 3 days after.
I can now see ²⁰⁄₂₀. I don’t have to scramble around in the morning to find my glasses, or worry about wearing my contact lenses when I go on vacation. This was a life changing experience, and I can not thank Dr. Stetson and the Diamond Vision staff enough for making my experience so quick, easy, and most importantly, painless!

I’ve been putting off this surgery for years and finally took the plunge this year. I was concerned about so many things; cost, pain, recovery, side effect etc.
The people at Diamond Vision really made everything so comfortable and easy and helped me find a way to meet my budget. My recovery took a little longer than expected, (I needed PRK due to the thinness of my corneas) but everyone was there to answer any and all questions during the process and keep me feeling safe and comfortable.
I can’t believe it took me this long to do this. I highly recommend this to anyone who is even thinking about it. My one major piece of advice is to make sure you do the research and talk to the people who work at the place you get it done. I can’t imagine having it done at a place where the staff isn’t as professional or as helpful as they were at Diamond Vision.

The receptionists in this place are rude. I left before I could even give a deposit and talk about financing because they pretty much ignored me and started helping someone else… I guess they just don’t need my business.

I wanted to wait a couple of months before posting my review, I got my procedure done in May and am happy to report that I am loving my new vision!
I was a bit anxious about getting this procedure done, you have all these thoughts in your mind about going blind even though statistically there is a very low percentage of that occurring via lasik. However, I don’t regret my decision to get it done here. I got off to a rocky start. They do a lot of surgeries here, I mean A LOT. When I went to get a consultation at other offices, Diamond performs at least 5−6x more than the other places I consulted with and those other places cost a lot more for the same procedure. I guess that can be both good and bad. The good is that you know that Dr. Stetson has a lot of experience with this procedure, but the bad is that it can feel impersonal since they have so many people coming through to get their surgery.
At first this impersonal environment with all of the other staff that I interacted with left me feeling really anxious the day of my surgery, I actually started to freak out and broke down in tears. I had second thoughts about getting it done and almost backed out. Almost… Dr. Stetson came in and talked to me and went over all of my concerns and worries. He was very caring actually and extremely patient. I was the last patient of the day and my freakout caused me to be an hour or more pass my surgery time. Dr. Stetson gave me the option to think about it so more and come back or if i wanted to continue he and his staff would stay. He even let me take some more time there to think about it. And I decided to just go through with it Dr. Stetson and all of his staff stayed after their scheduled hours to get me through my surgery and made sure I was comfortable. He talked me through the entire procedure and his staff were all so kind to me. It made me feel silly for having any doubts in the first place.
I have no complaints with my vision and am glad Dr. Stetson stayed past work hours to let me get my surgery or else I may still be fiddling with contacts and glasses today.

Not a day goes by I don’t regret letting Dr Stetson operate on me. I can’t see anything clearly anymore. Not near. Not medium. Not far. I had this operation @ 1.5 years ago.
I used to need a pair of glasses. Now I walk around with three pairs of glasses. That is the opposite of convenience.
Dr Stetson doesn’t care about you at all. Not one bit.
Let me repeat that: Dr Stetson Does Not Care. He only wants your money.
This is the McDonalds of eye care.
They hire a lot of low wage people, and they teach them to use the machines, but you never see a Dr before the operation, and Dr Stetson will not follow up with you, but he’ll have his staff call you if you don’t give rave reviews, helping him to bring in more business.
Stay away from this outfit, and especially Dr Stetson.
I had the same experience as the other’s that write here about them recommending/​prescribing endless expensive drops. Restasis? I never had dry eyes before?
My right eye is so bad, I rarely see anything very clearly anymore. My left is better, but I still can’t see anything in my near to medium vision. I can’t read small text anymore, regardless of the three sets of glasses I carry around… but here’s the kicker… they actually had the nerve to tell me Dr Stetson «over corrected» my left eye, but they couldn’t do anything for my right eye, so they would «correct» my left eye (to make it worse), and then my two eyes would be more equal, and since my right eye is my dominant eye, that would improve the misery of having the left be better than the right.
This is one of the three worst decisions of my life, going to Diamond Vision.

