Dr Dennis Lam is one of Hong Kong’s most lauded ophthalmologists. With more than 30 years in the field, extensive education and training, and international and local experience, it’s not hard to see why.

But the most impressive thing about Dr Dennis is his philosophy on patient care and his belief that patients should always be at the centre of the entire process.

We also like his mindset that eye doctors should view the patient as a whole and not just focus on their eyes. What we like even more is that this mindset has guides not just Dr Dennis but his clinic as well.

C-MER offers various eye examinations, laser treatments, tests, therapies, and surgeries like eyelid, glaucoma, LASIK, and macular surgeries. It’s noteworthy that these services uphold international medical technology operation standards.

We also appreciate that the “patient-centred” philosophy doesn’t just apply to the services but to other matters too.

To make C-MER more accessible to patients, Dennis and his partners opted to spread their clinic locations to different districts instead of focusing on the busiest parts of Hong Kong.

Furthermore, it also offers vouchers to offset the costs of their more complex and expensive treatments.

But being riddled with his commitments as a clinical doctor with other endeavours, an opthalmologist of his calibre may not be as available as less prominent ones.

Although, we found it challenging to fault Dr Dennis for that after seeing all the good he does in the field.

Hong Kong Eye Hospital (HKEH) is one of the only two hospitals fused with the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s (CUHK) ophthalmology department. And we can’t help but appreciate the perks this partnership brings.

One is that the eye clinic handled by CUHK enjoys state-of-the-art ophthalmic equipment. These pair up well with the hospital’s triage unit and surgery services.

But more importantly, we are delighted with another perk — the team of expert eye doctors and surgeons from CUHK who make up the medical team. One of these experts is Dr Hunter Yuen Kwok Lai. 

Serving as a Consultant Ophthalmologist and Head of Oculoplastic and Orbital Service at Hong Kong Eye Hospital, Dr Hunter has a strong profile — from his education, experience, training, and research contributions.

But what we admire the most about Dr Hunter is his beliefs.

For Dr Hunter, helping patients in the hospital isn’t enough, which is why he consistently does charity work. His commitment to voluntary ophthalmology work earned him multiple prestigious awards locally and internationally.

While it is reassuring that his patients and trainees benefit from this admirable mindset, his numerous charity commitments may affect his availability as a clinic doctor.

And speaking of availability, it is no secret that HKEH often deals with many patients. So if you choose this hospital, be ready to wait in line or book your appointment in advance.

Naturally, there are some advantages that large hospitals hold over small clinics.

The most obvious ones would be the more comprehensive range of equipment, services, and a larger team of specialists — all of which Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong has.

Located in Wong Chuk Hang, this hospital has an ophthalmology department of eleven eye doctors. This allows Gleneagles’ ophthalmologists to focus on their sub-speciality more than doctors in smaller teams are allowed, one of which is Dr Lee Allie.

What we like the most about Dr Lee is her views on medical treatments and patient management.

She focused on her medical training as soon as possible. Through this approach, Dr Lee gained a better grasp of the situation of Hong Kong’s eye patients. 

We were impressed to learn that her on-the-ground experience helped her discover gaps in Hong Kong’s ophthalmology treatments. It led her to base her specialisation on it — the cornea, iris, pupil, or the anterior section of the eye. 

But besides that, she also learnt how to handle patients, which we think is very valuable.

Because of her training, Dr Lee developed an interpersonal and upfront way of patient management. She doesn’t just prescribe patients treatment but handles their concerns, ideas, and expectations to push them toward the best one.

For us, this is easily praiseworthy as not many doctors will try to go through so much communication with you.

However, some complaints have been made about the hospital’s expensive fees and slow service. While this is not the case for everyone, we encourage you to be prepared for both possible drawbacks if you seek a specific doctor from this hospital.

After almost three decades in the field, Hong Kong Ophthalmic Associates (HKOA) have accumulated benefits we can’t help but appreciate.

One is that HKOA has two locations, making it more accessible to patients. It’s also lovely how the operations, optics, reception, and waiting areas are aesthetically pleasing and spacious.

More ophthalmologists, optometrists, and nurses eventually joined the clinic. We think their size is beneficial because providing treatments for adults or kids has become more accessible.

To top it all off, it’s nice that the clinic has an easy appointment process. Patients can simply go to the HKOA website and choose their appointment date, doctor, location, and time.

Besides the process being easy, we also appreciate how it is helpful for those looking to book a specific doctor, like Dr Charmaine Hon.

Dr Charmaine joined the clinic in 1993 and made a good reputation among some parents. She does every bit of work you would expect from a great ophthalmologist. 

Still, parents mostly recommend Dr Charmaine for being good at handling and treating children.

Being patient with younger patients is necessary, but not all doctors have the knack for it. We were amazed that Dr Charmaine even plays with some of her younger patients, which is a plus in our book.

All in all, our only criticism is how some doctors have unbalanced schedules. We recommend checking their website to see if the doctor you prefer is available for the branch you plan to visit.

On paper, Clarity Eye Surgery Centre is not as old as other eye clinics. However, its awards and success say otherwise.

Of this multi-faceted success, the first we noticed is its modern facilities. Aside from traditional waiting rooms, Clarity also has lounges where patients can enjoy snacks.

The centre is also very spacious and houses five international standardised operating rooms. Fortunately, the modernity of their facilities matches their state-of-the-art ophthalmic equipment.

Through its modern equipment, Clarity Eye Surgery Centre offers medical services like treatment for amblyopia, cataracts, dry eye, glaucoma, floaters, macular degeneration, retinal detachment, and even strabismus in children.

What we found more impressive is that the eye surgery centre also co-exists with Clarity’s centre for other services, like ICL, LASIK, SMILE, and more.

But still, the most essential facet of Clarity’s success is its medical team.

With over 100 strongly-qualified professionals, the doctors have more time to be hands-on and personal with the patients, as Dr Mok Chui Yuk Jennifer does.

Like other ophthalmologists in the centre, Dr Mok earned all the necessary qualifications she needed here and abroad. But to patients, what stands out more is her way of handling patients.

Dr Mok and her team make it a point to explain every step of the procedures to the patients. So naturally, patients have raved about this, and understandably so, as it’s always good to be in the know about medical treatments you avail of.

However, all these positives come at a high price — literally. Compared to others, Clarity’s prices are more on the higher end of the spectrum, even without the fees for the anaesthesia, doctor, and other things.