EyeSight Hawaii Vision Institute

Everyone at EyeSight Hawaii is very professional and their customer service is on point. When it comes to getting my eyes check I am very skeptical of where to go. I came to EyeSight Hawaii for a complimentary consultation for lasik surgery but was told that I am not a good candidate due to my sight being too far-​sightedness but I was offered another type of vision correction surgery which I am considering sometime down the road. So after my consultation I was able to get fitted for prescription glasses that same day and I was also able to choose what frame and what type of lenses I wanted. I’m sure to be back at EyeSight Hawaii whenever needed.
Mahalo EyeSight Hawaii!!!

Everyone here is so caring and genuine. Definitely the best place to go! They treat you like family! You should check this place out!

This team is fantastic! So friendly right from check-​in. The best part is that parking is really easy and you can go to CostCo after… :)

Eyesight Hawaii could earn 4 stars alone on the wide selection of frames. These are beautiful frames in a variety of styles for all types of eyes. The fifth star is for optician, Katie Friedman. She was very knowledgeable about the technical aspects of her job and has a great eye for what looks good. In addition, Eyesight Hawaii uses new technology to ensure proper fit and which lets nearsighted people, like me, see what my new frames will look like on me.

I highly recommend this place for your vision correction. I had my LASIK surgery two days ago and the staff have all been wonderfully friendly, courteous and helpful. The procedure was nearly painless, a little discomfort, but nothing from what I had expected. Dr. Olkowski was very thorough and did an excellent job. I can once again see without any glasses or contacts. Very pleased with Eyesight Hawaii and will definitely recommend them to anyone considering LASIK treatment! A+

I chose EyeSight Hawaii for two reasons, high marks and convenient location. Why circle crowded garages for pay parking downtown or in huge medical centers when you can drive almost to the front door? Park in the lot between Dole Cannery and COSTCO, take the Up escalator et Voilà, tu es arrivé! You’re there! Can go shopping after.
The office space is large, open, well-​appointed, clean, with oodles of comfortable seating. The entire operation seems state-​of-​the-​art. I was helped as soon as I walked in. The staff was friendly, enthusiastic and seemed competent at their tasks. Wait time was minimal. The entire process took less than 90 minutes.
When you first check in, there’s the usual drill, insurance information, ID, and forms to fill out. The office is bustling with employees. It is a full-​service operation, including eyeglass sales. After paying the co-​pay, can’t help but wonder what the final bill will be. But it’s not all sweetness and light.
First disappointment, being photographed. Why? They already copied my photo ID. Don’t like my photo taken under any circumstances. Never had this happen before in a doctor’s office. Was too shocked to ask why or if I could opt out. Need to start wearing a surgical mask when I’m out and about!
Second disappointment, most of the examination and measuring was done by assistants/​technicians. Maybe that’s the trend, but I used to go to one of the top rated ophthalmologists in the DC area and he did all the measuring himself.
Third shock, digital retinal scan, done by technicians. Again, I was accustomed to the doctor doing this himself with no digital records. Being a privacy freak, have to wonder who has access to those records. Sure HIPAA supposedly protects medical privacy, but not from the government.
Waiting for the final exam by Dr. Olkowski, decided to «Let It Go,» for now. The doctor looked at my eyes, diagnosed a few problems, made some recommendations, and answered my questions. Not unpleasant at all, after deciding not to press my concerns about privacy. I am considering some of the treatment options he recommended.
Was given a prescription for eyeglasses but without the Pupillary Distance (PD) measurement. This is done so you will purchase eyeglasses from a brick and mortar store, probably a costly mega-​conglomerate Luxottica affiliate. Although, you’re right there near COSTCO and they have good glasses at reasonable prices. WalMart, too.
You will have to weigh the benefits of effectiveness, convenience and efficiency against any concerns about privacy. Without my privacy concerns, would have given EyeSight Hawaii five stars.
Yes, I am a privacy Luddite. I long for the days when little in life was monitored but it seems we’re unalterably moving in the opposite direction. Supposedly, this is all about our protection, but it also leaves us more vulnerable to exploitation. Go figure.
Would I go back to EyeSight Hawaii? Well, now that they’ve collected and filed so much (too much?) data about me and I have no other serious issues with the service, I would consider returning for some of the procedures the doctor recommended and perhaps future eye exams. But I may also seek second opinion (s) for some of the procedures that cost thousands of dollars and are not covered by insurance.

