Leonardo Dacanay, MD

I was very impressed with Dr. Decanay. He is very knowledgable, caring, and unpretentious. He explained my condition very well, and offered solutions. I am very grateful to him, as he probably saved my sight.

I’m going to name my firstborn child after Dr. Dacanay (next lifetime-I’m 46).
Seriously, his Unilocal reviews were so over-​the-​top amazing that I had to see him for a second opinion. My first eye doctor had unfortunately eagerly prescribed a treatment that I did not need which exacerbated my eye irritation. Dr Dacanay thoroughly explained my condition and how to treat it simply and cost free!

I cannot express enough gratitude to Bellevue Eye Center for taking care of my mother and her eye condition. I did extensive research and spoke to over 42 doctors before deciding on Dr. Leonardo Dacanay and his staff to operate on the particularly complicated case of cataracts and glaucoma of my mother. There is a distinct compassion and sensitivity towards your situation you will experience when speaking to Dr. Dacanay. His voice is gentle yet clear and intelligent. His ability to explain very complex things in ways a layman like myself could understand belies this intellect, kindness, and patience, in addition to the absolute comfort my mother felt at the medical center and while consulting with the doctor and being cared for by his staff. His mastery of surgery is in the results. Despite there being a less than 40% chance of success as some ophthalmologist had projected, my mother now has clear vision and with no discomfort in her eyes. I almost want to say it’s a tragedy Dr. Leonardo Dacanay did not go into oncology or research, because I feel he would have found a cure for cancer. If you love your family, or your eyes, and want the most skillful hands and most intelligent and compassionate doctor, I cannot recommend Bellevue Medical Center and Dr. Leonardo Dacanay enough.

Thank you Dr Dacanay, Cara, and the reception staff. You are all amazing and helped me so much with my dry eye and surgical needs. Very insightful, kind and patient both with diagnosis
and with processing all the insurance and logistical issues. I highly recommend this practice for all your opthalmological needs.

Took me as an emergency. Very professional, unhurried, and lucid (and most informative) in his explanations. While I couldn’t help musing this would be a very good doctor for a nervous child (& parent), this elderly patient is simply grateful to have been steered to a practitioner of quality.

While hopeful of not needing to go back in the near future, I am very thankful to know where I can go if and when the time comes. Dr. Dacanay and his staff are top notch in providing exemplary personal and professional eye care. As a new patient, I have never experienced such a comfortable and relaxed medical environment.
If the future ever warrants in me having to see an ophthalmologist, I have the confidence and reassurance to know the best one around. Without a moment of hesitation it would definitely be Dr.Dacanay. Thank you…

Good grief, how I was absolutely dreading cataract surgery! But when it finally came down to the day, the operation turned out to be a real piece of cake. Whew.
Dr. Dacanay gave me all the information I needed beforehand. Then I jumped on BART, got off at the MacArthur station, took the Summit shuttle to the surgery center on 30^th Street in Oakland and from there they really took good care of me. The operation was quick, easy and (almost) fun — because they gave me a nice relaxant too.
And now here I am, the very next day, with ²⁰⁄₂₀ vision in my right eye. It’s almost miraculous. You just gotta love Dr. Ducanay, his right-​hand-​woman Cara, and the whole surgery team.

My 82-​year old mother received treatment for cataracts this summer. Dr. Dacanay showed concern, empathy and «bedside manner» that is second to none. He is certainly putting care back into the health care equation. He needs to become the «poster boy» for excellent patient interaction.

I am so happy I found Dr. Dacanay,
I had cataracts in both eyes and Dr. Dacanay did both surgeries and they were great, much easier and better than I could have hoped for. He corrected the vision in each eye and for the first time since I was 2 ½ I can see without glasses. What a gift!!!
He is a great doctor. He explains everything, listens carefully, and is gentle and caring. I have been recommending him to all my friends. I just feel so lucky I found him. He’s one of the best doctors of any sort that I’ve been to. I can’t recommend him too highly.

Hopefully I would never need to see Dr. Dacanay again — but I would recommend him in a second to anyone who needed to see an ophthalmologist.
I was referred to Dr. Dacanay from Alta Bates after a fairly intense trauma to my eye. He took a look inside my eye and let me know I had a retinal tear. He booked an immediate (next day at 8am) appointment for me to see a retina specialist and get fixed.
Not only was he efficient, but he was incredibly informative. He explained what had happened and the potential solutions. He referred me to the «best in the business», and helped me feel comfortable and knowledgeable about what needed to happen next.
He checked in with me the next day, answering any follow up questions I had in regards to what to expect and pain management. I couldn’t have asked for a more pleasant experience during such a scary event!

