An optical store has opened at Benjamin Eye Institute, properly named Bella Optique. There, you can order glasses from the best companies in the world, such as Matsuda, Gold & Wood, Blac, Tom Ford, Gucci Runway, Sospiri, Dior, Tom Brown, Dita, Res Rei, Thierry Lasry, and others. I asked Arthur Benjamin why an optical store of this level was needed.

It wasn’t at all sudden. For the past five or six years, I have noticed that almost all people who wear glasses have deteriorating vision. Why? Because there are a lot of consumer goods out there. Cheap glasses are sold everywhere, and many people order glasses on the internet. I’ll give you a simple task; find frames that aren’t made in China.

Gimme a second; I’m looking at my sunglasses. Yeah, there it is. 

It would take a lot of time and effort to find something like a German, Finnish, or English toy. Glasses have become a particular problem that I have observed in those that don’t want surgery, or had surgery, and need them.

But it’s your prescription, isn’t it? 

It’s our prescription. We give it to the patient, they go get glasses somewhere, then return and say, “I can’t see.” We check and see that the glasses are made poorly, and furthermore from such terrible material that it’s not surprising when people complain. These glasses are not for vision or human consumption at all, but purely for the joy of saving money. No artisanship, no mastery. That’s why we decided to tackle this matter ourselves – not the manufacturing, but by choosing the best frames and lenses.

And this is how the optical store came into being?

We worked long and hard on it. In our store, you won’t find any cheap frames. Only Japanese, German, Danish, Dutch, and all are of a high quality. By the way, many years ago we had an optical store at BEI, and there are patients that still wear those glasses. There were a number of reasons why it closed, but all these years I’ve dreamed of opening a new one. And now it’s come true. It can also be said, though, that the store was created at the request of the people who are tired of junk products.

Even better and busier than we could have imagined! People are happy to buy these gorgeous glasses.

But who makes these prescriptions a reality?

We work with three laboratories, two of which are in Los Angeles and one in New York. It’s only three because this quality of lens is only made in these labs. Today, there are optical stores on every corner, and on every other corner there’s a laboratory, but all these (with rare exceptions) are different. I did progressive glasses myself for the first time in my life at age 50, and I was stunned in a good way. And this is me, who also did LASIK. The quality of your perception of the world changes depending on what lens you’re looking through. I could talk for a long time about all kinds of optical parameters and coatings. Or what could be done if you have cataracts but don’t want to be operated on, yet your vision is worse, especially at night or in the sun. Discomfort arises from the fact that a clouded lens dissipates light. To neutralize this dispersion, a negative effect of cataracts, you need special lenses with a special coating.

Do I understand correctly that, thanks to these magical glasses, a person could prolong their condition before an operation?

For a period of time, sometimes a significant one, people can improve their vision and delay the operation. During all these after closing the previous store, I was burdened by the thought that we were now without it, because I want to be able to offer my patients everything that can improve their vision. You can get a LASIK or cataract operation, if you please. We have the best laser and diagnostic equipment to date, not to mention 20 years of successful experience. You want contacts? Go ahead. And if you’re afraid of getting an operation, you don’t need to go anywhere else. We will do everything to improve your vision with glasses, and they’re the best in the world.

I, by the way, remember the previous optical store, and it made quite the impression. 

Our current one, Bella Optique, is on another level. I brought in a real expert, Julie Zarrin, who has 30 years in the industry. And she has a collection of frames that can’t be found anywhere else – not on Amazon, eBay, or the company sites themselves. The fact of the matter is that there are frames that the manufacturers don’t sell to just anyone. I have a secret – we have glasses that you can’t buy anywhere else in Los Angeles.

Where do you get these glasses that you can’t find anywhere else?

They came to us and took a look at the office, the store, and the prices, and they felt it was on their level. The image wouldn’t be lost. If you opened a store tomorrow, they won’t give you these frames. They don’t want their glasses sold next to just anything. The process of making the best glasses is very difficult and expensive, actually in an exclusive laboratory, so therefore at a high cost. Besides the unique materials, it’s also manual labor.

Some readers are gonna wave their hand and say, admittedly frightened by the cost, “I don’t need a Ferrari, I’ll take a Camry.”