Been debating about getting LASIK eye surgery done for a few years now but I couldn’t pass up the awesome deal that Eye Sight Hawaii offered with my eye vision plan. They also offer military discounts as well! Crystal was very helpful up front and gave me great directions to the office. I had my first complimentary consultation with Mike who took all kinds of tests of my eyes and informed me that Dr. John Olkowski was the best on the island and had been doing eye surgeries for years, which made me feel like I was in good hands! He also told me that Dr. Olkowski uses his own laser equipment and everything is done in house.
The surgery didn’t take too long and Dr. Olkowski talks you through everything which makes you feel at ease. As soon as the procedure was done, you go home and take a nap and right when you wake up. You can see clearly!!! No more wearing glasses or contacts! I love it!!! Dr. Olkowski is awesome and I would highly recommend anyone debating on getting LASIK or any type of eye surgery to go to him!!! His team offers amazing customer service and when I had a question a few days after my eye surgery was done, Dr. Olkowski called me promptly on his day off to inform me that the symptoms I was experiencing were normal and should go away in a week or so. And they did! :))
Their office is located right by Costco Iwilei which offers lots of free parking too! You can’t beat any place like it!

Dr. Olkowski seemed impressively knowledgeable, the optician Katie and the other desk staff were pleasant to work with. I had difficulty getting the correct prescription and glasses that fit though. After going back and forth having the prescription changed and glasses adjusted I returned the glasses and got a full refund. Dr. Olkowski was able to get my VSP account fully credited later on. I did end up getting a simple pair of glasses afterwards. It was a difficult and prolonged process though. If a patient has any problems with their prescriptions or cannot make their fame product work for them, they should insist on speaking directly to Dr. Olkowski to resolve the issues as quickly as possible. According to him, he wants to take care of things before they go to fare down the wrong path (as was the case for me).

Dr. Olkowski is such a great surgeon. He explains everything so the patient understands what’s going on. Everyone here is very nice and helpful. Beautiful office.

I had a mishap at another Eye Clinic and chose Dr. Olkowski. I’ve never been happier. It’s been a long year and a half of vision struggles that Dr. Olkowski took care of. Hands down the best Eye Surgeon in Hawaii. The Staff is very friendly and extremely professional. I haven’t seen this good since I was in my 20s. I wouldn’t go anywhere else.
Best of all; once you have been to Eyesight Hawaii… you are Eyesight Ohana for life.
Surf’s up… gotta go:)

Dr. Olkowski and his staff are great to work with and are incredibly responsive to anything that I need. I have been to many ophthalmologists over the years and there is a huge difference in care and treatment between this office and others that I have been to.
Recently, my favorite Maui Jims broke and they took care of facilitating my replacement pair in a very timely fashion. I highly recommend Dr. Olkowski for your eye care.

Dr Olkowski and the care I received:
Dr. Olkowski is very professional, very knowledgeable and a very experienced doctor.
I had a large pterigium in my left eye removed and Dr Olkowski and his team of professionals were AMAZING! If I could give him 10 stars I would. For years I suffered with a growth in my left eye that was not only ugly but very painful. My eye would burn and it felt as if I had sand in it most of the time. After my surgery, My eye is BEAUTIFUL, free of redness, swelling, burning and most of all, that feeling of a foreign object in my eye is gone. The procedure was fast and painless. Recovery was about 3 days, post OP appointments went smooth. I can see better, no more blurry vision whenever my eye was inflammed. 12 months later, I feel great and my eyes see great! :-)
The office:
The office is a first class experience. Very clean and yes, state of the art equipment.
Front desk clerk even takes your picture, it’s your office ID. How cool!
The surgery center by far is the best I’ve seen, I’ve seen three.
The Staff:
Dr Olkowski’s staff is second to none. I ask «A LOT» of questions and they are so patient with me and they answer every question. Everytime I leave his office, I feel more knowledgeable about my eyes. Ask questions.
Thank you Dr Olkowski and Team for not only taking care of me, but educating me on healthy eye care. You all are simply the BEST!!!