Had a bad case of conjunctivitis. Having no money or insurance, I went to a free clinic (@ 4900 California) in San Francisco, where I was misdiagnosed w/​viral conjunctivitis. A week later, w/​no improvement, I went to Leonardo Dacanay, paying out of pocket as I had to recover somehow + move on w/​my life. Totally the right move. 2 days later I am more than 50% recovered (from a bad case of bacterial conjunctivitis). This doctor is highly knowledgeable, + uses modern diagnostic equipment. Additionally he is polite, compassionate and friendly, as are his front office staff. If you need a seriously qualified eye doctor, this is your guy!

From the first five minutes, I was 100% on board with Dr. Dacanay. You can tell pretty much instantly that he cares about ALL aspects of his practice: he explains everything in precise, somewhat scholarly (but accessible) detail, doesn’t do anything without giving you some background, and seems generally, well, very, very smart. You can’t help but notice these attributes during office visits. On top of this, his handling of the cataract surgeries is truly stellar. After the 2^nd one, there was some indication that I might be developing a retinal tear/​detachment and he sprang into action on a Sunday, arranging for an appointment with an outstanding retinal specialist, Dr. Daniel Brinton. Though it turned out not to be a tear/​detachment, I found it heartening that Dr. Brinton was quite impressed with Dr. Dacanay’s skill, saying that the operated-​on eye looked virtually perfect – very quiet, and this is only two days after the surgery. Dr. Dacanay’s dedication just seems apparent everywhere. He’s never hurried, always returns calls and e-​mails (to my dismay, I was quite the exasperating patient but he never let on) and on top of those characteristics, is skilled, talented and interested in what he does. It was great good fortune finding him! Oh, and all the Alta-​Bates and EyeMD staff where the two surgeries were done had wonderful things to say about him.

I have the highest recommendation for Dr. Leo and his Bellevue Eye Center. I came in for a minor issue and was treated quickly, thoroughly, expertly, and gently. Dr. Leo’s ophthalmic expertise is immediately apparent and reassuring, yet he (and the office staff) are down to earth and easy to talk to. I never felt rushed and each of my questions was fielded patiently and informatively. This place feels like the medical care I grew up with 30 or more years ago: doctors who take their time, really listen to the patient, and provide excellent care. It’s also worth mentioning the clean, modern office that’s conveniently located right on the edge of downtown Berkeley. Give them a call!

I have been having a difficult time finding an ophthalmologist in the greater Berkeley area that acted like they cared about my vision. All the eye doctors I’ve seen so far have been primarily interested in getting me in and out with a new set of frames. I want a doctor who can help me take care of my eyes.
I went to Dr. Dacanay for a routine vision check, and he was excellent. He was very friendly, explained what he was doing as he examined my eyes, and was happy to answer all of my questions. He obviously knows what he is doing, and enjoys his work. As a bonus, his staff was very friendly and professional as well.
I highly recommend Dr. Dacanay.

I was referred to Dr. Dacanay after my optometrist identified a scary little bump in my lower eyelid as an object of concern. I was able to see the doctor the same day I called — a Saturday — and was greatly relieved not to need to wait until Monday.
The office was small but with modern equipment and a stylish décor. A snappy dresser, Dr. Dacanay was affable, confident and his manner put me at ease.
Unlike the optometrist I had seen earlier that day, Dr. Dacanay kept up a running commentary letting me know what he was seeing. As he looked over the bump the told me what he was looking for in terms of morphology, vascularization, and relationship to the surrounding tissue. It was not all good news, but I appreciated him talking to me like an adult and not dumbing down the explanations.
The initial diagnosis was not one I’d hoped for — the bump might be dangerous and would have to be biopsied. The process of slicing off the bump was relatively quick. He injected an anesthetic into my lower eyelid until it became numb. The injection was the only pain I felt, and that only lasted a microsecond. He explained every step as he performed and did not leave me guessing what the heck was going on. Afterwards he showed me the speck of tissue floating in a small plastic vial of formaldehyde that would be sent for analysis.
It is worth noting that Dr. Dacanay does not appear to accept any HMO plans. His secretary was kindly enough to offer to submit the insurance claim to my HMO and we’ll see how that goes.
All in all I had a lot of confidence in Dr. Dacanay’s medical expertise and feel very lucky to have been referred to him.

I just finished having outpatient surgery for removal of a growth from my inner eyelid. Dr Dacanay did an excellent job of prepping me for surgery, minimizing pain and dealing with the anxiety I was feeling. The surgery went smoothly and he explained what he was doing every step of the way. I can’t believe I’m typing this an hour after the surgery, but I feel great and the eye looks much better.
He has a great chair side manner, uses electronic medical records and is up to date on the latest technologies and procedures. Plus his wife is the front office person and she was very helpful with the insurance and has a nice reassuring manner.