So that we don’t scare anyone off, let me repeat that we have special packages, because we buy these as a collection. When you buy a Chinese frame at the nearest optical shop for $100, that costs them $2-$5. And here we have designer Japanese frames, for which you pay $500, but originally cost $250-$300. And that’s not so expensive for something that you have on your face 16 hours a day.

You have named Japanese and European companies, but is there nothing decent in America?

We have beautiful glasses from the American company Dita, which is on par. You have to understand what handmade frames are. We have the lightest Danish frames made of carbon fiber that I didn’t even know existed. They are 3D-printed, and making one such frame can take a week. When you hold it in your hands, it feels like it’s from another world, made of alien material. Those glasses are in the $1000 range, clearly. Or the Matsuda products – it’s a family that previously made samurai swords, but now makes famous eyeglasses. Or Gold & Wood, a technology where they take the finest layers of wood and press them with titanium or gold. But it’s not necessary to buy the most trendy or luxurious. There are slightly more modest titanium glasses that you can buy, and you’ll have them for life. Titanium doesn’t rust, bend, or cause skin reactions, unlike cheap ones coated in nickel.

We’ve said this already, but many people don’t know that you can buy glasses with an FSA or HSA. 

People think that money in their FSA or HSA can only be spent appendicitis, a fractured arm, or the like, and don’t even suspect that glasses or LASIK are also included. If you just buy glasses at 

, then they won’t cover it. But if it’s in a medical office, that’s fine. Whether the frame is expensive or cheap, they don’t care. All this can still be done before the New Year; it’s coming up!

ОЧКИ КАК ПРОИЗВЕДЕНИЕ ИСКУССТВА

При Benjamin Eye Institute открылась оптика под правильным названием Bella Optique. В ней водятся очки из коллекций лучших мировых компаний: Matsuda,  Gold & Wood,  Blac, Tom Ford, Gucci Runway, Sospiri, Dior, Tom Brown, Dita, Res Rei, Thierry Lasry и других. Я расспросил Артура Бенджамина, зачем ему понадобилась оптика такого уровня.

– Почему вы вдруг пришли к этому решению?

– Не совсем вдруг.  За последние 5-6 лет я заметил, что практически у всех людей, которые носят очки, ухудшилось зрение. Почему?  Потому что появилось очень много ширпотреба. Всюду продается масса дешевых очков, многие заказывают очки по интернету. Я  дам вам простую задачу: пойдите и найдите оправу, которая сделана не в Китае.

– Секунду,  гляну родословную моих солнцезащитных.  Да, так и есть: из Поднебесной.

– Нужно потратить очень много времени и усилий, чтобы найти что-то некитайское, к примеру, какую-нибудь немецкую, финскую или английскую игрушку.  Я с уважением отношусь к великому китайскому народу, но мы сейчас не об этом. Очки стали частью данной проблемы, которую я наблюдаю у тех, кто не хочет делать операцию, или сделал, но нуждается в очках.

– Рецепт наш, мы даем его пациенту, он добывает где-то очки, потом приходит и говорит: я плохо вижу. Мы проверяем, и видим, что очки сделаны плохо, к тому же из такого ужасного материала, что неудивительно, почему человек жалуется. Эти очки – не для зрения  и вообще не для человеческого потребления,  а чисто для радости экономии. И когда спрашиваешь,  где им досталось такое чудо, то выясняется… ладно, опустим. Что получается? Материал кошмарный, сделано из рук вон плохо (обычно и не руками). Нет артизантства, нет мастерства исполнения. Вот почему мы и решили заняться этим делом сами – не изготовлением, хотя и до этого дойдем, а подбором лучших оправ и линз.

– Так и возникла оптика?

– Мы долго и кропотливо над ней работали. У нас в оптике вы не найдете ни одной оправы, которая была бы сделана в Китае. Только японские, немецкие, датские, голландские. Все они очень высокого качества. Кстати, много лет назад у нас при BEI уже была оптика, и есть пациенты, которые до сих пор носят заказанные в ней очки. Потом по ряду причин пришлось ее закрыть, но все эти годы я мечтал открыть новую. И вот сбылось. Но можно сказать и так, что оптика создана по просьбам трудящихся, уставших от ширпотребского барахла.

– И как пошли дела у оптики?

