Anyone living with corrective lenses of any kind knows how cumbersome they are and how expensive yearly check-ups and new or replacement prescription eyewear can be. Residents and prospective visitors of Jeju should therefore consider Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) or Laser-Assisted Sub-Epithelial Keratomileusisor (LASEK) treatment as alternatives.
Foreigners are discovering what Jeju natives seem to have already known, that LASIK and LASEK treatment are affordable and easy, apparently more so than in North America.
“This surgery is by a wide margin the best invest-ment I have ever made. It has made my life permanently and wonderfully better,” said Alexander Davis, an American teacher on Jeju.
Both he and his girlfriend Lizzie Whitman got LASIK surgery from one doctor in town — Dr. Kim — after doing some research online and hearing word-of-mouth testimonies.
Another Jeju English teacher, Rachael Darden, got LASEK after hearing about the results of the corrective surgery from Alexander, Lizzie, and two other foreign friends on the island.
Rachael looked into getting the surgery in the US, but said she “couldn’t justify the cost.”
According to allaboutvision.com, the average cost of LASIK is between $1,500 to $3,000 per eye in the US. They cited that a few years ago, doctors performed the surgery for less than $1,000 per eye. However this trend is over as costs and demands are considered and as more expensive machinery is being developed and implemented to produce better results.
Those who reported on getting LASEK and LASIK from Dr. Kim spent no more than 1.6 million won, which currently amounts to less than $1,500, for the entire procedure and related costs.
Of course, cost should not be the only deciding factor in determining whether the surgery should be undertaken and by what doctor. There are few physical attributes people value more than their eyesight, and complications of LASIK/LASEK treatment could lead to permanent visual damage and even blindness.
The American FDA has an online checklist to delineate all that’s involved with the procedure. Major points are that the surgery doesn’t guarantee you will be free from a need for corrective lenses, only that your vision will improve. Also, because the procedure is a relatively new innovation, the long term effects, including how long the benefits of better vision last, are largely unknown.
In addition to considering all the factors weighed when choosing a doctor, foreigners also have to find a doctor with whom they can communicate. Canadian Kimberly Comeau told the Jeju Weekly that Dr. Kim did not speak English very well, a factor which “… was the most uncomfortable part.” “We found out that the English translator (the doctor’s daughter) would only be present for a week,” said Alexander Davis about going to Dr. Kim for the exam. “It was now or never.”
“I trust Dr. Kim completely,” praised Rachael Darden. “There was zero pain during the surgery, and Dr. Kim and his entire staff addressed questions I had and made the entire process a breeze.”
Rachael opted to get LASEK, which differs slightly from LASIK because of how the incision is made in the eye.
With LASEK, a smaller incision is made that is better for those with thinner corneas. LASEK has less risk of certain side effects and complications than does LASIK. Online sources report that recovery time for LASEK is longer and more painful, although a mere 12 days after surgery, Rachael said, “I can see perfectly. All remaining symptoms are better than textbook.”
Dr. Kim uses the state-of-the-art CRS Master II software to analyze candidates’ eyes to see if they qualify and has the MEL 80 Excimer Laser to perform the surgery. The whole process usually takes no more than 15 minutes, but with Kim, Rachael was impressed that it took less than 10 minutes.
Rachael, Alexander, and Kimberly had slightly different recovery times and side effects but all are very pleased with the results.
Six months after surgery, Alexander remarked, “I can see everything, picking out tiny details that escaped me even with contact lenses. And the freedom of it — I still marvel at being able to live my life free of the hassle of glasses or contacts.” <Jeju Weekly>
<Erin Ford contributor@jejuweekly.com ⓒ Jeju Weekly All rights reserved>
