Jeffrey L Koenen,OD – 801 Eye Care Center

I love going to Dr. Koenen for my regular eye exams. His office is conveniently located, the staff are all friendly and knowledgable, and I appreciated that he spends a few extra minutes talking through what he’s doing and what he’s seeing and making recommendations on how to maintain good eye health.

Great DM optometrist! Before moving to Iowa in the mid 2000s, I always went to one optometrist back in the Chicago suburbs. I always thought my previous optometrist was excellent and did a good job. After one visit with Dr. Koenen, I learned I was completely wrong. My old optometrist had been under prescribing my contacts for years! I talking freaking years! Dr. Koenen corrected my prescription by more than a diopter!
When I left his office after my first visit, I just froze outside staring at the brick building across the street. I could actually see the texture of the bricks! It was so beautiful. I had no idea things could be so clear and in focus so far away, by which I mean across the street!!! I have had glasses since 3^rd grade and contacts since 7^th grade so I have always accepted having poor vision; however, I never knew how poor I was actually seeing until I went to Dr. Koenen.
Dr. Koenen is very thorough in his exams. There are lots of tests and questions, all of which makes him very accurate. He also gives very helpful advice about eye care and eye wear. I was having some dry eye problems a few years ago, and I asked him what he recommended. I was so grateful that his first response was some additional supplements (fish oil) and some other physical techniques. His first response was NOT a prescription. In this day, it is such a relief to have a doctor address the origin of the problem instead of just treating the symptoms. He did say that if those techniques didn’t work, there are other medical options.
He also offers a procedure that takes a panoramic photo of your eye. It’s called a screening retinal photo. Apparently, this is a much more accurate method than the typical white light viewing during the exam because he can see your entire eye all at once instead of small sections at a time. It does cost ~$ 39 for both eyes and is typically not covered by insurance. With my poor vision, I always get these images because you only have two eyes, and they don’t grow back!
He also does the blue dot glaucoma test instead of the air puff test, which is apparently less accurate and more uncomfortable for the patients. I know I would rather have a couple of drops in my eyes and a blue dot than a puff of air in my eyes!
He does recommend checking your eyes every year just like a physical with your family doctor.
The office staff is also great. Megan and Shawn are both opticians who are very helpful and friendly.
Their website is a little dated but that’s ok. It has all of the information you would ever need. Despite their website’s appearance, they are still pretty modern. They have the first-​time patient forms online. Also, they do text message and/​or email reminder/​confirmation notices.
Regarding the purchase of contacts, I always buy contacts through Dr. Koenen. Their contacts are only about a 5% markup, which is worth it for the following reasons: 1) you know you are getting fresh lenses not old ones that have been sitting in a warehouse, 2) they can be delivered to the office so they are not sitting outside your house exposed to the elements (severe weather is very bad for contacts), and 3) they can give you some trial contacts at the office to last until your order arrives.
Also, Dr. Koenen is current with the latest types of contacts. I used to use the 2 week contacts but Dr. Koenen recommended that I switch to the one-​day contacts. Initially, I was reluctant because they are more expensive lenses ($ 190 for a 3 month supply — both eyes), and I was suspicious that he was just trying to sell me more expensive contacts. Since I had had such good experiences in the past, I decided to try the new lenses. After one day of using the new lenses, I learned I was wrong again. These lenses are amazing!!! It hardly feels like you are wearing contacts. I have even had some long days when I got into bed but had to get back out because I forgot I was still wearing contacts! They are that comfortable!
Regarding glasses purchase, I have not purchased glasses here before. Since I primarily wear contacts, I did not want to spend a lot on backup frames. At the time of my first visit, most of the frames were pricy ($ 250 and up), which would be in addition to the lenses. When I was last there, they did have some economy frames. I am currently getting a quote from here and a few other places to see what is the best option for me. Here, they do have ultra thin, polarized lenses so that will be a deciding factor too.
Overall, an excellent place to go for eye care. I am a customer for life.