I had my surgery in 2007 with Dr. Stetson. Eight years later and I just went for a check up and still have perfect vision. I always say it was a miracle and recommend it to everyone who asks. In fact my cousin also went to Diamond Vision at my suggestion and had a positive experience recently. I was –7.75 and now see ²⁰⁄₂₀.

I did my procedure in ⁰⁹⁄₂₀₁₂ with Dr. Stetson. I have to say it went well, I was told to expect dry eyes and the sensitivity to bright lights. For my first follow up visit all was well,. A few months in my vision began to get blurry. I went in and was seen by the optometrists who said the reason for my blurred vision was dry eyes. As my vision continued to deteriorate I repeatedly followed up and was assured that all I had was dry eyes. Up until a year after my surgery I was in the office with the same complaint of blurred vision and was recommended eye drops. After being told I could no longer follow up because a year had passed since my procedure, I continued with the drops.
A year later I finally went to see another ophthalmologist because at this point I moved out of the area. Of course I was told that I needed prescription lenses and the cause of my blurred vision was not due to dry corneas as I had been repeatedly told. I could not believe how deceived I was by this practice. I was seen by two of their practitioners and both dismissed my complaint and were negligent in my care. I am now back to wearing glasses and my vision is almost as bad as it was when I first went in. I contacted the office and was told that I would not be able to see a doctor if I came in unless I was scheduled for surgery! I have never heard such nonsense! This place only cares about the money, they are not interested in ensuring the success of their patients. Please find somewhere else.

Had this done 1.5 years ago for my severe nearsightedness.
Procedure was easy and quick, price was really great.
I was back at work in 2 days but not without a LOT of discomfort.
Recovery required lots of eye drops all day and even a humidifier at work for a few months which was a bit annoying.
Biggest issue I have was that even after splooging for the more expensive «Custom Intralase» package, my astigmatism was never cured.
So i have ²⁰⁄₂₀ now, but with astigmatism in one eye that is lowering my overall vision quality and that does not qualify for any «touch up» surgery.
But overall, I’m pretty happy to never need glasses or contacts.

Note: I’ve waited nearly a year after my procedure before writing my post!
I’d been wearing thick glasses (–6.00 both eyes) since the age of 4. I’d always wanted to correct my vision, but I was not a good candidate for LASIK due to a dry eye syndrome and thin corneas. I could barely wear contact lenses due to the dryness. To complicate matters further, I am a surgeon who depends on the use of her eyes to do her job. I had resolved to a life of wearing my thick glasses forever.
Over the past two years, there has been buzz about implantable collamer lenses (ICL) as an alternative to LASIK. It’s a little pricier, but worth it. These ICL’s could be inserted through a tiny hole and do NOT permanently damage nerves like LASIK and all other laser procedures. It was also *reversible* should anything change in the future! Also, these ICL lenses have 100% UV protection. I did some online research and asked colleagues about who would be best to perform a procedure for someone like me. On a recommendation from a well-​known pioneer of the ICL procedure (Dr. Daniel Durrie in KS), I consulted Dr. Stetson and his Diamond Vision team.
The office in Manhattan is well-​appointed and its front office staff always greets patients with smiles and warmth. My pre-​op and post-​op appointments with Dr. Amy Stein were fantastic — she always ran on time, and explained everything she was doing. Though I am a doctor and did my research, I was still a little scared and she was very patient with me and all my questions! Dr. Stein never seemed rushed, and made and effort to connect with me and my interests. She was the common thread for my entire Diamond Vision experience, seeing me through the process from start to finish.
Dr. Stetson is fantastic. The first time I met him was for my pre-​operative YAG laser iridotomy. Shooting lasers into your eyeballs is very scary, especially when it’s done by someone you’re meeting for the first time. He comforted me and explained everything he was doing as we went along. He seemed genuinely interested in me, and also answered my multitudes of questions thoroughly (I think I’m an annoying patient!). It was thankfully a piece of cake, and I looked forward to my surgery day.
Surgery day with Dr. Stetson went well! I was so nervous. He calmed my nerves, and the procedure was over before I knew it. I was seeing ²⁰⁄₂₀! Recovery was easy and I had minimal discomfort which only lasted 2 days. Dr. Stetson and Dr. Stein made sure to follow up with me in the days after the surgery to make sure everything was healing normally. I appreciated the effort.
I was back at work and doing surgery the very next day. Suddenly my vision was «3D,» contrasts and colors like I had never seen before. I was so shocked and happy. I asked Dr. Stetson why this happened, and he answered all my questions. I was so happy — life upgrade. No more contacts, no more eye strain. I could wear makeup and sunglasses. Most importantly, I am a better surgeon too, so my patients are benefitting.
I am happy to report that I’m seeing at ²⁰⁄₁₀ almost a year out from my surgery. Interestingly, my dry eye syndrome has resolved completely and I don’t even use eye drops any more. I am beyond ecstatic. I hope that more people will consider ICL surgery with Dr. Stetson and his team, notably Dr. Stein.
Thank you Diamond Vision!

