Why Choose Dr. Maehara for Your LASIK Procedure?

If you are considering LASIK surgery for vision correction, choosing your surgeon is one of the most important decisions you will make as he or she will be operating on your eyes. You want to select someone who has a lot of experience with the procedure and meets industry standards for selecting and screening out patients, as not everyone is a good candidate for surgery. Also, you will want to choose a surgeon who invests in new technologies as it is always evolving and improving. And be sure to keep the staff in mind as a comfortable, safe environment is paramount to achieving the best outcome.

Here are six reasons why you should choose Dr. Jeffrey Maehara to perform your LASIK procedure:

  1. Raised in Honolulu, Dr. Maehara returned home to practice with his father Dr. Dennis Maehara after studying under three of the world’s top LASIK and refractive surgeons at Tulane University in New Orleans.
  2. It’s important that your surgeon must be board certified to practice his or her specialty. Dr. Maehara is board certified by the American Academy of Ophthalmology and is a fellowship-trained Anterior Segment-Glaucoma Specialist, which means he has extensive experience with complex and advanced glaucoma management, LASIK, cataract and corneal transplants, and other refractive procedures.
  3. Maehara stays abreast of the latest technological advances in a constantly evolving field. He specializes in Bladeless LASIK eye surgery performed with the Allegretto Wave and IntraLase FS lasers.
  4. Safety is his team’s #1 priority, followed by providing the absolute best value for your money. Maehara Eye Surgery & Laser offers competitive prices and physician-only care, which means you will get a personal consultation with Dr. Maehara to discuss your options, complete your pre-operative evaluation, perform your surgery and carry through all post-operative care.
  5. Working together with friendly professional staff, Dr. Maehara continues to lead the way with new eye-care technology to ensure patients achieve the best possible vision.
  6. Maehara Eye Surgery & Laser is located in Honolulu with a satellite office in Waipahu, offering an array of services in a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere.

 If you are considering LASIK vision correction, schedule a consultation with Dr. Jeffrey Maehara at Maehara Eye Surgery & Laser today by calling 808.955.3937.

Lasik Surgery Honolulu HI

5 Questions to Ask Your Doctor about LASIK

Tired of wearing contact lenses or glasses? You may be wondering if LASIK surgery would be right for you. Here are 5 questions you should ask your surgeon about this laser vision correction:

  1. What does LASIK surgery correct?LASIK can correct nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism. Nearsightedness is when you see nearby objects clearly but objects in the distance are blurry. Farsightedness is when you see far objects clearly, but close objects are blurry. Astigmatism causes overall blurry vision. It does not prevent presbyopia, the age-related vision changes that occur usually after the age of 40. If you have this condition and you get LASIK, you may still need reading glasses.
  1. What is LASIK surgery?Short for Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis, LASIK js a commonly performed refractive surgery procedure that can safely and efficiently improve vision by reshaping the cornea. During LASIK surgery, the surgeon uses a femtosecond laser that creates a corneal flap, which gently lifts the surface of the cornea so that an excimer laser can reshape the cornea. After reshaping, the flap is set back into place, which should heal without stitches.
  1. Am I a good candidate for LASIK surgery? During your consultation, Dr. Maehara will perform a comprehensive evaluation to determine if bladeless LASIK or another type of refractive procedure would be best for you. This procedure is ideal for people over the age of 18, have had stable vision for at least six months, have a healthy cornea thick enough for a flap, and have refractive errors that fall within the treatable range.
  1. Will I see immediate results?Most patients will notice significant improvement in their vision immediately after the LASIK surgery, but it could take several months for full results. Most patients will eventually achieve a vision that is 20/20 or better, reducing or eliminating the need for glasses or contact lenses.
  1. What can I expect during recovery from LASIK surgery? After surgery, patients will rest in the office for a little while before having someone else drive them home to rest for the remainder of the day. Most people can return to work the next day but should avoid strenuous exercise for at least one week. There should be very little pain, but medication can be prescribed to relieve any discomfort from the procedure.

