If, like me you've been wearing glasses for the majority of your life then you may have dreamed of the day when modern technology will be able to remove the front of your eye, then using lasers, cut away the excess eye tissue to reshape your eye into a fully functional lens. Sounds like science fiction? Well the future is here and Taipei is a great place to fix your eyes. Prices are about half of what you would pay in the US and Canada. The technology here is also state of the art and most of the eye clinics are very experienced in the procedure.

Supplies: You don't need much to get Lasik. All you really need is some cash, some time and your eyes.

Cost: Lasik costs will vary from place to place. Average will be from 25,000nt to 56,000nt. I spent 32,000nt and so far have had no problem. I wouldn't recommend trying to save too much money, your eyes will thank you for it a few years down the road.

Procedure: There are a few different eye procedures using lasers. The two that I came across were LASIK and NAVEX. LASIK is the basic procedure which has been done for many years now. It involves slicing open your eyes and using the excess eye tissue to reshape your lens. NAVEX is a newer procedure from Japan. The basic steps are the same as with LASIK. Your eye is not a perfect oval, the front region is bulbous and protrudes outward. LASIK reduces this mass to reshape the eye. NAVEX is a little more complex but results with your eye retaining more of it's original shape, this gives you better night vision and better peripheral vision but is quite a bit more expensive. I opted for the regular LASIK.

     
Step 1 : pick a clinic

       Picking a location to get your surgery done is the first step in your journey to better eyes. I spent a good two weeks checking out various clinics and hospitals. While some people may shy away from the smaller eye clinics you should realize that these places specialize in eye problems and probably have more specific experience in these areas. The place I finally decided on is called Universal Eye Center, they have a few different locations but the one went to is on Xinsheng South rd. Sec. 3, no. 53. They don't all speak English but you will have no problem getting someone to answer your questions. They are all very professional and friendly. You can also call them at 08-0001-4789.

       
Step 2: get preliminary test

      Before your surgery you will need to get some tests done to make sure that your eyes are compatible with the procedure. You can stop in anytime and they can fit you into the schedule. If you use your health insurance card the tests should cost about 150nt and should take about and hour. After the tests you can schedule a date to get your surgery done.


Step 3: prepare

       Before the procedure make sure that you are well rested and that you have not worn contacts for about a week. You also might want to get a hair cut because you wont get another opportunity for about a month. Get some books on tape, sleeping pills or other form of non vision oriented entertainment to keep you occupied for two days. Also make sure to get time off work. Two days is plenty but you can probably get more time if you really want to take it easy.


Step 4: get your surgery

       The actual procedure only takes about 10-20 minutes. It's always nice to bring a friend to help you around afterwards. You will be able to see, but things will be blurry and it's a good idea to let your eyes relax as much as possible after the surgery. During the surgery you will be wrapped in a nice fluffy blanket and you will be given a fluffy teddy bear or other snuggle toy. If you have a favorite stuffed animal don't be shy about bringing it along, it's a nice comfort when strangers are slicing apart your eyes.


Step 5: relax

       After the surgery it's very important to relax. This is the most important time in your healing process. Don't rub your eyes, don't watch TV, don't have too much sex, don't drink alcohol and don't take a shower. Do everything to make sure that your eyes heal properly. The day after your surgery you should go back to the clinic and get some tests to make sure that the process was successful. And for God's sake, wear your stupid bug eye coverings.



Step 6: enjoy your new eyes

       After two days you should go out and look at something. Cool huh!