the entire email exchange between myself, dr. k & his staff

from: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
to: info@laservision.gr
date: Mon, Nov 6, 2017 at 6:27 AM
subject: Jake Passi Recent LASIK Scans
Hi there,
I called about 20 minutes ago and made an appointment to see Dr. Kanellopoulos on January 17th at 1pm at his office in Athens, Greece.
I first got LASIK back in 2010 in Chicago, IL and had some serious complications which I have been struggling with to this day. My right eye (which is the most problematic) has monocular polyopia (one eye, many focal points) which causes bright objects, bright lights and text to spread out into a circle (worse than triple vision). This eye has caused the most amount of stress for me over the years. My left eye also has poor quality vision but it's not as bad. It has some sensitivity to light during the day and somewhat intense glare/halos at night. My ophthalmologist told me my eyes "healed wrong"... I'm still not sure exactly what happened.
I got a touch up on my right eye one year after the first LASIK procedure (with the same surgeon) but it made no difference. Then 2 years ago I saw a LASIK surgeon in California who recommended custom Wavefront LASIK for my right eye. I did that with him and it actually made my right eye about 50% better. It made the stress bearable. But I am getting older now (I just turned 30) and I feel like the vision quality in both eyes is deteriorating. My stress levels are so high and have been for so long that I feel totally burnt out. I'm not sure I want to live the rest of my life like this so I feel like now is the time to take one more chance at trying to fix my eyes, which is why I'm turning to Dr. Kanellopoulos, one of the most well-known and highly recommended LASIK surgeons in the world. Someone who is known for helping people who suffer from LASIK complications.
I am primarily wondering if Dr. Kanellopoulos thinks topography-guided LASIK using the Contoura Vision system with the Alcon laser could fix one of my eyes or possibly both eyes - or at least make one or both of them better. Or if he thinks any other form of technology used by either him or someone else could help me.
Could Dr. Kanellopoulos please take a look at my recent LASIK scans and report (which are attached to this email) from the CMU LASIK Center here in Chiang Mai, Thailand and let me know if he thinks I might be a candidate?
I am prepared to fly to Athens, Greece on January 17th for my appointment to do the consultation but first I would need to know if Dr. Kanellopoulos thinks I might be a candidate based my recent LASIK scans, report and the other information I shared above. I understand that he cannot know for sure based on this information if I am a candidate and that ultimately he needs to look at my eyes in person, but surely he would be able to determine if I at least might be a candidate based on this information, right?
Also, the receptionist I talked to over the phone said Dr. Kanellopoulos will be in his office from January 15th to January 19th. What if I come in on the 17th and he says I am a candidate for topography-guided LASIK. Would I be able to do it on the 17th, 18th, or 19th? If not, when will Dr. Kanellopoulos be back in his office?
Thank you so much,
Jake Passi
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from: Sophia Bourdou <sophia@laservision.gr>
to: jakepassi@gmail.com
date: Wed, Nov 8, 2017 at 12:55 AM
subject: Dr. Kanellopoulos -LASERVISION Athens-Greece
Dear Mr Passi,
Thank you for allowing us to evaluate your records.
After reviewing all the material with Dr. Kanellopoulos, we believe that we can help you with your vision.
A comprehensive evaluation of your ocular condition is required in order to select the optimal possible treatment ( possible Contoura Topo-guided LASIK correction).
Contoura correction costs 3500 euros per eye and if you decide to visit us, we need you in Athens for 3 days.
You may visit us on 17th of January for evaluation, have the operation on 18th and the post operative examination on 19th of January.
At your disposal for any further information.
Sophia Bourdou—
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from: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
to: Sophia Bourdou <sophia@laservision.gr>
date: Thu, Nov 9, 2017 at 11:13 PM
subject: Re: Dr. Kanellopoulos -LASERVISION Athens-Greece
Hi Sophia,
Thank you very much for getting back to me so quickly.
Does Dr. Kanellopoulos think he can help with my right eye, my left eye, or possibly both?
The LASIK surgeon I talked to recently at the CMU LASIK Center here in Chiang Mai, Thailand said the Contoura Vision system might be able to fix my right eye but probably not the left because (according to them) the glare/halos are caused by the circular LASIK scar which is smaller in diameter than my pupil at night. Does that sound right? It there no way to fix that problem with current technology? How about future technology like stem cell treatments?
Also, should I wait a certain amount of time after surgery before flying on a airplane? Is there any concern because of the pressure changes inside the cabin?
What do you recommend I do after the surgery? What can I do? What can't I do? For how long?
Thanks,
Jake
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from: Sophia Bourdou <sophia@laservision.gr>
to: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
date: Fri, Nov 10, 2017 at 3:26 AM
subject: Re: Dr. Kanellopoulos -LASERVISION Athens-Greece
Hi Jake,
Possible we can help you with your vision on both eyes, we could tell you for sure after your examination by Dr. Kanellopoulos.
After your post operation examination ( 19th of January), you could fly back.
Please find attached the post operation instructions.
We will provide you the drops and the goggles.
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from: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
to: Sophia Bourdou <sophia@laservision.gr>
date: Sun, Nov 12, 2017 at 11:46 PM
subject: Re: Dr. Kanellopoulos -LASERVISION Athens-Greece
Thanks Sophia. See you January 17th :)
Will Dr. Kanellopoulos be there on Saturday, January 20th? I already purchased my plane tickets to and from America so I can visit my family for Xmas and my return flight arrives in Thailand at 11pm on January 16th. So, unless they let me change my flight dates I wouldn't be able to arrive in Athens until 6:50pm your time on January 17th, so I might not be able to make my appointment. If we could bump everything forward a day (18th to the 20th) that would be perfect. Please advise.
