As an orthopedic surgeon, I depend on my vision. I’ve been dependent on glasses or contacts since I was 10, and they can be a nuisance in the operating room, and a hassle while skiing and windsurfing. My uncorrected vision was so bad that I couldn’t recognize a face from 10 feet away, and if I knocked my glasses off the bedside table I’d have difficulty finding them. I researched vision correction surgery about 10 years ago, but decided that it was too risky. Last fall, however, after I had a corneal ulcer from wearing contacts, I thought about surgical correction again. My other options were bifocals or risking another corneal ulcer. I went to several seminars and talked to several ophthalmologists. When my family physician told me about the excellent results she’d had with LASIK done by Dr. Scott Grealish at Eye Health NW, I went to see him.

During my first visit I had an extremely thorough eye exam, and Dr. Grealish spent a long time explaining every aspect of the procedure, potential problems, and answered all my questions, without ever making me feel rushed or pressured. I felt very comfortable with Dr. Grealish, his abilities as a surgeon, and with my decision to undergo the procedure.

Now, 7 months later, I can say that it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. My vision remains at 20/20, and I’ve even been able to throw away the reading glasses, which was an unexpected bonus. I’ve had absolutely no problems with my eyes. Now I can enjoy windsurfing and skiing without worrying about losing a contact. The best part is that I no longer have to reach for my glasses when I wake up in the morning.

I’m sure there are many excellent surgeons in our area, and I talked with several. But I don’t think anyone could surpass Dr. Grealish in his friendly manner, his thoroughness, and the excellent job he did on my eyes.

Rosalyn Montgomery, M.D.

As an ophthalmologist, I had much at stake in having LASIK done and took two years to research the current state of the procedure. Having decided that the risk-benefit ratio was good for my visual needs and desires, I chose Scott Grealish as the surgeon who I felt could give me the best possible chance for an excellent outcome. I had observed many of his post-operative patients and reviewed his outcomes - clearly he was the detail-oriented, technically-excellent kind of surgeon I was after.

It has been over a year since my surgery. I had both eyes done the same day and by the next day could read 20/20 without glasses. After a week I was reading letters on the 20/10 line in one eye (better than I could see with glasses before) and a slightly blurry 20/20 in the other eye.

Having worn glasses for 29 years, I love being able to read, drive, ski and swim without them. I'll be wearing reading glasses in another 5 or so years, but that is a small price to pay for the joy of my distance vision without glasses for all the activities I enjoy."

J. Kevin McKinney, MD

It has been six months since Dr. Grealish corrected my vision, and I remain astounded by how significantly my quality of life has changed. As a graphic artist, I was apprehensive to make a permanent change to my vision, because it seemed to be working "ok" with glasses. I had no idea what a change I was in for.

My vision is now 20/15 in both eyes. I read without problems, I don't see any night-halos, and I might put in eye drops once every few days - and even that is becoming less and less frequent. The biggest difference, however, is this new articulation of vision that is impossible to describe. Maybe it's the lack of having another lens in front of my eye, but colors seem brighter, objects seem to have more dimension, and my peripheral vision now completes the larger image that glasses left absent. It's much more significant than simple convenience, it's a huge improvement.

The procedure itself seemed less invasive than a dental cleaning. There is no pain. Watching someone else have the surgery before me was far more stressful than my own - which is a testament to Dr. Grealish and his staff's uncanny ability to read concern and quickly replace it with confidence. In my 29 years, I have never had a physician be so patient, trustworthy and thorough.

In fact, during my initial exam – at the first of 3 meetings a patient has with Dr. Grealish before the actual surgery – one of his staff was filling out a Q&A form designed to point out potential conflicts of the surgery with a patient's lifestyle. I mentioned that I boxed, which I thought would be a big deal. She made the small mark in the appropriate box, deep inside the form. I made a mental note to be sure and ask the doctor how that will effect me, because I figured there was no way he would see that little note buried among so many other standard answers. I was wrong. It was one of the first things he addressed. His attention to every tiny detail in that initial consultation is a reflection of the genuine care and integrity that Dr. Grealish demands of himself and his staff through every step of the process.