To learn more about Bladeless LASIK Surgery, call Maehara Eye Surgery & Laser at 808.955.3937 to schedule a consultation.

Lasik Eye Surgery Honolulu, HI

What Should I Know Before Undergoing LASIK?

Questions to Ask Before A LASIK Procedure

Are you considering LASIK? Here are some quick answers to commonly asked questions about LASIK and what to expect from this popular procedure.

  1. Are LASIK results permanent?

Yes, LASIK permanently corrects errors in a person’s vision. Your cornea is reshaped permanently correcting the cause of refractive errors.

  1. Are you awake during the procedure?

Yes, you are awake. You will be given medicine to help you relax and given numbing eye drops so you won’t feel a thing. It’s important that you’re awake though to focus on a point of light. This helps keep your eye fixed while the laser does its work on your cornea.

  1. Does the procedure hurt?

No, there should not be any pain with LASIK. Patients are given numbing medicine before the procedure. There may be itchiness or burning after and your vision will be blurry, but it’s mostly an irritating feeling rather than pain.

  1. Can LASIK fix astigmatism?

Yes, LASIK can fully correct astigmatism in most cases. Astigmatism is caused by the cornea being shaped more like a football than a normal round shape. Ultra-precious lasers can be programmed to reshape the cornea to be more symmetrical. In most cases, this will fully correct astigmatism.

  1. How much does LASIK cost?

At Maehara Eye Surgery & Laser, LASIK usually ranges from $1,500 to $1,850 per eye. The reason for the range is that every situation is different and there are certain conditions like astigmatism that may cause it to be more. We also provide discounts for active military personnel and their immediate families.

  1. What is the recovery like?

It typically takes about 24 hours to recover from LASIK. You will rest in the office for a short time before being driven home by a friend or family member. You will likely need to rest a few hours but most patients return to regular work and activities the next day. Strenuous activities should be avoided for up to a week though.

We hope these answered some of your questions about LASIK. For more information about LASIK or to set up a consultation with Dr. Maehara, call us at 808-995-3937.

At-Home Remedies for Dry Eye

One of the most ironic things about dry eye is that it can actually cause your eyes to tear excessively. Dry eye is a condition that is caused when the tear ducts are clogged, which can lead to symptoms like excessive tearing or it can leave your eyes feeling dried out and dehydrated. Although we always encourage patients with dry eye to come into our office for treatment, there may be a few things that you can do from home to find some temporary relief.

Watch the Cigarette Smoke

Smoking isn’t just bad for your lungs and heart, but it’s bad for your vision as well. If you smoke or live with someone who smokes, it may be the cause of your dry eye. Smoke is notorious for drying eyes out and making them feel irritated. Try to either quit smoking or smoke somewhere with a lot of ventilation like outside.

Use Warm Compresses

Sometimes, you can help to temporarily lear out your clogged tear ducts with a little bit of warm water and a washcloth. All you have to do is take a washcloth, wet it with warm water, and then gently place it over your eyes. The warm, wet water should help to clear out your tear ducts and help you see better.

Use Eye Drops

Another thing you can do at home is to use some over-the-counter eye drops. Eye Drops that are created for dry eye will help to create a lubricating barrier on your eyes, which will lock in moisture and help alleviate your symptoms. All you have to do is apply one drop on the inside of each eye, and it should spread to the rest of your eye and coat it.

Get a Humidifier

Even though the air here in Hawaii is fairly humid, if you still have dry eye, you may want to get a humidifier. The wetter the air is, the more it will soothe your eyes and make them feel comfortable.

Contact our office to learn more about dry eye treatments. Call us today 808.955.3937.

How to Be In Touch With Your Vision

One of the best things that you can do for your overall health is to be in touch with your body. What’s considered your normal? What’s considered to be not so normal for you? When you can determine when there’s something wrong, it makes it easier for doctors to run tests and help land you with a diagnosis. After all, nobody is coming to your house and begging you to do a check-up, right? So, it’s all up to you.

Similarly, one of the things that we encourage our patients to do is to be in tune with their vision. But how? Let’s take a closer look.

