HOME / The 7 Reasons

1. US-Trained and English-Speaking Certified Physicians

All of our physicians at the Kobe Clinic are certified ophthalmologists in Japan, and many are English speakers who trained in the United States. Many of our physicians also have received extensive training in the Los Angeles, California, offices of Dr. Alan M. Berg, the clinic's technical advisor and a United States Board Certified Ophthalmologist. Dr. Berg has been a pioneer in the field of refractive surgery for the last 20 years, beginning with his work in Radial Keratotomy (RK), and is now a noted specialist in the field of laser vision correction. At the Kobe Clinic, we work closely with Dr. Berg to bring the latest technologies and surgical procedures to Japan as they are introduced by such world-renowned ophthalmologic organizations as the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery (ASCRS). Wake up to a new vision with Kobe Clinic!


2. English Language Brochures

Our doctors and clinical staff here at the Kobe Clinic have heard your requests and we understand your needs as English-speaking residents in a foreign country deciding to undergo LASIK treatment. We are committed to making sure you have the information you need. We invite you to read our English language brochure, which will answer all of your questions and concerns. Request an English brochure.


3. Worldwide Physician Referral Network

IIn the event that you leave Japan, we can utilize our worldwide physician referral network to assist you in locating a physician in your new home for your post-operation appointments. Contact us to locate a physician in your new country.


4. Total Care

The Kobe Clinic is focused on safe vision treatments, but refractive surgery, like any other surgery, is not risk free. Although 94.5% of our patients at Kobe Clinic achieve over 20/20 vision without aids such as glasses or contact lenses after their LASIK surgery, the other 5.5%* may not recover their vision at the level they had hoped for. We are committed to caring for those patients who may fall into this 5.5% category, and for this reason, the Kobe Clinic offers total care services to our patients.
*Out of 5.5%, 3% of patients experience vision regression, which can be treated with an enhancement. 2.5% of patients experience disappointing vision due to post-operative complications.

(a) Post-Operative Care: This includes complimentary multiple post-operative appointments and medications for up to one year after your initial treatment. This program is available only in Japan.
(b) Enhancement: In the event that your vision regresses over time and one of our physicians feels that a touch-up treatment is appropriate for you, we will perform a one-time enhancement at no cost. This program is available only in Japan.
(c) Corneal Implant: LASIK, like many other surgeries, is not risk free, and the worst-case scenario for complication as a result of surgery is a corneal implant. Such risks can be avoided, however, with thorough pre-treatment tests. Here at the Kobe Clinic, we have performed 15,000 LASIK surgeries, and have never had a single corneal implant. If the need arises, however, we are prepared to refer you to a corneal implant specialist. We offer this service to simply provide peace of mind in case of rare complications. This program is available only in Japan.


5. Patient Satisfaction

Because the Kobe Clinic wishes to become your "lifetime partner" for your total vision needs, we work hard to improve and sustain our patients' level of satisfaction. We make sure that all of your questions and concerns are addressed and answered prior to your treatment, as well as after your treatment. Based on our in-house survey, 92% of our patients are "very satisfied/satisfied" with our total procedure, including treatment, pre-operative consultation, and post-operative care. Read testimonials.

Patient Satisfaction


6. Multiple Surgical Types

LASIK is not the only refractive surgery currently available. The Kobe Clinic provides various types of state-of-the-art refractive surgeries to improve the quality of our patients' daily lives. In a short 15 minutes, you can leave your glasses and contact lenses behind. We offer the following refractive treatments:
・LASIK
・PRK
・Epi-LASIK

Prior to your treatment, our physicians and clinical staff will perform thorough tests on your eyes, and will suggest the best possible procedure for you. Kobe Clinic is committed to safety and comfort for each one of our patients.


7. Reliable Facilities and Technologies

At Kobe Clinic we are extremely selective on implementing new technology and system to our clinics. Before brining in new technology, we thoroughly review clinical trial results, safety concerns, implication of complications, etc. LASIK techonology was approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in 1995 in the United States. Since then approximately 1.5 million procedures have been conducted annually in the United States and it is predicted to continue its popularity. In January 2000, Japan's Ministry of Health (now the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) approved refractive surgery by excimer laser, and recognized the safety of the procedure. Approximately 40,000 procedures are performed within Japan every year.



Wavefront Technology:
 At our clinic in Hiroo, Tokyo, we use a technology called OPD-Scan, which is an FDA approved technology that provides patients with a customized laser vision correction. OPD-Scan employs wavefront analysis, a revolutionary technique that allows surgeons to better understand and analyze the patient's idiosyncrasies, which subtly influence the quality of a person's eyesight. These "fingerprints" detected by the wavefront analysis assist surgeons with identifying even the most minute imperfections within the eye, and enable surgeons to provide a customized correction.

Intra LASIK:
 A new refractive technology called Intra LASIK is currently available in the US. This new technology is believed to provide more precise refractive correction for your eyes than LASIK surgery. Because Intra LASIK is still in the early stages of implementation in the ophthalmologic community, physicians around the world have mixed views towards this new technology. This technology is starting to gain in popularity, however, and at Kobe Clinic, we are in the process of reviewing clinical data to determine its efficacy, as well as potential complications.