1.LASIK is a day surgery that does not require hospitalization.

2.The LASIK schedule

The patient must undergo examinations before the surgery.

1. The first visit
   The patient undergoes an initial examination to determine if he or she is a candidate for the surgery.
   If the patient is not a good candidate for surgery, alternative procedures may be suggested.
   
   
2. Preoperative eye examination
   Patients undergo two preoperative examinations during the 2 weeks to 10 days before the surgery.
   Patients who wear contact lens must not wear their lenses for 2 weeks before the scheduled examination and the surgery. This period is extended in some patinets who have worn contactlens for long time. If these instructions are not followed, correct data cannot be obtained and a poor surgical outcome may result. If contact lenses are worn before the examination and the surgery, the surgery is canceled and the patient must undergo another examination.
   
   
3. Surgery
   Needless to say, surgical instruments are extremely delicate. Even the presence of extremely small particles from perfumes or make-up can result in changes in the fine adjustment of the instruments and poor results. The patient should not use any makeup, skin care, or hair care products on the day of the surgery.
   The patient is requested to arrive at the appointed time and has the last visual examination.
   The patient is escorted to the surgical room and proper disinfecting procedures are done.
   For patients who are having surgery on both eyes on the same day, the procedure is performed on the right eye first and then the left eye.
   The actual time the patient spends on the surgical bed is about 40 minutes for both eye surgeries.
   Immediately after surgery the patient can open his or her eyes. Protective eyeglasses are used only to prevent an inadvertent accident.
   Following surgery, the patient recovers for about 2 hours in a rest area.
   The doctor who performed the surgery then reexamines the patient. If the postoperative course is normal, the patient may return home.
   
   
4. After surgery
   The patient will undergo several regular examinations on the first and third postoperative days, and 1 week postoperatively. Additional follow-up examinations are then performed at 1, 3, and 6 months and 1 year postoperatively.
   

3.Expense

LASIK is not covered by Japanese health insurance. Preoperative examination costs 10,500 yen both for one eye and both eyes. The surgical fee is 157,500 yen for one eye, including the cost for general examinations and medications within the postoperative 3 months and 5% consumption tax. Credit cards are accepted but only for the surgical fee.

Details are provided on the first visit.

4.Important advice

This refractive procedure provides an important advantage for patients with myopia in distance vision. When people who do not have myopia reach 35 years old or more, they gradually have difficulty seeing near images well, because the flexibility of the crystalline lens decreases with age. Correction for near vision then becomes necessary. On the contrary, many people with myopia have good near vision without glasses. Patients may not have noticed this advantage when they were young, however, upon reaching 40 years of age and older, this is advantageous.
Undergoing LASIK means losing this advantage. Patients may have some difficulty with near vision after surgery. For young patients, this will be overcome with time, but for those over 40, in some cases even 35 years, the difficulty is permanent and a pair of corrective glasses is indispensable to obtain good near vision. However, it is also true that many middle-aged people enjoy good distance vision without the need for correction, which may compensate for the slight difficulty with near vision.
Ultimately, it is a matter of choice for each individual. Patients must consider every aspect of their visual needs before surgery.