– Даже лучше и бойчее, чем мы могли предполагать. Люди с удовольствием покупают великолепные очки!

– А кто воплощает рецепты в жизнь?

– Мы работаем с тремя лабораториями, две из них в Лос-Анджелесе и одна в Нью-Йорке. Почему только с тремя, потому что такого качества линзы делают только в этих лабораториях. Нынче на каждом углу есть оптика, на каждом втором – лаборатория, но все это, за редким исключением,  совсем не то. Я впервые в жизни сделал себе прогрессивные очки, и я в свои 50 лет  – в хорошем смысле обалдел, поскольку увидел мир совсем иным. И это я, которому  сделан LASIK. Качество восприятия мира меняется в зависимости от того, через какие линзы ты смотришь.  Я могу долго рассказывать про всякие оптические параметры и напыления. Или про то, что можно сделать, если у тебя есть катаракта, но нет желания оперироваться, однако зрение ухудшилось, что особенно заметно в ночное время или при ярком солнце. Дискомфорт возникает оттого, что помутневший хрусталик рассеивает свет. Чтобы нейтрализовать это рассеивание, т.е. негативный эффект катаракты,  нужны специальные линзы со специальным напылением.

– Правильно ли я понимаю, что благодаря таким волшебным очкам человек может… как бы продлить состояние до операции?

– На какое-то время, иногда значительное, человек  может улучшить свое зрение и оттянуть операцию. Все эти годы после закрытия предыдущей оптики меня тяготила мысль, что мы теперь без оптики, потому что я хочу иметь возможность предлагать своим пациентам ВСЁ для улучшения качества их зрения. Хочешь операцию LASIK или операцию катаракты – пожалуйста. У нас лучшее на сегодняшний день лазерное и диагностическое оборудование, уже не говоря о 20-летнем успешном опыте. Хочешь контактные линзы – пожалуйста.  Боишься и не хочешь операции – не нужно никуда ходить, мы сделаем все, чтобы улучшить твое зрение очками, к тому же лучшими, какие только встречаются в этом мире.

– А я, между прочим, помню и предыдущую вашу оптику, она производила довольно приятное впечатление.

– Наша нынешняя, т.е. Bella Optique, – на совершенно другом,  просто высшем уровне.  Я привел к нам настоящего эксперта,  Джули Заррин, которая 30 лет в индустрии. И она привнесла коллекции очков, которые ты больше нигде не найдешь – ни в амазоне, ни на эбее, и даже на сайтах самих компаний. Дело в том, что есть оправы, которые изготовители продают не всем. Скажу по секрету, что у нас вы найдете очки, которые больше нигде в Лос-Анджелесе не сможете купить.

– А где ж вы берете эти очки, которых больше  нигде нет?

– Эти люди приходили к нам, смотрели на офис, на оптику, на цены, и сочли,  что все на уровне, имидж не будет уронен. Если вы завтра откроете магазин очков, эти оправы вам не дадут. Они не хотят, чтобы их очки продавали рядом со всяким… чем угодно. Процесс изготовления лучших очков – очень нелегкий, дорогостоящий,  это на самом деле эксклюзивные лаборатории, ну и соответственно высокая себестоимость, ведь помимо уникального материала, это еще и ручная работа.

– Некоторые читатели тут и махнут рукой, заведомо испугавшись: «Этот круиз не для меня, я в парк схожу».

– Чтобы народ не пугался, я еще раз повторю, что у нас есть специальные «пакеты», потому что мы покупаем коллекциями. Когда вы приобретаете китайскую оправу в ближайшей оптике за 100 долларов, она самому оптику, скорее всего, обошлась  в три-пять долларов. А здесь иная дизайнерская японская оправа, за которую вы платите 500, сама по себе стоит 250-300. И это не так уж и дорого для того, что у тебя на лице 16 часов в сутки.

– Вы называете японские и европейские компании, а в Америке ничего приличного нет?