Very happy with the results of my surgery. I was a –6 in both eyes along with astigmatism. The bedside manner of Dr. Stetson was incredible during the surgery. Although I wasn’t able to get ²⁰⁄₂₀ immediately after the surgery, I was able to work with Dr. Stein to get special temporary contacts that improved my vision to ²⁰⁄₂₀ approx 2 months after the surgery. Diamond Vision has been very attentive and focused on improving my vision, and all of the follow ups have been extremely easy. Would highly recommend this practice.

Just got a call from Chris Sabo to check up on my progress after having iLasik and a PRK enhancement both done by Dr. Stetson himself. In addition to checking up on me to see how I’m doing post op, Chris, remembering that I have dry eyes and used Restasis, advised that Diamond Vision now offers LipiFlow and even setup a free initial consultation for me when I expressed interest.
Customer service and standard of care is stellar at this practice, as I mentioned in my earlier post. The staff from reception, consultant, optometrists and doctors are all a prime example of what a stellar medical practice is and ought to look like. Phone calls are always answered during office hours and staff will patiently hear and answer all questions and concerns.
For those seeking a good place to call home for all eye care needs, I strong urge you to consider Diamond Vision and recommend them without reservation.

Customer Service ⁵⁄₅
Results ⁵⁄₅
–It’s been exactly a week since my procedure
–I went to check out other LASIK specialists but ultimately chose Diamond Vision based on experiences from friends and friends of friends, all of whom had very positive experiences and results
–My work schedule is not very flexible but DV’s hours were relatively accommodating
–The staff was for the most part super friendly, especially Igor, Kenneth, and Chris
–Dr. Stetson was very open, forth-​coming, and made me feel at ease about the procedure; he went over the details of all the tests I had done and explained what I could expect in the coming days/​months
–The other doctors (mostly seen for consults and post-​op follow ups) were very professional and friendly
–Mins after the procedure, my left eye hurt a bit and both my eyes would not stop tearing; numbing drops in the left eye took the pain away but the drops lasted about 15 mins
–I kept my eyes closed as instructed for the remainder of the day
–The next morning, my vision was intermittently hazy when I tried to read things far away but for the most part, my vision was the same as when I wore contacts; the pain was gone in my left eye and replaced by the sensation that I had an eye lash in my left eye; all discomfort was gone by post-​op day 2
–Sensitivity to light persisted and was gone by POD3
Thank you to Dr. Stetson and the Diamond Vision Team.
you guys rock.

