LASIK Surgery helped millions of people in correcting their eyesight. In Japan, the said optical procedure is well respected, not only by its citizens but also by many people around the world. The country served as a receiving hub for patients who seek medical attention to their eyesight and here’s why.
Table of Contents
What is LASIK Surgery?
They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul. This is the reason why you should take care of your eyes as your vision isn’t something you can take for granted. Though issues with eyesight are becoming very common due to more exposure to screens such as laptops and phones, fortunately for such people, through the wonders of science and innovation, LASIK surgery can help you with correcting your vision and help you see things you couldn’t before! It often corrects common eye disorders such as astigmatism, nearsightedness, and farsightedness.
The LASIK eye surgery starts with a doctor’s consultation to check if LASIK is the right eye surgical treatment for you. The LASIK surgery should only be carried out by a trained and licensed eye surgeon, so before choosing to do LASIK surgery, make sure that you only engage with credible and licensed eye specialists. The eye surgeon slices a small, thin, and precise line in the outer part of the eye and pushes it back like a flap. Using an excimer laser, the eye surgeon then gets to work to reshape the patient’s cornea, depending on the needed treatment of the patient and once done, the flap is put back into position. The whole procedure just takes an average of around thirty minutes and the patient needs to recover for around three to five days after the procedure.
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Lasik Surgery in Japan
Because of the benefits of undergoing LASIK surgery, more and more people are undergoing this surgery to correct their eyesight. In Japan, the numbers are increasing through the years with almost a hundred thousand LASIK procedures done each year, as of date. News reports also show that LASIK Surgery is not just popular amongst Japanese, but that foreigners also travel to Japan to undergo LASIK surgery since Japan offers one of the most credible and quality LASIK surgery procedures. These numbers are attestations to the popularity and effectiveness of LASIK surgeries in Japan, as it promises to permanently improve an individual’s vision, has long-lasting results, and also provides quick results where an individual would also have a quick recovery period. And of course one of the most attractive lures is that individuals do not have to use glasses or contact lenses after they have had a successful LASIK surgery.
※ European Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons,"Japanese interest in LASIK is slowly rising"
The cost of LASIK eye surgery depends on the eye clinic where the individual will have the surgery and the eye condition upon surgery. Typically, two (2) eyes will cost from 150,000 yen to 500,000 yen.
※ Shinagawa Lasik Center
Lasik Surgery Clinics and Hospitals in Japan
Nowadays, there are many clinics in Japan that include LASIK surgery as part of their services or portfolio. Let’s take a look at some of the popular clinics and hospitals in Japan that offer LASIK surgery:
Shinagawa-Kinshi Clinic
Shinagawa-Kinshi Clinic has performed 1,275,031 procedures as of December 2019. This clinic has several branches such as in Tokyo, Sapporo, Nagoya, Osaka, and Fukuoka. For individuals who are traveling to Japan just to undergo LASIK surgery, an initial consultation can be done via phone before your trip to Japan. The cost per LASIK procedure for two eyes in this clinic ranges from 158,000 yen to 500,000 yen.
※ Shinagawa Lasik Center ※ Shinagawa LASIK Center, "FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)"
Nagoya Eye Clinic
Nagoya Eye Clinic is one of the pioneers of LASIK surgery especially in the Chubu region. With over twenty years of experience in the Ophthalmology industry, practitioners in the Nagoya Eye Clinic have lots of experience, have been exposed to extensive eye surgery seminars about LASIK, continue to study, and some are even lecturers in prestigious medical schools to share their knowledge about LASIK surgery. Their LASIK procedure costs from 341,000 yen (tax inclusive), plus 30,000 yen for inspection and medicine fees.
※ Nagoya Eye Clinic ※ Nagoya Eye Clinic, "Surgical cost"
Minamiaoyama Eye Clinic
The Minamiaoyama Eye Clinic was the first clinic in Japan to offer refractive eye surgery procedures and later introduced LASIK. The Minamiaoyama Eye Clinic prides itself on its list of credible physicians and their clinic is board-certified and only provides the best quality LASIK surgical treatment. Their LASIK procedure prices start from 260,000 for one eye and 390,000 for both eyes, costing more for custom procedures. They offer student discounts.
※ Minamiaoyama Eye Clinic (Tokyo) ※ Minamiaoyama Eye Clinic (Tokyo), "Costs"
Additional information
While many individuals want to have LASIK surgery, this is not covered by the National Health Insurance in Japan; therefore, individuals must know how much it costs so they can be prepared for the appropriate fees.
Before the surgery, make sure you know how long you need to not wear your contacts if you have them. Depending on the type, you may need to leave them off for up to a month. Immediately after having undergone a LASIK Surgery, the patient should not rub eyes and should use eye drops so as not irritate eyes, should avoid activities that would strain eyes such as reading or watching TV, shouldn’t drink alcohol, and lastly, shouldn’t drive. These are just a few of the things patients should know for after the surgery. The clinic will advise for how long patients should refrain from such activities.
For tourists who would want to visit Japan to avail of their incredible LASIK surgery treatment, make sure that you have the appropriate visa and supporting documents to ensure a smooth flow upon your entry to Japan. A Visa for Medical Stay should be presented by the patient and his/her accompanying person. When applying for the Visa, the patient or his/her accompanying person should present a valid passport, filled-up Visa Application Form, a passport-size photo, Certificate of Eligibility issued by a staff member of the Medical Institution, documents showing the financial status of the patient, and a document providing his identity.
※ Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, "For those who would like to apply for the "Visa for Medical Stay""
Summary
Our worries with blurring eyesight may be taken away as LASIK has been discovered and shown to be safe. Indeed, Japan offers only the best medical services such as LASIK surgery eye treatment with its complete customer care package. Make sure that you do your research and spend as much time consulting with your preferred clinic in Japan to make things stress-free! With LASIK, the vision of your dreams can be 20/20!
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