I had my first cataract surgery last week. The pre-op appts went smoothly and everything was so professional. My surgery took a total of 15 minutes. I had opted to correct my astigmatism, so i have the Intraocular lens inserted vs. the regular lens. I was blown away with the fact that the new after care process does not include ANY DROPS! It is DROPLESS....this is a huge deal. Everyone I know who has had cataract surgery kept telling me the worse part is remembering to constantly take the drops on a regular basis several times - day and night. If you didn't, you could have big issues with the healing process. I have not had to use any drops other than when I need to "wash out" my eyes. I wear an eye guard when I go to bed, but that's it! I couldn't be happier with the experience. Kudos to the NW Vision Insitute team! read more

We've been very happy with the service and kindness we've experienced here for my father in law. The staff is very accommodating and go above and beyond. Special thanks to Melani for all the personalized help we've received. read more

I have been coming here since my old optometrist stopped taking my vision insurance. The staff is always quick and efficient in answering questions and getting you checked in. The staff goes out of the way to make ever visit the best. I have called up to try different contacts and they have let me try different lenses for over a month before purchasing, that is customer service. Dr Kitamura has taken care of me for the last 8 years. She is the best, very good at performing exams and maintaining eye health. It may be difficult to get on her schedule but she is worth the wait. I have made another friend here, Kimberly, she has made every silly request I have made an accomplishment and she never fails. The billing department is also very efficient and accommodating. They used to have a location in Kirkland which is close to home but now I travel a short distance to Bellevue. They office there is bright, clean and comfortable. read more

zero stars if I could rate it that low. Came in for a follow up after an eye trauma. Was told my appointment wasn't a follow up but a full comprehensive exam with dilation (I would have scheduled it differently had I known that). Get into the room at 1:15 as scheduled. They test my eye pressures. Was told the doctor would be right in. When the doctor wasn't there at 2:30, I walked out because I had other appointments to attend. I was still charged a copay. What did I pay for? read more

This review is for the support staff. The lack of accuracy and care is very concerning. Fortunately, I have had several eye surgeries and no error was made. But some of the techs during my last visit makes me nervous. The tech who did the eye exam wrote incorrect notes to the doctor and left out crucial information..like what eye was bothering me. Then the tech who worked with Dr. Gilbert (senior) did not send my prescription to the pharmacy. The pharmacy had no record of it. The tech also did not give me a pamphlet for an optional procedure. No one answers the phone at the office. I left messages and called 6x in one day before reaching someone. I have been without my prescription for 3 days. Super pissed. read more

After years of coming to NW Vision Insitute I've decided to part ways. They've updated their website and no longer use ZocDoc to make appointments so I called, left a message, emailed both the appointment desk and the patient portal help (they've since created a patient portal with no notification) and ONE WEEK later, I get a link to create a patient portal (no personal email response back, no voicemail). I've had glasses since I was very young so I know the importance of good eye health. I don't want to be with a provider that doesn't have time for you or be hard to reach if I need something. Byeeeee! read more

Nice office in Kirkland. I go to this place last several years because of machine they have so that my pupils won't be dilated for cataract check up. Staff is friendly and not rushed. If you need simple monitoring of your vision, I highly recommend this clinic. read more

Fantastic care. Always a great experience at my yearly visit. Dr Gilbert is outstanding! He performed my cataract surgery and I was extremely happy. I recommend HIGHLY. Great front office staff and the Opthalmic assistants are excellent. read more

Saw one of the DOs my daughter recommended. Got terrific attentioln, good information, a thorough review of my eyes and more. Better than the best of Costco, better than Issaquah vision, better than others unnamed. They are busy, so parking is an issue. But they're worth it. read more

Last spring I was told I had a Cataract issue with my right eye. I requested that I delay the procedure until after a full hip replacement. Soon after my hip, I followed up - not once, not twice, but three times to schedule my Cataract surgery. Crickets from the office after over a month of calls. What kind of an eye care business does this? I'm off to find a quality office now. read more