– У нас есть очки прекрасной американской компании Dita, которая держится вровень с ними. Нужно понимать, что такое оправы ручной работы. У нас есть легчайшие датские оправы из углеродного волокна,  я даже сам не знал, что такие вообще существуют: они «напечатаны» – изготовление одной такой уникальной оправы может занять неделю. Ты берешь эту оправу в руки, и у тебя ощущение, что она из другого мира, что она сделана из инопланетного материала. Понятно, что такие очки и стоят в районе $1000. Или изделия компании Matsuda – это семья, которая раньше изготовляла самурайские мечи, а сейчас делает знаменитые очки. Или Gold & Wood – технология, в которой они берут тончайшие пласты дерева и прессуют их с титаном или золотом. Но не обязательно покупать самые моднючие и роскошные. Есть титановые очки чуть скромнее, которые ты купил – и они у тебя на всю жизнь. Титан не ржавеет, не гнется и не вызывает никаких кожных реакций, в отличие от дешевых, покрытых блещущим никелем, «оглоблей».

– Мы говорили уже – многие не в курсе, что за очки можно заплатить из FSA или HSA.

– Люди думают, что залежавшиеся на FSA или HSA деньги можно потратить только на аппендицит, перелом руки и т.п., и даже не подозревают, что очки и LASIK сюда тоже входят. Если вы просто купите очки в магазин 

то никакое FSA это не покроет, а если в медицинском офисе, то вполне. Ну а дорогая ли оправа или дешевая, им все равно. И это еще можно успеть сделать до Нового года.

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GLASSES AS WORKS OF ART - Benjamin Eye Institute

Why vision deteriorates despite wearing glasses? Is it really so difficult to find non-Chinese frames and lenses? Do savers always pay twice? Get clear answers to these and other questions by Arthur Benjamin - the founder of the optical store "Bella Optique" which has opened at Benjamin Eye Institute.

Спешим поделиться прекрасной новостью об открытии Bella Optique при Benjamin Eye Institute, где собраны лучшие коллекции мировых компаний. Самая важная инвестиция в глаза - правильно подобранная оптика, что отвечает всем критериям контроля качества, ну и несёт собой приятный бонус - преподносит вас миру красиво.



GLASSES AS WORKS OF ART

Staff was very personable and accommodated my needs.  Dr Benjamin was very professional and great bedside manner.  I would highly recommend the office to friend and family

An awesome experience as is the norm for our visits to Dr Benjamin. We have trusted him and his office with our multiple surgeries and care for many years, and plan to continue forward. Thank you Dr Benjamin, and your staff.

Great front desk and tech staff. The doctor was super nice and I’m so pleased I found this eye institute! Everyone was great and happy to finally have taken care of an appointment I had been putting off for a while. Great check-in process also for first time patients.

⭐️ My review of LASIK after one year ⭐️I told Dr. Benjamin I would do this a while ago, but I kind of feel like it says a lot I have kept this on my checklist for a year. I feel like a year is a good amount of time to review a procedure like this and give my honest thoughts and recommendation.So, let me tell you about my journey to getting LASIK and how I ended up in the amazing care of Dr. Benjamin. After going to an optometrist for years and him advising against LASIK because of my genetically dry eyes, I finally got a second opinion from an ophthalmologist (Dr. Benjamin). I didn’t know the difference between an optometrist vs. opthalmologist, but once I learned it kind of made sense why my optometrist didn’t want me getting LASIK lol. Because he couldn’t sell me on contact lenses or glasses for the foreseeable future if I got my vision corrected :) I mean, who knows, but I am glad I got a second opinion.I figured being in Los Angeles with some of the best doctors in the world… if anyone is going to touch my big, blue eyeballs, might as well get it done while I’m here. I found this business due to the reviews and they seemed to really know what they were doing and how to talk to clients.Upon meeting Dr. Benjamin he told me that I wasn’t a candidate for LASIK with my dry eyes, but he could put me through treatments for dry eyes and reevaluate after; and that these treatments had a good success rate for most.So, I started doing two treatments every other week for about 2.5 months - IPL laser treatment and Lipiflow. Lipiflow, especially, was a weird painless experience but highly recommend anyone with dry eyes to ask about it regardless of LASIK. I could tell my eyes felt way less dry a couple days after each treatment. There are videos on YouTube that talk about this treatment… Who knew this stuff existed. I’m not gonna lie, it’s an investment to do all these treatments on top of LASIK, but my eyes rarely feel dry anymore so if you’re going to get it done - do it right.Finally, I was approved for LASIK. I ended up waiting until the end of year to make sure I saved up the funds to do it and had some time to heal. I also took advantage of an end of year deal they were offering. $1000 off was a pretty nice forcing function to get me to finally do it after prepping my eyes with the treatments. The procedure itself I couldn’t feel anything even though I was awake the entire time (medicated). Even the scary part when bubbles form on your eyes Dr. Benjamin let me know about in advance so when it happened I just went with the flow. I think the worst part was the recovery the few days after and coming home drugged up lol. I remember day 1 thinking omg what did I do to my eyes. My eyes just hurt and felt weird, but omg I could see 20/15 immediately. And then, day by day it gradually got better. It took a few weeks for my eyes to heal, but after 1 month you couldn’t even tell I had surgery. One eye was a bit more bloodshot than the other.I can see 20/15. It’s been life changing for the past year not having to worry about contacts or glasses. I just got married and was able to walk down the aisle with clear vision. I only wish I had the means to have done this earlier in life. If you’re considering it - do it! And definitely consider Dr. Benjamin to do it right.Lastly, to continue treating my dry eyes, Dr. Benjamin gave me an extra LipiFlow treatment, and also recommended I try punctal plugs (painless plugs inserted into your lids that help your tears last longer). He placed the plugs in my eyes under 5 mins. Wild.I heard from people during the LASIK process they have been nervous to get the procedure so I wrote this to help and because I think highly of this business for changing my life. And, some of the dry eye treatments I would’ve never known about had it not been for them. Again, I wish I would have had been able to do this years ago. It is so, so worth it!Thank you, Dr. Benjamin (and staff!)

