Ilana Gelfond-Polnariev, OD, FCOVD Pediatric Optometrist

Reviews 10

YO

yocheved brazil

Dr. Gelfond is amazing! When our daughter was in second grade and started complaining about reading assignments and that her eyes bothered her when she read, we were recommended by an occupational therapist to see a developmental optometrist. We were skeptical because we had already had a vision screen done by an optometrist and her vision was perfect, but as she continued to complain and we realized that she also stopped reading for pleasure, we looked into different developmental optometrists and we heard excellent things about Dr. Gelfond and decided to make a consultation even though her office was an hour away from our house. Sure enough, our daughter was diagnosed with convergence insufficiency and needed to do about 20 weeks of a vision therapy program. Thank God she is in fifth grade today and doing fabulously, excelling in school and reading a ton! Besides for Dr. Gelfonds expertise in her field, she has wonderful bedside manner and was always a pleasure to speak with. She truly cares about every patients progress and answered every question we had with such patience. We are so grateful to Dr Gelfond for helping our daughter and have sent many people to her with similar problems.

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4015 Howe

I have been a patient of Dr. Gelfond-Polnariev for almost 15 years. She started my care when my vision was getting progressively worse every year and I was concerned it would not only effect my job, but also my life. She saved my vision and took amazing care of my eyes after advising and co-treating me post - LASIK surgery. I would not entrust my eyes to any other clinician. She is professional, very knowledgeable and extremely caring. I also love the fact the she teaches and is very well respected in her field by her piers. She also published articles in medical journals, so she is always on top of the latest trends and developments in optometry. She also sees a lot of children, so when time came for me to bring in my son, I would not even consider another doctor. She recommended CRT, which I never heard about. It turned out amazing!!!!! My son wears hard lenses at night to sleep, he wakes up with perfect vision. None of my friends ever heard of such a thing!!! I would recommend Dr. Gelfond-Polnariev to anyone that cares about their eyes.

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Gregory Borukhov

Dr. Gelfond is not only an amazing clinician but she is also the most helpful, educated, and informative clinical supervisor that I have had. Aside from making sure that every one of her students knew the normative clinical data for the diagnostic tests that we did, she also made sure that we APPLY those findings to what our treatment would then be; essentially making us think on our feet! (A quality only very few supervisors have to offer to their students). What also made her an elite instructor is that she knew the struggles that students sometimes have and she would always help them address it. There have been numerous times where I would need her help after clinic hours, and although she had to run home and attend to her children and her husband, she never dismissed me, nor made me feel rushed when helping me address my concerns or answer my questions! I hope to someday give back a fraction to what she has to not only her students, but also the community that she is involved with!

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Michele Micha

For over 10 years, I have traveled 1 hour+ to see Dr. Gelfond. I was diagnosed with vertical dyplopia and shes the only one I have found who really understood and recognized the condition and was able to prescribe vision therapy and prisms for me over the years. Eventually I had corrective surgery (which she explained in detail to me and worked with me to find the right surgeon) but I will still continue to travel and see her for my regular yearly visits and anything else that comes up related to my vision. Shes wonderful with her patients - pediatric and adult. She listens to you, answers any and all questions and makes you feel very comfortable. My husband and daughter also see her for their vision checkups. I highly recommend her to anyone who is looking for an Opthamalogist, whether its for a regular visit or a special condition.

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R. D. Esmer

As an adult seeking vision therapy in NYC, after making the rounds, I chose to work with Dr. Gelfond. She always takes the requisite time to listen, understand and explain. Shes not one to just blindly put you on a preordained regimen of therapy exercises. She assesses the case interactively, and has the capacity to mold the therapy to your specific needs in a creative way. Vision Therapy is still a burgeoning field; and you definitely need someone with depth of experience and understanding to achieve success - especially if yours is not a textbook case. So if you are considering vision therapy in NYC for yourself or your child - look no further. And since Ive made the rounds; I do know first hand that shes well respected and highly regarded by her peers in the field as well.

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Jessica Romito-Sinan

Dr. Gelfond-Polnariev has been caring for my family for many years. She is excellent with my two daughters, whom she has evaluated from a very young age. Her bedside manner is wonderful and she is able to engage children in a way that allows her to really obtain a thorough exam. We have noticed she has been also been active in the community, commonly speaking at schools and parent forums. In our last visit, she went over some of the latest research in optometry, specifically a new treatment which will likely help my daughter to slow down or even stop the progression of her poor vision (and not end up like her mom!). Her dedication to her field really shines through when you meet with her. I recommend her without reservation, she is everything you want in a doctor!

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Natella Zabarskiy

Dr. Gelfond is simply the best doctor. She is extremely knowledgeable, caring and patient. She treats you like a family member and puts in as much time as necessary with each. She is amazing with children and has a great approach. Her dedication and the will to strive to be better and continue learning to bring her expertise and utilize it on her patients is very impressive. They ability to start up the vision therapy service that has helped so many is beyond words. She is truly a wonderful doctor and person. Sincerely Happy patient

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Ilona Levina

Dr. Gelfand is one of the best eye doctors Ive visited in the last couple years. She is very professional has a sweet bedside manner and has no problem explaining things in a way you can understand. Dosent mind questions and takes the time to make sure your comfortable. She fixed my prescription which a previous office made a mistake with and caused me many headaches so thank god! Her office staff is very courteous and have great customer service + very little waiting time. Great experience found my new doc in Staten Island!

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A Gregorio

What an incredible experience!!! My sons OT had referred us to Dr Gelfond. My 7 year old son was experiencing some difficulty tracking while reading. His writing was also floating on the page. After 3 months of a prism and blue lense as per Dr Gelfond, not only has my sons school work improved, his OT felt confident in discontinuing his services, that they were no longer necessary. His fidgeting and difficulty remaining seated has also diminished substantially. Dr Gelfond was incredibly personable, friendly and knowledge.

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Annmarie Trupiano

My whole family has been going to Dr. Gelfond-Polnariev for many years, even after we have moved to New Jersey. She is a wonderful doctor. So professional and amazing with my two young daughters. They enjoy getting their eye exams because she makes it fun for them. They feel like they are playing games with her instead of being examined. She is so thorough and explains in depth any problems or issues that we are having so that we can fully understand. I would highly recommend this doctor for the entire family.

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