HOME / What is LASIK?
| Mr. James Barringer, businessman （LASIK） |
|
| DATA |
R |
L |
| Pre-Op |
0.05
(20/400) |
0.05
(20/400) |
| Post-Op |
1.0
(20/20) |
1.2
(20/18) |
|
|
Q. Please tell us why/how you decided to have LASIK |
|
| A. After more than 30 years of
wearing glasses and close to 20 years of never quite being satisfied
with contact lenses, the possibility of being able to see simply
by opening my eyes was far too enticing to resist. And as someone
who likes to play all manner of sports, the idea of finally
ridding myself of the hassles and performance limitations of
glasses and contacts was very exciting. |
| Q. Please
tell us why do you decided to have LASIK done at the Kobe Clinic. |
|
| A. Three years ago I was examined
for LASIK at a clinic in the US, but because of timing issues
was unable to have the surgery. I continued to be interested
in LASIK, but was hesitant to explore it in Japan, mainly because
of concerns about communicating clearly with the medical staff.
I had an examination at another clinic in Tokyo, and then a
friend recommended the Kobe Clinic, where the friend said several
English speakers and an excellent translator were on staff.
I went to the Kobe Clinic, and was indeed able to communicate
with several of the staff in English. The Clinic seemed both
professional and friendly, and I was very reassured by what
Dr. Sawai had to say about my eyes and the LASIK procedure.
Finally, the diagnosis and recommendation at the Kobe Clinic
matched what I had heard at the other two clinics where I had
been examined, so I was quite reassured that the correct decisions
regarding my vision would be made. |
| Q. Experience on the day of the operation |
|
A. The surgery itself was very
quick; it felt as though Dr. Sawai was working on each eye for
only 4 or 5 minutes. I did feel a fair bit of anxiety, of course,
and fought a bit of a mental battle to remain relaxed. The clinic
staff were very positive and friendly as they prepared me for
the surgery, which certainly helped. The surgery itself was
not painful, although there were a few moments of discomfort
as the vacuum apparatus that immobilizes the eye was put in
place. During most of the procedure, I could see just darkness
and a red blinking light through the eye being operated on.
Dr. Sawai was very reassuring and explained throughout the brief
procedure what he was doing and why?and in English!
Afterwards the staff led me to a comfortable reclining chair
in a darkened recovery room, where I rested for about 40 minutes
or so. Shortly thereafter, in possession of several different
types of eye drop and a page of clear instructions, I was ready
to return home. |
| Q. Please
tell us how LASIK improved your quality of life. |
|
A. Having LASIK has been transformative,
although the transformation has come steadily over time rather
than in an immediate flash of magic. My vision was indeed better
from the next morning, and I was able to return to my office
on the Monday following the Friday surgery and work at a computer
all day without corrective lenses. However, one eye required
the use of a non-prescription contact lens for about a week
to help the eye heal, and the vision in that eye was frequently
blurry while the lens was in place.
Through the first few weeks post-surgery, the situation was
much like wearing contact lenses, in that when the eyes were
well lubricated the vision was excellent, but they often became
somewhat dry?particularly inside an office environment?leading
to blurry vision. However, even at this stage, the vision was
excellent out-of-doors, and without the many troublesome aspects
of glasses and contacts. With eyedrops this dryness and blurry
vision has been improving steadily, and now, about 5 weeks after
the surgery, my vision is very clear almost all of the time.
It is a delight to play sports, go out socially, comfort my
crying baby in the middle of the night, and even shop for non-prescription
sunglasses (!), all without having to fuss with glasses and
contact lenses. The sense of freedom is energizing and fantastic!
I am very glad that I had the surgery, and I’m looking forward
to a lifetime of hassle-free vision. |