Northwest Vision failed to inform me about the out-of-pocket expenses for one of my annual regular eye exam and It is called IMG OPTIC NERVE. I even confirmed with the receptionist, who assured me that I had no payment due on that day. However, a month later, they sent a bill indicating an outstanding balance that I need to settle. When I called them to seek clarification, the manager of the billing department had a terrible attitude. She spoke rapidly and didn't allow me to express my concerns. I had a conversation with Dr. Jing Wickenbury later on，and she acknowledged that they hadn't informed me about the out-of-pocket expenses beforehand. Despite not even knowing if I had the typical IMG OPTIC NERVE exam, I was compelled to pay the bill. In any case, this may not be the ideal vision facility you want to choose, as hidden bills seem to be a common occurrence here. Be Cautious !！ read more

Firstly, I would encourage everyone to look at the other reviews, including the Kirkland branch. This place has a bad reputation on the Eastside, especially for their billing practices. I had a terrible experience here with their billing department. There is 0 transparency when it comes to what you're being charged for. Did I get an itemized bill at the end of the visit? NO. Did anyone tell me what exact services I was being charged during the visit? NO. The staff member that spoke with me in response to my complaint made me feel like it was MY responsibility to know what THEY were charging me without ever having notified me of my charges to begin with. Her tone was extremely dismissive and her attitude, downright arrogant. And to be completely frank, I probably wouldn't have written this review had she just shown the slightest bit of human compassion to seeing another person being surprised with an unexpected cost. Instead she made it seem like I was in the wrong and quoted Washington law to support their claims. Does Washington law make it illegal for you to inform your customers what you're charging them? If what happened to me is common of their billing practices, my guess is that she has dealt with complains like these enough times that she is numb to your troubles. I came here for my annual exam as I wear contacts and I have vision insurance. I paid my copay and had my exam done. Everything was fine until I saw that they had charged my insurance for extra charges I was not made aware of. I have had eye exams before and it was always just one charge for the exam, including the contact lenses. These extra charges ate into my funds for purchasing actual contacts and glasses. I told them FROM THE START that I had just moved here from out of state and needed to update my contact lens prescriptions. I provided them with my insurance information which they verified and then proceeded to do the exam, never really delineating which service was which throughout the entire process. Should I have kept asking the staff every 5 minutes throughout the entire visit "Is this going to cost me extra?". According to this place, that is what you need to be doing because they reserve the right to bill you whatever they see fit without notifying you in advance. Even a dentist will tell you exactly what you're getting and how much it costs before doing the procedure. Apparently, those standards don't apply here. Patients deserve transparency. If you're not getting it, you have to ask yourself why. Is it because of NEGLIGENCE or GREED? Either way, it's not a good look. 1-800-contacts has an online app that spits out a contact lens prescription for you in a minute for about $5. If you have a stable prescription, I highly suggest you go with that. Additionally, their scheduling isn't the best either. Booked them on zocdoc and had them call me to say that their schedule on it isn't up to date and I had to reschedule. And then when I got there, the preset appointment time was delayed by 30 mins. read more

Northwest Vision Institute - Went for one exam to get contact lenses and was charged for 3 different things without my knowledge or consent. - Ophthalmologists Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

From Dr. Wickenburg who is very professional plus her assistant Alex , the receptionists Sumeiya & Kayla were all great! read more

I scheduled an appointment a week in advance for an eye exam with Dr. Gilbert. The office was very flexible with me when I called the day of the appointment to reschedule, which was much appreciated. The receptionist was very nice upon arrival, and I only had to wait 10 minutes to be taken back for the first part of the checkup. If you're not keen on having your eyes dilated, they offer this test where you look into something and there's a bright flash so they can look at your eyes that way. This test is not included in your copay (if you have one), and is about $47. I decided to just get my eyes dilated. After getting your eyes dilated, you are taken to another waiting area. It takes about 20 minutes for the dilation to kick in. Once it occurred, I was taken to another room to be seen by Dr. Gilbert. He seemed incredibly intelligent and spoke very eloquently. He asked me several times if I had any questions, but I wasn't prepared enough, so I ended up with a very short visit with him. He gave me a prescription for glasses, and the woman I worked with in the glasses center was very helpful. I've never worn glasses before, so she helped me find frames that fit my face, were stylish, and gave me different pricing options based on my insurance. I was told it would take a week and a half for my glasses to be ready, and it only took a little under a week. Great experience! read more

