Retina Macula Institute

DR Gallemore and his staff really treat my mom really good it’s clean and they always have goodies.

Dr Gallemore, and his staff here, will take excellent care of you. Besides being a brilliant doctor and surgeon at the top of his field– he cares about his patients. He and his staff will ensure that patients understand every aspect of their treatment. Once, he even called my allergist during an exam, just to make sure I wasn’t allergic to a certain common chemical. What a professional.
And all of his nurses and support staff are no less brilliant. They perform like a great basketball team. From the receptionist with the amazing manicure to the techs with the best manners ever;
everybody’s there to move you through your procedures as efficiently as possible. Trust me when I say that this is a happy organization, and they’re going to get you through it with a smile. Even inoculations and stuff that would normally be uncomfortable in other offices is done quite gracefully at RMI.
But do you want to know their special bonus feature? They display some pretty awesome graphic art here. Somebody in this office respects good artistic photography. You can’t even get properly bored in the waiting parts. Dr G is great.
This is like spa time for your eyes.

Dr Gallemore is an outstanding practitioner. He treated both my mother and myself. The doctor is very detailed-​oriented and is always trying to figure out if there is anything else or any other way to address your situation. I would suggest that patients be given an idea of how long their appointment will be. My mother and my appointments were always a minimum of two hours and as long as 3.5 hours. I have no problem with this time allotment and I plan on it. It seems that almost all the comments of folks who were not so happy was because of the time their appointments take. I don’t see that it could be reduced by much, but they should prepare people for the time that it might take.

One of my favorite Drs offices to visit and that’s rare for me. I love the staff love Dr. Gallemore he’s one amazing dr. I’ve been bringing my dad to him for almost a year and not one unpleasant visit. The staff is well trained and very professional and Dr. Gallemore is on top of everything which makes it more of a pleasure to be here knowing my dads vision will improve with his help. Thank u guys sooooo much :)

Let me just preface this by admitting all medical care is, and I think should be, highly personalized to the many different wants and needs of each individual patient. That being said, this place won’t be for everyone because it isn’t your everyday run-​of-​the-​mill practice, it’s quite unique, and some people may be turned off by the doctor’s no-​nonsense approach. I however, think the world of this man: He is absolutely incredible.
There is no doubt a better place online to dissect and share medical advice, but I can’t stand not putting in a good word for this doctor after reading some of these feeble-​minded Unilocal reviews. (I would like to think that those who are complaining about waiting an hour to be seen are not contending with the idea of losing their sight. As my father said, «If I had to, I’d walk the 50 miles it takes to get here.» You’ve got bigger problems on your hands folks!)
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Dr. Gallemore is exactly the type of surgeon I would want to see for something as crucial to me as my eyesight. He is kind and extremely attentive, beyond knowledgable in this field, and meticulous to no end. His time is in high demand, (I once counted fifty appointments on the receptionist’s computer screen slotted between morning and noon) — he will not sit with you for an hour and talk shop. What he will do is explain precisely, and entirely, what is going on with your eyes, and will expect to see you every single day if it is necessary.
He works directly with a lot of people who are economically disadvantaged who require the best results achievable outside a hospital. (His in-​office laser technique is exact and distinct; during time spent at the much heralded Jules Stein Institute, I met not one doctor who could perform manually what he does.) All of the technology at the Retina Macula institute is the most up to date: get ready for an onslaught of tests that will be carefully explained to provide you with understanding of your condition, and as a result, some satisfaction in an anxiety-​ridden time of your life. This guy writes the most detailed notes for every visit — it’s amazing for someone as busy as he is to provide you with such accurate records.
*Dr. G also speaks Spanish, which I think is worth noting for anyone whose first language isn’t English.
The technicians at this office will spend lots of time with you, make sure you are communicated with, and most importantly, that all of your questions get answered. They are all also very kind and interested in YOU.
For any advanced cases of lattice degeneration, detached retinas (or multiple detachments), PVR, macular degeneration/​hole/​pucker — please see this doctor as soon as possible. There is a good chance he will save your sight.