CUSTOMER SERVICE:
I never saw Dr. Stetson until the day of the procedure but his staff was very knowledgeable and informative… Maybe too knowledgeable, if there is such a thing. Do you ever get the impression that you’re asking a question that 100 people must have just asked seconds before you? Well the staff gave me the impression that, although they were knowledgeable and helpful, they were also tired of answering the same questions. Customer service always seems like it can be better especially when you’re spending nearly $ 3,000.00 and up. Although SOME of the staff seemed a bit moody all my questions were answers and I’m thankful for the help that I did receive.
THE PROCEDURE:
My 5 star rating is for Dr. Stetson himself and how comfortable he made me feel before, during and after the operation. I decided that I wanted the procedure that had a longer healing time but seemed to be the better option for me (PRK). Stetson explained everything that was going to be happening and even explained it as he was performing the operation. Needless to say I was nervous going in and I have to admit that Dr. Stetson has a very calming voice and manner about him. (Yes, I’m a guy).
The procedure only lasted 10 minutes; if it even lasted that long. It was truly painless but I do remember the slightest tickle in my right eye as the operation was happening. Even hours after the surgery there was no pain. But the following day the pain was on another level.
AFTERMATH:
Don’t make any plans because you’re not going anywhere! The following morning after the operation, my eyes hurt like hell! I felt as if I had been punched by Mike Tyson in the prime of his boxing career. The worst part of the pain happened when I first opened my eyes that morning. It took every ounce of will-​power for me not to call my mama… And I would have called her if I could have seen through my pain filled eyes… My eyes watered a lot but that, along with the pain, is to be expected on day two after PRK. The pain was controlled with medication and by that early evening I was feeling great.
The following morning my eyes were still sensitive to light, cell phone and computer screens but the pain was nowhere near the same level as the day before. There was some mild burning that forced my eyes to want to stay closed for 75% of the day. I did get a lot of sleep and I must admit that I do feel very well rested at this point. I was told that my vision would come and go and it takes about 3 months to have the full results of PRK. But I do see improvement in my vision now and, although this is just the 4^th full day after the operation, I’m happy with the results thus far.
If you decide to get the PRK I would suggest you take off at least three days from work. The healing time is a bit longer than with Lasik but after reading reviews I feel that not going for Lasik where a flap would be created would be better for me in the future. I was reading different things about how the flap never fully heals and it can become dislodged and being that I like to be quite physical I wanted to be sure not to have any problems in the future. I’d suggest you google «PRK –vs– Lasik» so you can choose the procedure that’s best for yourself.
I do hope that this review is helpful and I do suggest Diamond Vision. I haven’t fully healed but I wanted to write this while it’s fresh on my mind. I plan to only write another review on Diamond Vision if something was to go less than great with my vision… so hopefully you will not be hearing from me again on this matter. GOOD LUCK!