Northwest Vision Institute - Nice waiting room with an informative eye video playing - Ophthalmologists Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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I personally feel Dr.Gilbert Sr. Is the finest Opthamologist in the state of Washington. The odds of things going wrong are so minute they are hard to measure but things do happen. I started out with good vision 20/30 but cloudy from Cataracts. Prime candidates for lens replacement. I had both eyes done end of July 1st of August. Right eye works pretty good. Left eye was blind from a cloud for 6 weeks but Dr Gilbert was able to clear it so I could use it. So 6 months later my vision is 20/30 But so far i cant see my phone. 3 eye exams, 3 prescriptions 3 pairs of glasses $$$$ . Halos at night so bad I cant drive. Every pair of new glasses gave me good vision for 4-5 days then they change. Things happen. Nothing is ever 100%. Think long and hard about messing with your eyes. read more

Nice facility and nice people, but beware of being oversold.

Northwest Vision has been my eye care provider for many years and it was finally time to talk cataract surgery. Dr Gilbert and his staff listened to my concerns and questions providing clear guidance. They worked great as a team every step of the way. Just had my second eye done yesterday and able to do the NYT puzzle without glasses this afternoon! read more

Constant cancelations and rescheduling due to their own scheduling mistakes. A single eye exam was rescheduled three times and dragged out over a month because they continuously rebooked with a doctor that wasn't in the required field. Repeated errors and issues communicating with staff, who seemed to rather chat amongst themselves than actually do their job. Upon entering, staff looked wide-eyed and unresponsive, feeling as if it was wrong to have an appointment. Not comfortable. No accountability and no real assistance. Appointment with the doctor ended abruptly & unclearly. The man in the glasses department was very kind and the only communicative person there. I hadn't been in recently, but after my visit today I won't be returning after many years there. read more

I just left my appointment after seeing Dr. Gilbert and am beyond happy. Covid check in was smooth and easy. That aside, I have been to 4 ophthalmologists recently for foreign bodies in my eyes (tarantula hairs) all of which had never encountered this and were completely honest about being unsure about how to proceed. Here, Dr. Gilbert did by far the most thorough exams on both of my eyes spotted another unseen hair, and also has previous experience with this abnormal issue that nobody else yet has, and was able to come up with a monitoring plan from here on out without leaving me completely freaked out. We addressed other eye issues that were very well explained, and they used very high quality photos of my eye to show while talking about different things. The appointment was quick, smooth, and I haven't trusted any other ophthalmologist as much as him! Thank you guys again! read more

I don't know why all the bad reviews...they might run a little behind but what doctor's office doesn't??? They do their best and if another patient needs their attention I would prefer a doctor who takes the time than is too busy to care. I'm sorry others had a bad experience but this is the 2nd time I have been to this clinic and I would definitely recommend them. The staff is friendly and do their best to let you know what's going on. I love Dr. Gilbert and his staff. read more

Dr. Michael Gilbert is quite a magician! I am so pleased with the cataract surgery he performed on my eyes in February. My vision is back to 20/20 and now I can restore the font size on my computer monitor to normal non-magnified size, comfortably read my mobile with no reading glasses and drive at night with very clear vision. I do see sporadic brighter circles around some upcoming car headlights, but it is actually pleasant rather than annoying. read more

Big fancy expensive eye doctors office and the employees are quite nice! The challenge is they've taken too many patients and/or double book themselves. They made me wait 45 minutes past our scheduled time. Now what would have happened if I was 45 min late to my appointment? They would have cancelled it and charged me $150 fee! So why doesn't the respect for time flow both ways? It should be mutual. read more