Concerned about a reoccurring virus, I text Dr Benjamin’s office first thing in the morning seeking immediate advice and an appointment. In quick time I received both sage advice and a same day appointment. Dr B takes a personal interest in his patients well being and has diligent, competent and attentive staff to support the care and support needed. Can’t speak highly enough.

Been going to Dr B for nearly a decade after trying many other eye doctors in LA.  Beyond solving my chronic dry eye and being the most knowledgeable, he is an all-around great guy and spends time educating. The staff is wonderful as well.

The ophthalmologist that performed my surgery, Dr. Benjamin, was extremely skilled and knowledgeable. He took the time to thoroughly explain the procedure and answer all of my questions. I felt confident in his abilities and knew that I was in good hands.

Dr Benjamin and his team are extremely professional. I had Lasik surgery performed by him and his team and everything to date has gone exactly as described to me. Front office is very friendly and scheduling appointments is easy.

The office staff were kind and considerate. The technician that assisted me explained everything she was doing. The Doctor was very nice and explained everything. He was definitely knowledgeable about my condition.

Dr Benjamin has been the “go to” eye specialist for 3 generations of my family, starting with my father and now grown children. Simply put, he’s an exceptionally capable, trustworthy, and cutting edge doctor with a courteous and professional staff.Without any reservations, I recommend him to anyone seeking an exceptional eye doctor.

The surgeons at Benjamin Eye Institute are true experts in their field - they were able to explain the procedure in detail and answer all of my questions and concerns. The surgery itself was quick and painless, and the recovery was much faster than I had anticipated.

I just completed my first visit and can say that this office deserves every high ranking it gets. The staff are efficient, friendly but highly professional.  The office is modern and sparkling clean. The examination was smooth and thorough. The doctor saw me on time.  He listened closely to the background of my problem, and he clearly communicated his treatment plan and the rationale for it. I absolutely trust him and highly recommend him.

Dr. Benjamin is always personable and thoughtful and very much an expert.  He has been my eye doctor for many years.  Now that I am older I am very grateful that he is still my ophthalmologist. Everyone in the office is very helpful. I, of course, highly recommend Dr. Benjamin.

One of the things that sets the Benjamin Eye Institute apart from other ophthalmology practices is their team of experienced and highly trained surgeons. The surgeons at the Benjamin Eye Institute have performed thousands of cataract and LASIK surgeries, and have a wealth of experience in these procedures. They are committed to providing the best possible care for their patients and strive to achieve excellent outcomes.