I have had three or four appointments here. The staff and Dr. Gallemore were not overly late or behind schedule, as they seem to have a reputation for. It takes a while for preliminary imaging and dilation to work. Dr. G is a world-​class eye doctor and sees a lot of patients. The last time I was in Jodi, who is on her way to being a med student, set up my chart and imaging so that Dr. G could review prior to the exam. She was very professional and explained the ins and outs of that type of office. Apparently Dr. G also gets a lot of questions and consults from other doctors, which also may impact the total time you spend there. So if you want a doctor that’s one of the best in the world, here he is, but many others want to see him also.
In general I find that if you show up for any medical appointments ten minutes early, and treat the doctor and staff cordially, you will get the best care available under current circumstances.
Another thing I like is that Dr. G’s staff and assistants are all students in the pipeline to be eye (or other) doctors. So every day he is helping to train the next generation of care-​givers. I remember once that his assistant made a minor mistake in taking notes and got a little flustered. Instead of being impatient or mean about it, Dr. G stopped in his tracks, and very kindly showed the assistant the correct way to do it. That spoke volumes to me about his personality and treatment of his employees.
All in all I feel fortunate to be able to be treated by such a world-​class care-​giver.

I am very grateful for Dr Gallemore and his group. He saved my eye sight. I will NEVER take my sight for granted. Not that I ever did. Now I really appreciate every day! When I have a problem they do their best to get me in the same day.

If I could give this office zero stars, I would. This office may as well be at the County hospital because that’s exactly the kind of customer service they offer. My mother was scheduled at 2:30pm but at 4:45pm we were still waiting to see the Doctor. I get it; they have to run several tests prior to seeing the Doctor but they should at least tell you that ahead of time. We were only told that the appointment was at 2:30pm and it wasn’t until I complained that they told me that was the time for her pre-​screening/​testing.

Both my mother and father were treated by Dr Gallemore at the Retina Macula Institute. Both have been very pleased with the treatment.

Been coming here for the past 6 years actually less for this particular location because they were in downtown los angeles, but they still receive you with a great smiley customer service, in fact today i called in because i was running late for my appointment they still put me in instead of rescheduling, before goin the young lady checked if my insurance was approved so i wont waste my time in goin, great customer service free wifi lots of tv and seats. The doctor is one of the best, saved my eye from a blunt trauma.

When I had my appointment for my laser surgery, I was called in 15 minutes early… When I had my appointment for my post-​op vistrectomy surgery, I was called in 5 minutes early.
After my laser surgery, I was able to go back to work the following day. Granted it was difficult to work in front of my computer with the floaters in my left eye, and my right eye being legally blind.
Now that I have had my vistrectomy pars plana surgery, I am hopeful that it will correct my vision in my right eye. All went well with my surgery, now the biggest challenge is having to remain in a face down position throughout the healing process.
Once again, I’ll keep you posted.

This practice is managed efficiently, the staff is knowledgeable, and Dr. Gallemore is great!
My right eye started bothering me in the morning but I ignored it while I was at work. I was in surgery using a laser in the mid afternoon and my eye became really sensitive to the light. My eye was really painful, progressively swelled, and I started losing vision.
I walked into RMI on a recommendation from a friend without an appointment and they were still able to get me checked in and evaluated quickly. The technicians were really friendly and made attempts to keep me comfortable until I could see Dr. Gallemore. He diagnosed me with a retinopathy that was centered over my point of vision… that I did to myself by wearing a bad contact lens. oops =(.
A couple of weeks later applying drops and wearing glasses, my eye is all better. Thanks =)

Great Doctor! Great staff! Kudos to Nick, Sonam, Muriela and Jasmin for being awesomely helpful!

I bring my grandmother to see Dr. Gallemore in the Torrance office and we come from the San Fernando Valley we’ve been coming for the past 5+ years and we are super pleased with the staff there. Jen, Crystal and Jasmine in the front office are really nice and very helpful ;) Dr. Gallemore is an amazing Dr. and is always very attentive to his patients. Retina Macula Institute is a really busy office but still manages to to provide awesome customer service to their patients. The only downfall is that sometimes the wait time can be a little long so plan to be there a little over an hour, but overall Dr. Gallemore and his staff are great!

Retina Macula has a pretty nice facility. Parking is relatively convenient because there’s a big lot right in the plaza. You only pay a dollar/​hour and the first hour is free with validation.
Dr. Gallemore is supposed to be one of the few and best neuro-​ophthalmologists in the Southern California region. He has a Phd in addition to being a clinical ophthalmologist which is what, I assume, makes me him stand out in the healthcare world. I’m still in the middle of my diagnosis plan so I cannot attest to treatment results, but I can tell that he is very thorough with his examination and he takes very careful measures to prevent certain conditions. He also takes time to rule out possible conditions in order to pin-​point and treat the true problem.
So far I have had a great experience here at Retina Macula, but the one down fall is that they are always busy with a packed schedule. It goes to show how popular they are and it says something about the doctors’ reputations, but you should be prepared to spend a lot of time waiting.
Jen, Jasmin and Crystal are the wonderful and amazing ladies that always greet their patients with a smile.