I had cataract surgery and everything went perfectly. My problem is with the follow up appointments. The office staff is great and eye techs are very good. Problem is with doctor. After the exam, the patient is shown to a small waiting room to await the doctor review. This small room can accommodate 5-7 people pre COVID. Every time I go, the room is full and you wait at least 30 minutes to see Dr. Gilbert. When you do see him, his bedside manner is, to say the least, missing. Yesterday, I found a chair in the hallway away from the packed waiting room (where was COVID protection). In any event, waited 30 minutes and was told had to wait an additional 15 minutes. Needless to say, I left. Do yourself a favor, get the surgery but find someplace else for followup. Kirkland location is great!!!! read more

They are trying to charge my insurance for a contact lens fitting session that I never had. I asked them multiple times to correct my bill and send the updated bill to my insurance before I pay the outstanding balance for my annual eye exam. After 3 months, they haven't updated my bill and keep calling me about the outstanding balance. Avoid this shady practice at any cost. read more

Dr. Chippi is relatively new to the area and seems to be very thorough and knowledgeable. I have a lot of confidence in her advice and professional skill. She helped me get over an eye infection and also did a routine exam for a new prescription for glasses. I highly recommend her. read more

I have had severe poor vision my whole life. I know people say they can't see but I'm with that group of contact wearers that are -9.0 -- I have astigmatism, severe dry eye, watching for glaucoma, cataracts etc. and I'm on the younger side Every year I just continue the contact lens trek because I can't wear any glasses without getting seasick. I have been going to Dr. Gilbert for over twenty (20) years. This year suddenly my vision worsened and just felt very debilitated. I went to Dr. Gilbert and we made a plan. I just finished 3 weeks of cataract surgery prep/surgery - and with my rx it is not pretty. I can't just put on glasses and prep. Dr. Gilbert and his incredible team made the experience INCREDIBLE. I don't even have enough kind words and gratefulness that for once in my life I now have 20/20 vision. Honestly, its a mixture of miracles/modern medicine and a super experienced doctor. Everyone on their team and their bedside manner is on point. I am incredibly stressed for procedures and they made the process as easy as possible. Their prep nurse team also made both surgeries not only bearable but comfortable and professional. I am a worrywart and have to tell you there is only one eye doctor that I would ever trust with my eyes. If you need any type of eye procedure of exam - NW Vision is incredible. Oh and by the way - you do one eye and then a week later the next - and both times close to 8pm Dr Gilbert called to check on how I was doing after surgery. Seriously, you can't get a better eye doctor in this area. read more

I was referred to see Dr. Gilbert 10 yrs ago after seeing many other Doctors that were not able to correct my extremely poor vision. After few visits with Dr. Gilbert, I have a wish that one day Dr. Gilbert can help me see better. I had my 2nd cataract surgery couple weeks ago and I have never see this clear all my life. Everything is so beautiful, lively, and clear. I am so grateful and happy with my new vision that Dr. G has done for me. It is so true that Dr. Gilbert is the best in the business and I absolutely agreed with that statement. After all, he made my wish came true. I know many patients out there would agree with me. Additionally, the entire staff is so cheerful, accommodating, courteous and mostly importantly very knowledge & professional. Thank you so much, Dr. Gilbert and staff. Truthfully Yours, Nancy N. read more

They are now trying to charge me for contacts I never ordered!!! This is called medical fraud. read more

I go to the optometrist like once every four years just to make sure my vision is still in good shape. Booked online which was super easy, showed up and just had to sign a few things, and was in and out. Jing Wickenburg is nice, funny, and gave me some tips on when to worry about eye injuries caused by sports. They have a cool machine that takes pictures of your eye so you don't have to be dilated which was excellent and worth the $40 (my insurance doesn't pay for it). read more

Have been a long time patient, and over the last 10 years, three doctors left this clinic. The owner is hardly available and he is busy operating while the other two ODs keep churning. There was a really nice doc who left recently, and I thought it was worth sticking around because he was so nice and caring. The new replacement, a lady, is awful and seems to be more interested in getting you out the door as quickly as possible, than patient-care. Once, she picked up a contact that fell down and told me it is ok to use it! Last year, an assistant told me how I can't be careful enough to make sure I have washed thoroughly before touching contacts! There is almost always a minimum of 15-30 minute wait! They seem to rest on their laurels and many people like me don't like changing doctors frequently. I am disappointed but need to find some alternative. read more