I tried to see the opthamologist, Dr. Stetson, who was highly rated online and in my insurance network. I was having what appeared to be allergic conjunctivitis after an almost 3 week round of tobramycin I’d been put on by my optometrist. The office wouldn’t let me see Dr. Stetson and instead handed me over to the OD.
This is the most minor of issues, but I had to wait almost 40 minutes past my appt. time just to get in the office. Once in the office, I explained everything to the doctor, who spent about 2 minutes actually looking at my eyes and diagnosed me with «blepharitis» and put me on tobramycin and tobradex (so, a double dose of the same drug — one drops, one ointment). At the time, I didn’t remember the type of steroid drops I’d been on, but before I had the prescription filled, I had the pharmacy call her to make sure that she, in fact, wanted me on the same prescription. I made it to the pharmacy maybe 10 minutes after I left the office and she was already gone, so they had to page her, but she confirmed she wanted to keep me on it.
At no point did she try to find out WHY my eyelids were swollen — no culture was done to find out if it was bacterial, viral, or allergic, etc., and I was also still experiencing allergic conjunctivitis (learned after the fact). Not only that, she put me back on the same medication that I was on for 3 weeks, and this particular medication, when used for more than a couple of weeks, can induce a drug allergy. Not only that, the preservative in the drops can induce dry eye syndrome when taken for more than a very short time. Yet, she just threw me back on it. She told me «if you’re not better in a week, come back,» and she didn’t actually prescribe how long I should be doing the drug regimen for (maybe that was her way of saying a week?) Again, let me reiterate: I had reservations about taking the same drug, so I had the pharmacy call her, explain the situation, and see if she still wanted me on the drugs.
Anyway, 24 hours after I started the medications, I had a huge allergic reaction to the medication. What was happening was a low grade allergic reaction in the form of conjunctivitis after my first 3 weeks of tobramycin. My body had begun to react to the medication. Then when she had me go back on it (in a double dose, mind you), my eyes exploded. I am now almost a month later still dealing with MAJOR issues in my eyes. I had blood vessels break in my eyes and on my eyelids, my eyelids are extremely swollen and hot, the arteries in my eyelids and face are inflamed and swollen, for a couple of weeks I couldn’t open my eyes because they burned so much, my eyes have become extremely dry (though they’re slowly improving there), the skin around my eyes started to peel (including my water/​lash line), and I’m now in the middle of a preservative free steroid regimen just in an attempt to get the inflammation under control. There’s a chance my eyes will never be the same, I have broken veins all around my eyes, they hurt all the time (like I have shampoo in my eyes or something), and I am STILL experiencing occasional facial numbness. I’m talking MAJOR reaction here.
I’m now seeing specialists at Columbia University Hospital who say there’s clear evidence I had a major allergic reaction in my eyes and are trying to repair the damage, though they said it could take months and months before I get back to normal — if I get back to normal. In the meantime, I’ve been to several doctors, spent so much money, and now might possibly have conditions (dry eye disease, cornea pain, inflammation) that will never fully go away.
All of this could have been avoided if the doctor had taken an extra couple of minutes to actually try to find out WHY my eyes were swelling up when I saw her instead of just throwing me on something so she could get out of the office and somewhere else. It seemed like she just wanted to get me in and out so she could get on her way, and as a result of her carelessness when prescribing medication for me, I may never physically be the same. I have been in intense pain the past few weeks and am still in pain, though it’s lessened. All of a sudden I’m spending my life in the eye care aisle and spending money on all kinds of eye drops and specially made steroid drops just to repair something that could have been avoided. If she had actually looked at my history, symptoms, and tried to figure out what was happening with my eyes instead of going «oh, your eyelids are swollen = blepharitis!» and prescribing a double dose of the same medication that I was actively reacting to at the time I saw her, I’d be in a much better place right now.
She only wanted my money and to get me in and out. I assume she wanted to move on to a more lucrative patient or office elsewhere. All I was trying to do was see Dr. Stetson. If you don’t get lasik, they don’t care.
I wouldn’t trust these people with caring for a PLANT much less your eye

I had my LASIK surgery done here and then a second surgery to tweak my vision after it regressed. I really loved my doctor (Dr. Coad) and his assistant (Christine) so that helped make this a positive experience. Also, the assistant who checks you in on the day of your surgery is super nice (Elias) and the teddy bear named after him is fun too. I had a great experience here and appreciate their top of the line equipment and the way in which everything is run smoothly and efficiently.

My right eye WAS –6.75 while my left WAS –9.00. i now see ²⁰⁄₂₀
Getting Lasik is the greatest thing anyone can do that has a bad of a prescription as myself. to wake up with out having to reach for glasses or stumble your way to the bathroom to put on your contacts. Phew– what a relief!
The staff is great, answers all your questions. EXPERIENCED. no pushing, no fuss, no haggling when it comes to deciding when you want to schedule your procedure, after all its EYE SURGERY.
the front desk can be a little more courteous, but cant win em all.
thank you everyone at diamond vision!