Notice Changes

Your vision may stay strong for most of your adult life and then suddenly start to fade when you are in your fifties. Stay in tune with any changes that you experience. Are you having a harder time reading things up close, or is it harder to see things from farther away? If you start to notice changes or shifts in your vision, then it’s time to come into our office and get an eye exam.

Notice Abnormalities

In addition to being mindful of changes with your vision, also try to notice any abnormalities such as flashers, floaters, headaches, or anything out of the normal. Often, these things are symptoms of a more significant underlying issue that we will need to examine closely.

Get Regular Eye Exams

Getting regular eye exams is something we also encourage our patients to do. When you know what is going on with your vision, and when you know things like your prescription, it can make life a whole lot easier.

Staying in tune with your health and vision will hopefully help you catch any eye diseases early on so that they can be treated. If you want to learn a little bit more about your vision health, contact us at 808.955.3937.

Eye Care Honolulu Eye Doctor

3 Things to Pack in Your Kid’s Beach Bag This Summer

If you have little kids, then you may be wondering what you will do with them all summer long. Not having kids in school is like a full-time job because now you have to come up with ways to entertain them. Luckily, one easy (and free) thing that you can do is take them to the beach a few times a week. Before you head out though, Dr. Maehara has a few things to pack in your pool bag.

Sunglasses for Everyone

Those little sunglasses for babies, toddlers, and kids aren’t just cute to put on them before you take an Instagram photo, but believe it or not, they actually serve a purpose. Make sure that your kids wear some sunglasses with UVA and UVB protection whenever you are outside; especially when you’re at the beach or pool because the water is reflective which can cause some serious eye damage.

Sun Hats

If you can’t get your little ones to wear sunglasses or keep them on, then try a sun hat instead. Sun hats (as long as they are large enough) are great because they will shield your eyes from the sun from all angles. If you feel like being daring, then consider bribing your kids to wear both their sunglasses and their sun hats at the same time.

Goggles

If your kids like to swim in the water and get their head under, don’t send them in unless they have goggles. Both chlorine and salt water can dry out their eyes out and cause some damage. Plus, ocean water and pool water are notorious for being dirty. With things like sand, bugs, and dirt floating around, it’s the last thing that you want to expose your eyes to.

Make sure that you pack these three things with you in your bag before you go to the beach this summer. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, contact us at our Honolulu office at 808.955.3937.

Honolulu Eye Doctor

Why You Should Get Your Eyes Checked on a Regular Basis

Taking good care of your vision involves more than just wearing sunglasses outside. In fact, here at our office, Dr. Jeffrey Maehara likes to see most of his patients every two years for regular eye exams. But, why is it important to get your eyes checked so frequently? Let’s take a closer look and see.

  • A Change In Prescription

Your glasses and contact lens prescription can change pretty significantly over a two-year period which can leave you seeing things pretty blurry,  even with your lenses on or in. However, by having your eyes examined every couple of years, we can help you stay up to date on your prescription so that you don’t spend another day with blurry vision.

  • Change In Health

Your eyes are your opening into the world— okay, that was a bit cheesy, but you get the gist. During your eye exam, we will take a closer look at your eyes to also check for any other health issues. For instance, the health of your blood vessels inside of your retina are indicative of the health of the blood vessels throughout your body, so if we see a change in those blood vessels, we may order some other tests for you.

  • 3. Check for Eye Disease

Another thing that Dr. Maehara will check your eyes for is eye diseases like glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration. The good thing about all of these eye diseases is that typically when they are caught early on, they can be easily treated.

Are you ready to schedule your next eye exam? If so, contact our Honolulu office today and call us at 808.955.3937.

DSAEK Transplant Honolulu, HI

The Basics of DSAEK

In this day and age, it can seem like everything that we say can be said in an acronym. Although you may “LOL” your way through life and think, “OMG” what other acronyms do I need, Dr. Maehara has one that may actually help improve your vision: DSAEK.

What’s DSAEK?