Dr. Grealish has done more than improve my vision – he has improved my quality of life.

Patrick Sheehan

I wanted to let you know what a positive experience the corrective laser surgery was for me. All around, I thought it was handled professionally and with a lot of skill.

First of all, the staff at the Laser Center was professional, yet kind and caring. They did everything that they could to calm my nerves and make it a relaxed environment. They explained every step of the procedure so that I knew exactly what to expect and also reported progress along the way. I couldn’t believe how fast it was.

The technicians that did the follow up care and interviews were also good. They were patient and very knowledgeable. They answered all my questions without appearing too busy or hurried. Dr. Grealish was also very impressive. It was helpful that he had been through the surgery himself. I felt that he was able to explain the procedure very thoroughly. He is one of the few physicians I’ve met who listens and waits for a patient to ask questions.

Other than some residual dryness in my eyes, which was predicted before surgery, I feel the procedure was a great success

Thank you for the great care

Valerie E Vanderford

I wanted to write a note about my experience with Eye Health Northwest on my vision correction.

I had Laser Vision Correction done by Dr. Scott Grealish. Prior to having it done I had gone in to the clinic for new contacts; the contact lens technician talked to me about laser vision and said that I would be a good candidate and if I was interested I should set up an appointment. After meeting Dr. Grealish and his staff, I was sure that this was what I wanted; having worn contact for many years I was tired of having blurred vision for one reason or another. Everything seemed to affect my contacts including pollen in the air.

My Experience with the staff was great; they were very informative and professional. I could tell right away that with Dr. Grealish you weren’t just another patient. He always took the time to discuss and answer any questions that I had. They made the procedure very comfortable and worry free. It was amazing to wake up the next morning without my contacts and be able to see and be driving by the following day. As time passed my vision changed, mostly getting better. Everything seemed to happen just as I had been told.

I would, and have highly recommend Dr. Scott Grealish and his staff for anyone who is looking into laser vision correction. The follow-up is fantastic and means a lot that they take the time over and over to re-check your eyes and see what progress has been.

Thank you for giving me my contact/glasses free vision again. It is money well spent!!! Thank you also for treating me like a person and not just another number, it is very easy to tell you and your staff care about your patients.

Tami Latham

I cannot say enough about my experience at Eye Health Northwest. At nearly 53, I have been a client for 12 years. I started out with reading glasses but also developed farsightedness. Over time my reliance on glasses increases until I needed to wear them almost constantly.

As a fire investigator, the environment made it difficult to work with glasses. I also needed my glasses for driving and even around home it was impossible to watch TV without them.

Then during my last routine appointment, Dr. Meier told me I was a possible candidate for Lasik surgery. An appointment was set up with Dr. Grealish and my eyes and expectations were both evaluated. Dr. Grealish carefully explained the procedure and answered all my questions.

When I arrived at the Laser Center, the procedure was again explained to me in a step by step fashion describing not only what would happen but experiences I would hear and feel. I was so comfortable with Dr. Grealish and his staff that I had virtually no anxieties going into the procedure. Both eyes were done in 30 minutes and I felt no pain either during or after the procedure.

My vision is now 20/20 or better and I am truly amazed at the difference. I was even pleasantly surprised to find that I was able to read reports, newspaper articles and books without even reading glasses as long as there is proper lighting. No more misplaced glasses, fogged lenses or worries about going out into the rain and my night vision is excellent.

I have recommended Dr Grealish to several fire fighters and friends and would do so for anyone considering lasik surgery or any eye care needs.

Jerry Butler

I want to thank you for my new eyes! How wonderful it is to wake up and be able to see everything-and it does make a difference on the basketball court.

I’m very thankful we chose you. You did a fantastic job and I really felt safe with you “at the wheel”.

So, thank you again for making it all so clear. I mean hey, it’s not every day you get a new pair of eyes!

Jessica Richter