I got customvue intralase here a week ago and couldn’t be happier with the results. I don’t know what people are talking about with their negative reviews regarding the receptionist and what not. Every time I called to reschedule appointments (which I did A LOT), martitza was great and Ken, whom I had my consultation with, was very informative and honest.
I did not meet Dr Stetson until the day of my surgery but they did a battery of tests days before when I met with their optometrist. Stetson had them redo some tests the day of the surgery to be absolutely sure everything was accurate. That was reassuring. I’m very particular that my doctor be human and have a good bedside manner and they all did. They made jokes and entertained my endless questions.
The surgery itself was painless and Stetson and Ken walked me through it. I got a slight sedative to help me relax, a teddy bear to hold, and a blanket. The whole procedure took less than 10 minutes. My eyes were tearing a bit but I had little discomfort and went out to lunch with my friend that picked me up afterwards. I saw immediate results the same day and was good to drive the very next day. The only thing is that at night there are some halos around lights but with time it’s supposed to go away. My boyfriend said he had the same experience with PRK and his night vision has stabilized eventually with no more halos or starbursts. He had it done at the same place 10 years ago. I have no dry eyes or sensitivity to light. Would highly recommend.

Overall my LASIK experience with Diamond Vision has been positive. I had my surgery about a week ago and the procedure itself went very smoothly. Dr. Stetson and his assistants have great bedside manner and put me at ease before, during, and after the procedure.
I would have given 5 stars except for the fact that I contacted the office to recieve an itemized receipt for insurance purposes and they didn’t follow through.

I’m actually shocked that there are so many bad reviews. We came here because of two family members that had a good experience. My husband did Lasek and I did PRK. I didn’t come here because of a living social deal. I paid the full price.
I went through the free consultation and gave us a preliminary overview of how we should proceed. It wasn’t until the pre-​op appointment (about 1 week prior to the surgery) that the doc mention that I should get a deeper work up because there is something that is indicating glaucoma but not to be alarmed. I wasn’t. They referred me to an eye doctor that gave me a full work up to make sure that I was ok before the surgery. I did it and all was good. So. in my experience they DO go to extra measures to make sure I was a good candidate.
The receptionists weren’t the friendliest sure, though I think I’ve come accustom to not-​so-​great receptionist service in NYC. There was a lot of waiting during the day of procedure, but I wasn’t mad at that.
Dr Stetson and the technicians were super nice. They constantly talked to me while I was going through the whole procedure which was quick. It helped because next thing I know I was done.
I will tell you though. Lasek was fine for my husband. Quick recovery and relatively painless. PRK hurts like a B****. It’s all worth it in the end, but it was like cutting a juicy onion on a sandy beach. I couldn’t fight that Vicodin prescription any longer!
Either way I was happy with the experience.

This place only wants your money! At first, during my initial consult, everything went smoothly. Everyone was very professional and Kenneth was fantastic. He ran a few test on me and mapped my eye. He clearly stated that I am the perfect candidate for Lasik surgery and if I wanted, I could also opt for PRK since my cornea is very thick. Because this was my first Lasik consult, I was unaware of many things such as the condition of my eyes and what not. So, before I decide to book another appointment, I decided to confirm with an Optometrist if I should proceed with the surgery.
Right when I went to see an Optometrist (using the exact highest form of technology to map my eye as Diamond Vision), she put her foot down and said I have a cornea disease known as keratoconus and because of that, I am not a candidate of Lasik/​PRK. After doing some research online, they all concluded that patient who has keratoconus should NOT do any lasik surgery. With that being said, I don’t understand why Diamond Vision (Kenneth) didn’t tell me any of this information. He clearly mapped my eye and ran multiple test on me just like the Optometrist. Either they really want the money or Kenneth does not really know what «keratoconus» are. If that’s the case, then he shouldn’t be the one consulting patients.
Don’t get me wrong, I know two people who had Lasik performed at Diamond Vision and their results were phenomenal. I guess they didn’t suffer from keratoconus. However, what I’m stating is that even if you’re not a good candidate, they will convince you that you are. So before you proceed with the surgery, please go see an optometrist/​opthamologist to make sure you are the right candidate. I was very close to lose my vision!
I would highly stay away from this place. If you really want a doctor who cares about their patient and not money, then you’re looking at the wrong place!
EDIT: 11/​05/​2015
I appreciate Dr. Stetson’s personal message and update. Just so it’s clear, I went to three other doctors post seeing DiamondVision, and all three concluded that I have a mild case of keratoconus. Neither of the Doctors want to proceed surgery on me.