I just went back for one of my post-​op visits and my vision is still amazing at ²⁰⁄₁₅! It’s hard to believe I don’t need to dig out my glasses for driving, softball or classes and I can make eye contact with approaching people on the street.
The office and exam rooms are state of the art and very clean. Dr. Olkowski was professional from the beginning, explaining every part of the LASIK process to me. He even met me at the office when it wasn’t open for one of my post-​op appointments because I was immediately traveling to the mainland! Katie, the optician, was wonderful with her personalized care and the tech staff are knowledgeable and very friendly. I highly recommend!

I had a terrible experience with my LASIK surgery at EyeSight Hawaii in 2008 for many reasons, but mainly due to 1) a lack of honesty and genuine patient care by Dr. Olkowski and the clinic 2) failure by Dr. Olkowski to communicate critical information that affected future decisions and outcomes.
On March 14, 2008, I had an all-​laser LASIK surgery performed on both eyes by Dr. John D. Olkowski of Eyesight Hawai’i in Honolulu, Hawai’i.
Dr. Olkowski used the IntraLase Method to create the flap on my eye and then the VISX Star S4 IR excimer laser to perform the laser surgery. It was, as any surgery, a slightly traumatic experience that I wished to forget about once it was over and I had perfect vision.
My left eye, though, never quite made it. After placing the flap back on my left eye, I remember Dr. O brushed it a bit more than he had brushed my right eye. I wonder if he already knew then that the flap wasn’t going back on well. While the crisp, clear vision in my right eye was immediately noticeable within three days time, my left eye produced what I can only describe as a ghostly reflection of letters whenever I looked at signs.
Beginning at the one week follow-​up when I asked him about my left eye, he would respond that my eye hadn’t completely healed yet and it would be six months before my eyes would reflect my true vision. But at our three month follow-​up when I asked him about my left eye, he began to answer differently by saying that I was [unfairly] comparing the not-​as-​perfect vision in my left eye to my more-​than-​perfect vision in my right eye.
I was concerned about the blurriness from certain angles, the pronounced ghosting, and the fact that everything I saw through my left eye appeared a little thinner than everything I saw through my right, and I made sure to mention it at every post-​op visit, but no one at Dr. Olkowski’s office seemed to hear me and Dr. O never addressed it. All he would say was that the vision in my left eye was ³⁰⁄₂₀ [so what was I complaining about?].
In all the dozen or so follow-​up/​post-​operative examinations I had (which I now believe are really just ways to stall patients who want to litigate), Dr. Olkowski kept insisting that my eyes were doing great and everything was fine. Yes, I guess since my retinas hadn’t detached and I hadn’t gone blind, everything really was going fine.
I was not apathetic about my concerns after the surgery; I sought a second opinion from another well-​known lasik eye doctor in Honolulu on what had happened. After looking at my left eye, the doctor found 5 microscopic spots of «interface debris» on my cornea. (Why hadn’t Dr. O ever mentioned this to me?) The doctor guessed that perhaps it was this debris that was causing the ghosting (double vision). The doctor’s recommendation was to lift the flap, clean the area out, and replace the flap. This recommendation was different from what Dr. O eventually proposed to do, which was another LASIK procedure.
After half a dozen unproductive post-​op visits, suddenly, at my 6 month post-​operative checkup, Dr. O quickly suggested an «enhancement surgery» for my left eye.
«ENHANCEMENT» SURGERY
March 6, 2009, a year after my initial LASIK surgery, I endured Dr. O’s strange inability to be honest with me and underwent another corrective surgery by him. My decision to do so was based on a hope that a lasik surgery by the same doctor who was familiar with my eye would have a higher probability of achieving successful results than a new doctor. At that time, I wrongly expected the second surgery to simultaneously burn off the interface debris AND correct the astigmatism that both doctors mentioned I had. I did not understand (the information was not shared) that the astigmatism was an unnatural one caused by a lasik-​induced corneal irregularity. This prognosis was shared with me after seeing one of the top ophthalmologists in the country.
I’ve run out of space on Unilocal,but if you’d like the read the full account of my LASIK experience and the final outcome, you can find it by googling a paragraph from above.

Went beck for my monthly exam back in Oct. and I am glad to say that my vision is ²⁰⁄₁₅! I was so excited to have such «SUPER» vision.
The new location is beautiful! Waiting rooms well stocked with magazines, and hot beverages. The staff is as friendly as ever. I’m so glad that I purchased my lasik groupon from there. Even, if you don’t have a groupon, I would recommend Eyesight Hawaii to anyone.