HOME > THE PATIENT'S NOTE:BEFORE YOUR SURGERY
- * If you scheduled your surgery date beyond the period of 3 months from the date of your LASIK eligibility exam, you must take another eye exam before surgery to ensure the condition of your eyes and to check for any possible vision changes. Please note that your eye exam data will expire in 3 months.
- * Your pupils will be dilated for the ocular fundus (the eye ground) exam. Your eyes will be highly light sensitive for up to 3 to 4 hours after the exam. Driving is not recommended. Please take public transportation to visit our clinic on your exam day.
- * If you have strong deformations or scars on the cornea caused by wearing contact lenses, you may have to go through an additional eye exam to obtain the precise data of the condition of your eyes.
- * Please refrain from wearing your contact lenses prior to the eye exam: For Soft Contact Lens wearers: Please refrain from wearing your contact lenses for 1 week prior to the exam. Hard Contact Lens wearers and those who wear Soft Contact Lens for Astigmatism, please refrain from wearing your contact lenses for 2 weeks prior to the exam.
- * The course of the LASIK eye exam usually takes about 2 hours including the physician’s consultation. Please plan ahead to allow enough clinic visit time when you make an appointment with us.
For those who may fall under one or more of these following conditions may not be eligible for LASIK procedures:
If you have any questions concerning the ineligibility factors listed above, please do not hesitate to contact us by calling our Customer Care Center and/or by sending us an E-mail with the Inquiry Form. Our expert counselor will respond to you within 24 hours.
Please fill out the patient chart along with the questionnaires regarding your eye conditions, contact lens and glasses usage, health history, and any prescription drugs you are currently taking.
The following outlines the course of the eye exams to determine and diagnose whether you are an eligible candidate for LASIK and to which surgery procedure would be the best for your vision correction. The actual exam procedures should take about 30 minutes. .
- Corneal Topography: A picture of your cornea condition will enable us to check for any contact lens related deformations, and to see if you have keratoconas, etc.
- Corneal Endothelial Cell Counts.
- Refactometer :
（The device to measure the scale of your myopia, astigmatism and/or hyperopia vision.） - Keratometery to measure your cornea radius and curvature.
- Tonometer to check your intraocular pressure (The device to measure the tension of your eye)
- Visual acuity test (near and far distance)
- Dominant Eye Check
- WaveScan to measure the high aberration. The device to measure the finest distortion and the out of focus degrees.
- Pupillometer to measure your pupil radius.
* The exam procedures from this point forward requires that part of the medical instruments and equipment may touch the surface of your eyes. Numbing eye drops will be applied to your eyes in order to ease some discomfort that may be caused during these exams. - Measure Cornea Thickness.（using ultrasound.）
For the ocular fundus exam (to check the eye ground, retina, etc.) and the visual acuity test without your own accommodative ability of your eyes, the eye drops will be applied to dilate (to enlarge the pupil) your eyes.
While waiting for your eyes to fully dilate, (about 15 to 30 minutes), our LASIK Counselor will explain the surgery procedures in detail. The following are the topics covered during counseling:
- The functions and mechanism of your eyes.
(What is Myopia, Astigmatism, Hyperopia and Presbyopia, etc.) - The theory of treatment procedures for Myopia, Astigmatism, Hyperopia.
(How the refractive errors can be corrected by which surgery procedures, etc.) - The surgery procedures
- Possibility of surgery complications and its treatments.
- Contraindications for surgery. (the precautions before surgery, etc.)
* We at Kobe Clinic believe that counseling and consultations are a very important part of our patient care. We want to resolve your anxiety and answer all questions before surgery. Please do not hesitate to ask questions and discuss any concerns with your counselor. Our expert counselor will answer each of your questions.
We will check your refraction without the accommodative ability of your own eyes.
The following exams and consultations are conducted by physicians: Please ask any questions you would like to ask the doctor and/or questions you may have forgotten to ask during the counseling.
- Ocular fundus exam (to check the eye ground, retina, etc.)
- Detailed explanation regarding your surgery procedures by physician.
(The expected result of your surgery, complications may occur during the procedures, etc.) - The eligibility of the surgery.
For your own health and quicker recovery, please follow the physician’s instructions after surgery. The prescription drugs we provide must be taken or applied as instructed, without fail. Do not reduce the dosage or over dose on your own judgment. If you stop taking medications before our physician tells you to do so, it may cause complications and the expected vision correction may not be achieved.
For the period of 1 week after the surgery, please wear sunglasses/protective eye glasses to protect your eyes from dust and/or unexpected debris when you go outside. We also provide eye patches to wear while you sleep. Please wear them for a period of 1 week after surgery in order to protect your eyes from unconscious rubbing and to avoid possible pressure to the eye. It is also there to protect your eyes from being accidentally hit or poked.
* The protective glasses have a designed frame with clear lenses that include a UV block coating. They are not like these safety goggle type which can instantly identify you as someone who has had eye surgery.
You may start exercising lightly or jogging after 1 week post surgery, however, please wait at least 1 month to do strenuous exercises or contact sport activities which may increase the possibility of getting hit or bumped around your eyes.( ie: Wrestling, Boxing, Ball games and Swimming, etc.)
Do not apply makeup or lotions to your face until the post-operative check up. If our physician finds no problems to your eye condition, you may resume applying makeup. However, please do not use it around your eyes and on your eye lids.
- ※ Please do not use eye makeup products such as eye shadows, eye liners and mascaras, etc. for 1 week after surgery.
Returning to work the following day depends upon your occupation and/or the work environment. However, please be careful and try not to over exert your eyes for 1 week or so.
You may start driving as soon as your vision has recovered. However, please take extra caution especially when you drive at night. As for the Japanese Driver’s License, the description regarding the restriction: “corrective lens, etc.” should be lifted. Please make necessary renewal changes to update your drivers license as soon as your vision has recovered.
The post-operative check-ups are scheduled in order to check on the progress of your vision recovery. We closely monitor your flap condition and healing process for any early signs of complications . These scheduled post-operative check-ups are essential to keep your eyes healthy for the rest of your life. Please come to each check-up as scheduled. If you feel any sudden vision changes or have concerns about your eyes, we recommend you to come in sooner than the scheduled check-up dates.
Since eye drops are applied, you will not feel any pain during the procedure, but you may feel your eyes are sensitive to bright lights and/or teary after the surgery. We will make sure you have enough rest and have our physician check your eyes before you are released to go home.
The following day check-up is very important to check the healing process of your cornea and vision recovery. You are required to come in for this check-up and physician’s consultation the following day of your surgery. Some discomfort from the eye drops may occur, however, it should subside by the next morning.
- *The next day check-up may take about 30 minutes.
(Please be advised that it may take longer than the 30 minutes when the clinic is crowded.)
It takes about a week for your eyes to heal and the condition of your cornea to stabilize. Please be careful and try not to over exert your eyes as much as possible. However, you may go on with your life as usual after the surgery.
In general, your eyes are completely healed and the corrected vision should be stabilized after one month post surgery. (The healing and recovery time may vary by individuals.)
The cornea nerve cells, which may have been scratched by creating a flap at the time of your surgery, should be starting to heal and revitalize. The dryness of your eyes should be subsiding at this time.
The course of the healing process may vary by individuals; you may be required to take more post-operative check-ups 6 months after the surgery. Depending on the type of surgery procedure you have had, you may come in for check-ups as needed after 6 months.
As a part of our after care, Kobe Clinic offers and provides consultations regarding the health of your eyes as well as your scheduled post-operative check-ups. Please contact us if you have any concerns regarding your eye care.
- *The post-operative check-ups after 6 months are at your will.