I went to see Dr. Michael J. Gilbert, after two other eye doctors did not find anything wrong. I was having blurred vision in one eye. The entire staff was so warm, engaging, thoughtful and went the extra mile for me. Once I saw the doctor, he took extra care to do all in his power to get to the bottom of my issue. He was not sure what he was seeing, but instead of blowing me off, he referred me to a Doctor in Seattle which could perform an eye ultrasound. Because of his tenacity, they quickly were able to diagnose a scary and often fatal eye disease. I will be having surgery and will have a very good chance of beating this because of Dr. Michael's caring and thorough examination. Today, his assistant called to follow up and send me good wishes. These are the people you want in your corner when the chips are down! I recommend them wholeheartedly and would give 10 stars if I could. Dump your optometrist and run here! read more

My primary care doctor recommended I go here, and it's close to where I work, and in network, so I scheduled an appointment. I needed a diabetic check up, and hadn't had my vision tested for a while so I thought I'd do that at the same time. Got a new prescription. Everything seemed fine. They scheduled me for another appointment a few weeks later (for tests that I thought had already been done), all the confirmation txts said check in at 2:45. At 2:14 I got voicemail saying I was late for my 2 pm appointment and I would have to be rescheduled. Nowhere did it say that I was meant to be there at 2pm. When I called back to ask if I could come anyway, the person that answered the phone pretty much hung up on me. Seemed nice at first, but maybe they made a scheduling error and were trying to pass the blame onto me. Five stars for the first visit. Three removed for my experience today. read more

The facility and doctors are fine. However, their billing department is the worst. They are completely incapable of handling billing the insurance companies in right order when you have a primary and secondary insurance. I have been visiting this facility for past 6 years have got this wrong every single time. read more

I was really excited to see Dr. Gilbert after reading all these great reviews about his qualifications with general eye care and LASIK surgery. Contrary to other reviews you might find about his bedside manner, I actually thought he was pretty personable and fairly easy to talk to. Unfortunately, I will not be going back to Northwest Vision Institute because of the terrible experience I had outside of my time with Dr. Gilbert. I have a low level of trust and confidence in the support staff and I think the time spent waiting to get called back is ridiculous. This 1-star rating is not for the doctor, but for my overall experience with everything else. Appointment Scheduling I called to make an appointment at 3:30 weeks in advance. My reminder call from the staff indicated my appointment was at 3:45. I called them back and asked them to re-confirm my appointment time. Apparently, my appointment was back to 3:30. The day of my appointment, the staff called to ask if I could come in at 3. I could not, so they said, "Well, see you at 3:45 then." Excuse me? You mean 3:30? Oh yeah, right. I was slightly annoyed, but crossing my fingers that this wasn't a bad sign and that everything would be okay at the actual appointment... Appointment Arrival I got to the clinic at 3:30. Another guy arrived at the same time with a 3:30 appointment too. Hmm... I didn't get called back till 4 by the technician. Exam by Technician I was asked why I was seeing the doctor today. I said I'm here for a routine eye exam and a LASIK consultation. The lady proceeded to tell me that the person who explains the LASIK procedure already went home. I started to get really annoyed at this point. I called weeks ago to schedule an appointment with these two purposes in mind and now I left work early and just waited 30 minutes to only get one goal accomplished?! I was told "not to get worked up" (very rude of her) and that they would figure something out. The solution was that some lady was going to talk to me later on in my appointment...except that didn't happen because the doctor ended up saying he couldn't tell me today if I was a LASIK candidate and it was past closing time by the time I was done. I guess the actual exam itself was fine, but I thought the technician acted unprofessional at times. I was told a story about a "really gross" patient that she saw the other day. Really? Are you going to talk about me behind my back to other patients too? Waiting Time Again After the exam, I was dropped off in another waiting area that had 4 other people already waiting. This wait time was to see the actual doctor. By this time, it was 4:40 and 20 minutes till closing time. Again, my confidence in the quality care of the clinic dipped even lower and my distrust/skepticism of the clinic processes and staff was rising. One by one, people got called back. I finally got called back at 5:05 and there was one guy left in the waiting area. Exam with Doctor The exam was fine, but at this point, when the doctor suggested I needed a few more follow-up appointments to determine if I was a LASIK candidate due to a variety of factors, I was a tad suspicious if I really needed those appointments (since I've had LASIK consultations in the past) or if I was being scammed for money. Basically, I just wanted to go home and never endure this again... :( read more

