Dr. Howard S Barnebey, MD

I saw this doctor for glaucoma and had a terrible experience. I saw him 4 times. The first time I saw him, he set a goal for my iop to come down to 14, and I liked that. The second time he gave me sample drops, the third time he told me to go off drops for a month since the drops that he had samples from did nothing, and the fourth time when my iop has gone way up and when I’ve lost a few months, he told me, he’s discharging me because I saw someone for a second opinion. He expects me to trust him blindly. Well, I haven’t gone blind yet and from my experience, this guy is all ego and zero empathy.

I saw this doctor for glaucoma and had a terrible experience. I saw him 4 times. The first time I saw him, he set a goal for my iop to come down to 14, and I liked that. The second time he gave me sample drops, the third time he told me to go off drops for a month since the drops did nothing, and the fourth time when my iop has gone way up and when I’ve lost a few month, he told me, he’s discharging me because I saw someone for a second opinion. He expects me to trust him blindly. Well, I haven’t gone blind yet and from my experience, this guy is all ego and zero compassion. I’m not really sure whether he discharged me because I don’t trust him, or because he didn’t know what to do with me. I hope it’s the first and I’m not that hopeless. But I can only wonder, until I see another doctor.

I saw this doctor for glaucoma and had a terrible experience. I saw him 4 times. The first time I saw him, he set a goal for my iop to come down to 14, and I liked that. The second time he gave me sample drops, the third time he told me to go off drops for a month since the drops did nothing, and the fourth time when my iop has gone way up and when I’ve lost a few month, he told me, he’s discharging me because I saw someone for a second opinion. He expects me to trust him blindly. Well, I haven’t gone blind yet and from my experience, this guy is all ego and zero compassion. I’m not really sure whether he discharged me because I don’t trust him, or because he didn’t know what to do with me. I hope it’s the first and I’m not that hopeless. But I can only wonder, until I see another doctor.

I saw this doctor for glaucoma and had a terrible experience. I saw him 4 times. The first time I saw him, he set a goal for my iop to come down to 14, and I liked that. The second time he gave me sample drops, the third time he told me to go off drops for a month since the drops did nothing, and the fourth time when my iop has gone way up and when I’ve lost a few month, he told me, he’s discharging me because I saw someone for a second opinion. He expects me to trust him blindly. Well, I haven’t gone blind yet and from my experience, this guy is all ego and zero compassion. I’m not really sure whether he discharged me because I don’t trust him, or because he didn’t know what to do with me. I hope it’s the first and I’m not that hopeless. But I can only wonder, until I see another doctor.

You often hear a teacher/instructor say "there are no stupid questions". With this guy the opposite is true. Every question seemed worthy of his contempt. Was referred by my optometrist but left after two visits and found another glaucoma specialist.

Literally the worse doctor I have ever had. I've received treatment for glaucoma. The pharmacy didn't have the expensive $230 branded medicine he prescribed and wouldn't dispense the $35 generic without his permission. I contacted his office and got permission, but every visit since he has pressured me to go back on the branded prescription because one of my eyes is slightly above the desired pressure value. My insurance has a deductible on prescriptions that means I would pay that extra. No presentation of options, no discussion of possible other medicines, no consideration that my application technique might be different between the two eyes, it was just "Do what I say or you'll go blind and it will be too late to fix." And what he says will keep me from going blind is medicine at five times more than the generic that is tested by the FDA to be chemically and clinically the same. It makes me think he must be getting some benefit from the drug company for pushing the… non-generic. If I go blind, it will be because I have trouble trusting any ophthalmologists after dealing with him.

I recommend Dr. Howard Barnebey to anyone needing help with glaucoma or cataracts. Years ago, I went to Dr. Barnebey at the Specialty Eyecare Center for a second opinion after another ophthalmologist told me I had serious glaucoma. Dr. Barnebey assured me the situation was not so dire, but given long-standing characteristics of my eyes and a family history of glaucoma, I began seeing Dr. Barnebey every 4-6 months. Eventually, as my intraocular pressures rose to the top of the normal range, Dr. Barnebey prescribed eye drops to control the pressure. Last year as I developed cataracts and my visual acuity decreased, Dr. Barnebey performed cataract surgery, removing the natural lenses and implanting Bausch & Lomb Trulign Toric multi-focal lenses. These lenses, unlike earlier fixed focus artificial intraocular lenses, allow a remarkable amount of accommodation to different focal distances. I have abandoned glasses for distance, and though I use reading glasses for continuous reading and… close work, I don’t need glasses for quickly reading the paper or all the everyday things done at arm’s length. As a side benefit (apparently this happens about 30% of the time), the cataract surgery lowered my intraocular pressures to the point that I no longer have to take glaucoma drops. Thanks to Dr. Barnebey’s knowledge and surgical skill, I’m free of glasses and drops and seeing better than I have in decades.

I had cataract surgery by Dr. Barnebey. I had a great outcome, and the follow-up care has been excellent. I will continue to have him as my Ophthalmologist.

Rude, arrogant staff. No listening. No follow-up. Barnebey may have experience and credentials, but there is a pervasive culture in his office that is not patient oriented. Avoid this practice! There are plenty of other good Ophthalmologists in the Seattle area.

I am really not sure why Dr. Barnebey is still practicing or has any patients at all based on my experiences and reading the majority of these reviews. He is absolutely one of the rudest doctors I have ever met in my life. He has no care, no compassion and no respect for anyone. Why is he allowed to practice medicine with this attitude? Why does anyone accept this as OK? My advice is for everyone to stop going to him until he agrees to change his attitude and manner. Why give him any of your money! I know I will not ever again!!