Dr. Jaafar Mohamad S MD

Dr. Jafaar had no time to finish a first appointment and referred most all of my subsequent care over the next 81(!) days to his assistant, a young female orthoptist. My vision in my right eye was changing frequently, which Dr. Jafaar knew about since I gave him copies of about six different prescriptions given me over the past two years. Dr. Jafaar saw me on my first and last visits of an unnecessary five, both times assuring me that it would be 18-20 years before I might need cataract surgery. I presented to him with strabismus (double vision), and a need for prism. His orthoptist recommended 11 prism, which Dr. Jafaar signed off on, although I showed both of them a prescription for 4 prism that had worked well for many years. (Another eye specialist told me that the prism amount changes little over time.) Dr. Jafaar insisted that I wear his orthoptist's prescription for two weeks, which I did although I experienced considerable upset as I struggled to see. At my insistence, Dr. Jafaar saw me for a second and last time. At this appointment he told me that there was a "psychological component" as to why I could not tolerate his orthoptist’s prescription; then he dismissed me as a patient. Within a month, despite Dr. Jafaar's claims that "an optometrist will initially prescribe too little prism, then charge you, then prescribe more, then charge you, then prescribe more....", I sought the help of an optometrist who, while recommending only 4 prism for me, noticed that my right eye had changed 3 diaopters in several years while the left eye stayed steady. Although he did not dilate my eye, these changes and an abnormality he saw without dilation caused him to suspect cataract. He believed this would explain my difficulty focusing my right eye during exams, which I experienced with Dr. Jafaar and his orthoptist. Soon after, the optometrist sent me to a cataract specialist who measured my glare vision at 20/400 (blind) and removed the "big" cataract from my right eye that had caused my vision changes. I scheduled with another strabismus expert who gauged my need at 3 -- not 11 -- and, after ending an excruciating Jafaar experience, undergoing cataract surgery in both eyes, and getting a correct prescription from anotber strabismus specialist, I see well. Dr. Jafaar and his orthoptist made additional mistakes. She wrote a prescription for computer glasses that an Apex optician immediately claimed could not possibly be correct since it was almost identical to my far-vision that at this time measured a myopic 7.5 in my right eye, alone. Together, we called the orthoptist who, noticeably perturbed by the challenge, refused to change it. I returned the lenses to Apex, never used, since I could not sit far enough away from the computer to see. When I asked the orthoptist to correct the prescription, she said she would not be able to see me for a long time. Dr. Jafaar ignored my written concerns, writing back: "...it is a privilege to be seen by such a professional [as this orthoptist]." When I saw Dr. Jafaar last, he changed that prescription, but 15 minutes after I left his office, he called me on my cell to ask me to return. He had neglected to add his prism count; Dr. Jafaar had signed off on yet another incorrect prescription. My prescription costs for lenses prescribed by Dr. Jafaar and his orthoptist totaled $1,104, which Dr. Jafaar refused to reimburse. At the end of it all, I wonder: "How did this man ever get the position that he holds at Children's Hospital?" and "Who is protecting from him the many non-English speakers and children that he sees?"

Some doctors only know their discipline. Dr. Jaafar goes the distance to understand children's needs that fall outside his discipline and connect these children to experts in other departments/fields who know how to address them. We found our child's neuro-psychologist through his referral after he had attended some seminars she held. I challenge you to find another doctor who leverages his entire hospital. Within his discipline, he is amazing. After two surgeries and a few years of patching, my son's strabismus is nearly unnoticeable. Dr. Jaafar has the patience of a saint, moreso with older children than younger. We will continue to stay with and refer Dr. Jaafar. We hope this hospital can continue to attract more doctors like him who genuinely care about the children and are true experts in their field. Thank you, Dr. Jaafar and his entire staff. (special thanks to Linda - the eye drop queen - who is very soothing, patient, and kind to my son with Aspergers and never ever talks down to him AND Hamedi at the appointment desk whose customer service practices put others to shame - we love her)