It used to be that the only way for someone to replace their cornea was with healthy donor tissue which was a long drawn out process. Luckily, times have changed and there’s a new kid in town: DSAEK.

DSAEK or descemet-stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty is the latest corneal transplantation technique that Dr. Meahara offers. The great thing about DSAEK is that it gives patients clear postoperative vision and a shorter recovery time than other corneal transplant options in the past.

Why a Corneal Transplant?

You don’t want to get a corneal transplant unless you need done, right? For you to see properly, your cornea needs to be clean and it also needs to be the right shape. Sometimes, when your cornea becomes cloudy or misshapen, it can make it a lot more difficult for you to see properly. When this happens, we may recommend a cornea transplant to help restore your vision or repair the overall integrity of the eye.

Why DSAEK?

Dr. Maehara recommends using he DSAEK rather than getting a full cornea replacement because of the following:

  • The eye surface is kept intact which keeps the cornea stronger and more resistant to injury or infection.
  • There is minimal change in refraction and visual acuity because only the endothelial layer is replaced, rather than the entire cornea.
  • Problems with sutures are significantly reduced or eliminated.
  • Recovery is significantly faster Fewer risk factors are involved.

If you want to learn more about this or if you think you need a corneal transplant, contact our Honolulu office and call us at 808.955.3937.

ete services Honolulu, HI

3 Easy Resolutions to Make in 2019 For Better Vision

With the eggnog gone and the Christmas tree in the dumpster, it’s now time to take a look at the fresh year we have ahead of us and make some resolutions that are worth keeping. Even though you may have some lofty resolutions to lose some weight and eat better, here at Dr. Maehara’s office we have created a few easy resolutions that will actually help you see better this year.

Wash Your Face Every Night

This may sound like a really easy goal but you’d be surprised by how many people actually go to bed with eye makeup still on. Even though you may think that eye makeup is fine to sleep in, it can actually lead to a bacterial infection. By washing your eye makeup off every night with a gentle cleanser or remover, you can cut down on the chances of you getting some sort of bacterial or viral eye infection.

Use Clean Contact Lens Solution

Did you know that your contact lens case may be filled with bacteria and dirt? To avoid getting an eye infection, make sure that you fill your contact lens case with clean solution every night before you go to bed.

As an extra tip, make sure to rinse out your case with some hot water before you put some contact lens solution back in it

Get Regular Eye Exams

Did you know that you should be getting your eyes examined every year? If you can’t remember the last time that you had an eye exam, then make sure that you contact our office today and schedule your next appointment.

It can be hard to get into the habit of good habits; especially when it involves your vision. If you want to learn a little bit more about how you can see better in 2019, contact our office today and call us at 808.955.3937.

Corneal Transplant Honolulu, HI

Are You Seeing Stars Around Your Christmas Lights? What That Could Mean About Your Vision

Christmas lights are one of the things that really set the entire Christmas mood or holiday spirit. Whether you are religious or not, driving down a street filled with houses adorned in Christmas lights can make you feel some sort of magic. One problem that we see in patients during this time of year is a complaint about seeing starbursts around Christmas lights. If you have started to notice that you see starbursts when you look at Christmas lights, then it may be time to come in for an eye examination. Typically, starbursts mean that you either need to change your prescription or that you have glaucoma or cataracts.

Your Prescription

If you wear the wrong prescription of contacts or glasses, you may see starbursts not just   Christmas lights but around stop lights as well when you are driving at night. By making a few minor adjustments and getting you a stronger precision, however, we can usually help you see a lot better.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is an eye disease that causes intraocular pressure which can lead to blindness if it’s left untreated. In its early stages, glaucoma in things like seeing starbursts around Christmas lights. When you schedule your appointment with Dr. Maehara, he will check you for glaucoma.

Cataracts

Cataracts are another eye condition that cause starbursts. Even though the biggest symptoms of cataracts are a clouding of the vision, it usually starts out smaller with things like seeing starbursts around lights.

If you notice that your vision seems a bit off, don’t hesitate to give our office a call. To schedule your next eye exam, contact our Honolulu office at 808.955.3937.