Actually, since the last time I vIsited they appear to have 1) Replaced the glass sculpture with large mineral or gem specimens, which I find less pretentious and more visually interesting; and 2) Started taking secondary insurance. :D I really liked Bill Kilgore, the contact lens specialist. He was quick, didn't doubt what I was telling him, and sent me off with a trial pair and his contact info. read more

Why the bad reviews? Yes, sometimes they run late. If you have eye surgery and have a concern in the first few days that needs immediate care, you will get it. That means that the regular appointments that day will have to -- you guessed it -- wait a little bit. I am patient about these minor delays after two cornea transplants that each required a few quick after-care visits. And I have awesome vision, over 14 years after my first cornea transplant! I could not be more grateful. The front office staff is busy and can be curt. They'll be gone again in a year or two; there's staff turnover. Don't let it get to you. A few of the folks doing refraction are younger/newer; if you know your eyes are tricky, then you should bluntly ask for a senior technician. Once you do, you'll be in the best of hands... not saying that the newer/younger folks are not qualified, because they are, but sometimes you need the long-term btdt experienced person. Dr. Gilbert is second to none. I would put up with torture (almost) to see him (but would then write a one or two-star review LOL). His expertise is in very high demand and that's why things are set up the way they are. read more

Made an appointment with Dr. Gilbert specifically for a glaucoma evaluation. He was abrupt, seemed preoccupied and spent most of the time dictating to the assistant about the retina scans/findings. I had to ask what the eye pressures were. I found him to be somewhat arrogant and impersonal. He did not really discuss the exam, but suggested further testing to make a definitive diagnosis. I stated that I was here for a specific determination of glaucoma. He referenced insurance paying for testing and evidently was asking if I wanted to proceed. (Another appointment). He seemed more concerned about cataract surgery and my visual acuity for driving. ( Have been aware of cataracts for years and visual acuity for driving is not an issue). This was a very unsatisfactory visit and I will not be returning. I did not really feel respected as a patient or a person. read more

OUTSTANDING!! If you need eye care, NW Vision Institute is the perfect place for you. I have been a patient here for several years. I've had routine eye exams, purchased glasses and recently had cataract surgery. Dr Michael Gilbert is the best in his field! He is a brilliant surgeon, kind and comforting. I knew I was in good hands. He even took the time to call me himself after surgery to see how I was doing. The staff at NW is awesome! They work as a team to give the best customer service and patient care. Everyone has been kind and helpful. The center itself is always bright and clean. Optical services are top notch. I highly recommend this practice. You will experience excellent, quality care. Make your next eye care appointment at NW Vision. You'll be glad you did! read more

I had Cataract surgery two month ago on both eyes. All went well and Dr. Gilbert and his staff worked like a clock! They worked diligently in a timely and professional manner that impressed both my wife and I. Thank you much, Ali Shasti, PE, MSCE read more

I thought this was a good place, having had a long history with them and preexisting prescriptions and orders. I just learned after being miserable with two expensive pairs of glasses, that they did not put in an essential portion of my prescription, which amounts to malpractice for me. The doctors failed to write the prescription correctly, the optician used the information to do the glasses, and I had horrible dizziness, headaches, irritability every time I wore these glasses, only to learn that when I went to a new place two years later, the prescription was not written or made with the essential prism in the glasses. MALPRACTICE and terrible negligence. I never write reviews, so the fact I am here, this is egregious. read more