No exaggeration, this was the best visit with any doctor I've ever had. The facility is very nice, the staff is exceptionally thorough, professional, and efficient and Dr Arthur had by far the best bed side manner I've ever encountered. I 100% recommend him and his team

My experience at Benjamin Eye Institute was exceptional.  I’m not sure if I’ve ever encountered such an efficient and professional staff in a doctor’s office.  The front desk was communicative and everyone up to the doctor was beyond detailed in their care.  I would recommend this place to anyone who has eye problems because they have the most advanced equipment and Dr. Benjamin is caring, thorough and knowledgeable.

Dr Benjamin and his staff are excellent! 3/5 members of my family are patients from senior to adult to teen. Great care and professionalism. Highly recommend!

Immediately after  cataract surgery, I can see my husband’s face accross the room for the first time in 40 years! No more glasses since childhood, both distance and close up. If you are thinking, should you spend the big bucks to see everything both near and far?  I can tell you it’s so worth it! Thank you Dr. Benjamin and all the wonderful people in your office! I appreciate your efficiency, attentiveness, professionalism and welcoming space! Please feel free to use me as a reference any time!

I can’t ever express my deep gratitude for Dr . Benjamin and his entire extraordinary team at the Benjamin Eye Institute.I was nervous as eyes are so sensitive,  but his incredibly kind receptionists and nurses make you feel at ease and diminish all fears right away . He offers impeccable medical knowledge and state of the art technology to heal . My son and I have both experienced his phenomenal treatment and have had all our eye issues resolved . I am so thankful and can’t recommend him and the Benjamin Eye Institute highly enough 🙏

Dr.Benjamin is the best of the best.Very personable, knowledgeable and kind.I had a stye and in a bad shape.He  took me right in.His staff polite , kind and very professional.Highly recommended.

My 18-year-old son has been under Dr. Benjamin's care, and we were truly impressed by the level of service we received at Benjamin Eye Institute. From the moment we stepped into the clinic, the staff was incredibly helpful and accommodating.Dr. Benjamin conducted a comprehensive eye exam for my son, and his expertise and professionalism were evident throughout the entire process. He took the time to explain everything clearly, making sure my son understood his eye health and any potential concerns. His patience and attentiveness were truly appreciated.We highly recommend Dr. Benjamin to anyone seeking exceptional eye care. He and his team exceeded our expectations, and we are grateful for the outstanding service we received. Thank you, Dr. Benjamin!

Dr Benjamin and Alba were great. He is very professional, kind and with clear explanations. I had an eyelid quick surgery and I’m just missing the glasses prescription, I left the office and forgot to ask for it. But he and his team were amazing!

I was referred to Dr. Benjamin from both my eye doctor and a very close friend of mine who also had her LASIK performed there. My experience was exceptional. Every single person that you meet in the office is a joy to work with. Whether it was the constant and clear communication, or the fact that they were always listening to feedback and answering my questions and concerns, they went out of their way to make me feel comfortable trusting my vision to them. They were very kind and never once pressured me into anything (including when I had to push my surgery back after I broke my leg).I would recommend this place to anyone who has eye problems because they have the most advanced equipment and Dr. Benjamin is caring, thorough and knowledgeable.

Top notch service and staff! By far the best experience I’ve had at a doctors office in 20 years. I wish every office was as well trained, friendly, and professional as Benjamin Eye Institute. Seriously if you have eye problems you won’t find a better doctor.

More than everything I value professional people. Dr. Arthur Benjamin is one of them. He is taking care of me and my husband for pretty long time. All I can say we are very thankful to the doctor and people who work as a team to make us healthy and happy !

LASIK Eye Surgery- The short is go see Dr. Benjamin!I visited Dr. Benjamin Eye Institute after deciding I wanted to learn more about Lasik eye surgery and what the process would look like. I stare at computer screens for very long periods of time so I was nervous to make this life change but ready to ditch my glasses for good! The entire team from day 1 of my consultation made me feel very comfortable. The office is clean the staff are extremely welcoming, friendly and all took the time to answer any questions I had about the procedure - which was very quick and painless the day of. They also have awesome social content for educational purposes and just to make you laugh!I am about a month post procedure and it has been life changing and a freedom restored. Your eyes are important so make sure you consult with the best.Thank you Dr. Benjamin and team!!!

Dr. Benjamin is an exceptional doctor and eye surgeon. He is innovative, and anticipates a patient’s needs. Above all Dr. Benjamin is kind and caring. My results are outstanding. I can thank him for changing my life. Thank you.

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