I was recommended by my eye dr and a friend to this place. For me, whoever looks at my eyes or may need to operate on it MUST be the best. It’s your eyes!!! The first time I went to the office, I was sooooo impressed by Dr. Gallemore and his staff. From my experience, they are very efficient and professional. You could tell that Dr Gallemore has so much knowledge, experience and expertise. I was at peace knowing my eyes were being looked at by the best. The staff was soo friendly and well trained. Office manager Kat was very friendly and answered all my questions. Customer service was excellent! Must come to this place for great care of your eyes.

I am a firm believer in customer service. Dr. Gallemore is a great person and treated my grandma like we were family. My grandma has been getting treatments here for awhile (years) and I have been very happy with the way her treatments are going. My grandma does not speak English at all and the love and comfort she receives from Dr. Gallemore and his staff should be enough for anyone to come here. I am very surprised with the low ratings because every time I have been here has been positive.

This is a joke. Having to wait over an hour to get a test is ridiculous! I’ll make sure my optometrist does not refer anyone here, why ruin her reputation.

I find Dr Gallemore to be one of the best doctors around! He has an excellent staff, he is very professional, and he knows what he is doing! His office is very busy but I prefer a doctor who is great at what he does than a soft doctor who gives poor diagnosis. My husband has been going to him for about two years. I recently recommended my father to Dr Gallemore because my father has been getting vague diagnosis from his eye doctor and his vision getting worse. My very picky Japanese father is so impressed by Dr Gallemore’s consults and advice. Dr Gallemore sends his examination reports immediately to my father’s opthamologist but I have not seen the same concern or consideration. I highly highly recommend Dr. Gallemore!

I was referred to Dr. Gallenmore by my optometrist since I noticed a significant amount of floaters in my right eye after hitting the back of my head pretty hard. I am near-​sighted and my age are both factors which increase risk of detached retina. My eye doctor did warn me that even though Dr. Gallenmore is one of the best in his field, the wait time in the office will be long. Suggestion was made to have someone just drop me off and call when ready to be picked up.
My first visit was about 3 hours total. About 2 hours, and 30 minutes of it was waiting in the main lobby area, then in another waiting area. Yes, I understand that I had to have my eyes diluted. But really, 2 & ½ hours? Dr. Gallenmore saw me the last 15 minutes and stated that my right eye had a tear and I should have laser surgery right then and there. I signed the release papers and I was told to put drops in my eyes and report back in 6 weeks. These drops are $ 75 every two weeks for just over a milileter of medicine. This $ 75 is with my insurance. I believe the medicine without insurance can easily cost $ 150 or $ 300 per month. Lovely. Did I mention that Dr. Gallenmore participated in creating this famous eye drop?
My first visit was in May 2010. He has had me come back every several months and each time he has performed laser surgery on me but on my left eye, not my right where I originally came in. According to him, I have more problems with my left eye. Did I mention that he since has added another medication, not as expensive but enough for me to have to put money aside every month to afford it. He’s also prescribed two extra visits to my optometrist which is not covered under my vision plan.
The last straw was my last visit in August of 2012. He has since renovated his Torrance office with television monitors throughout the main waiting room which is connected to At&T U-​Verse. We are there mainly for our vision so watching TV is not my idea of passing the time. My appointment was at 8:30 a.m. I got called after an hour. I got prepped with drops to dilute my eyes and waited in the second waiting area for 2 hours. Then I got called for several more tests and was pricked THREE times by the assistants so they could inject dye into my body. Another lady that had been waiting longer than me got pricked FOUR times.
I could go on forever. I am still angry when Dr. Gallenmore finally comes in after 3 hours and asks me why the long face? Really! He is the epitome of the money hungry doctor who will find the any excuse to perform a surgery to gouge your insurance. After I told him about his ability to prolong my continued visits with him he said he will recommend continuing the drops and whether I have improvement or not, he will continue to monitor and not recommend any further surgery at this time. Oh, and then now he gives me written information on my condition and asks me didn’t I give this info to you. After two years, you ask me this?
He will get his Karma. BTW, he has two huge pictures of himself in the inner waiting room. Egotistic man.