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from: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
to: Sophia Bourdou <sophia@laservision.gr>
date: Mon, Nov 13, 2017 at 1:05 AM
subject: Re: Dr. Kanellopoulos -LASERVISION Athens-Greece
Yeah, I just tried changing my return flight date and they said it would cost about an extra $1000 just to move it one day earlier. I can't afford to do that... So the earliest I can get in is on January 17th at 6:50pm your time. Does Dr. Kanellopoulos do consultations in the evening, or would I be able to change my appointment to January 18th at 1pm your time?
Thanks,
Jake
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from: Sophia Bourdou <sophia@laservision.gr>
to: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
date: Mon, Nov 13, 2017 at 2:18 AM
subject: Re: Dr. Kanellopoulos -LASERVISION Athens-Greece
Dear jake,
You could have the consultation on Jan, 18th at 8:30 am and the operation on Jan, 19th. The post operation examination will be on Jan, 20th and you can fly back.
Thank you
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from: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
to: Sophia Bourdou <sophia@laservision.gr>
date: Mon, Nov 13, 2017 at 2:58 AM
subject: Re: Dr. Kanellopoulos -LASERVISION Athens-Greece
Ok let's do that :) Can you please change my appointment to January 18th at 8:30am?
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from: Sophia Bourdou <sophia@laservision.gr>
to: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
date: Mon, Nov 13, 2017 at 3:10 AM
subject: Re: Dr. Kanellopoulos -LASERVISION Athens-Greece
ok
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from: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
to: Sophia Bourdou <sophia@laservision.gr>
date: Mon, Nov 13, 2017 at 3:31 AM
subject: Re: Dr. Kanellopoulos -LASERVISION Athens-Greece
Thank you. Have a nice day :)
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from: Sophia Bourdou <sophia@laservision.gr>
to: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
date: Wed, Jan 17, 2018 at 2:37 AM
subject: Re: Dr. Kanellopoulos -LASERVISION Athens-Greece
Dear Jake,
I would like to confirm your appointment for tomorrow at 8:30.
Kind Regards
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from: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
to: Sophia Bourdou <sophia@laservision.gr>
date: Wed, Jan 17, 2018 at 2:47 AM
subject: Re: Dr. Kanellopoulos -LASERVISION Athens-Greece
Hi Sophia,
Confirmed. Thank you :)
I'm at the airport in Qatar waiting for my flight to Athens.
Is this the correct address?:
17 Tsocha Street
115 21 Athens, Greece
Thanks!
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from: Sophia Bourdou <sophia@laservision.gr>
to: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
date: Wed, Jan 17, 2018 at 2:50 AM
subject: Re: Dr. Kanellopoulos -LASERVISION Athens-Greece
It is the correct address!!!
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from: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
to: Sophia Bourdou <sophia@laservision.gr>
date: Sat, Jan 20, 2018 at 1:15 AM
subject: Re: Dr. Kanellopoulos -LASERVISION Athens-Greece
Hi Sophia, Flavia told me to come in today at 11am for my post op evaluation but it looks like the office is closed... Google also says the office is closed both today and tomorrow. What should I do? Doesn't Dr. Kanellopoulos need to check my eye, smooth out the flap and give me further instructions?
Also, didn't you tell me (in this email) that Dr. Kanellopoulos would be able to do the post op evaluation today (the 20th)? What happened?
I'm concerned for the health of my eye right now... I just had LASIK at your office yesterday.
Please respond to this email ASAP.
Thanks,
Jake
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from: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
to: Sophia Bourdou <sophia@laservision.gr>
date: Sat, Jan 20, 2018 at 1:45 AM
subject: Re: Dr. Kanellopoulos -LASERVISION Athens-Greece
Hi Sophia, nevermind, Vasso is here and she is taking care of me now. I arrived 10 minutes early which is probably why the office was still closed.
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from: Sophia Bourdou <sb.laservision@gmail.com>
to: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
date: Sat, Jan 20, 2018 at 3:03 AM
subject: Re: Dr. Kanellopoulos -LASERVISION Athens-Greece
if you need anything more you can also find as at +302107472777. 24 h / 7 days.
Sophia's Bourdou iPhone
Sophia Bourdou, COA
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from: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
to: "flavia@laservision.gr" <flavia@laservision.gr>
date: Tue, Jan 23, 2018 at 4:18 AM
subject: question
Hi Flavia, can you please tell me why I would have temporary extreme myopia after this LASIK procedure? I don't understand... What is the biological explanation for why this is happening to me? What is the biological explanation for why it should return to normal after a certain amount of time?
If Dr. Kanellopoulos accidentally overcorrected my right eye, would he or you tell me the truth?
This is bordering on unbearable... It is starting to wear me down. I am having a lot of difficulty interacting with people and doing work on my laptop.
Remember what I told you in the office upstairs just before I agreed to do the surgery? After my first LASIK procedure, I became suicidal and came very close to killing myself. Well this outcome (currently) is about twice as bad as it was then...
I need you to be straight with me. Is this going to be permanent? It's already been 4 days now since the surgery. My intuition tells me that it's going to be permanent. I need to know so that I can start doing research, making plans and saving money (if necessary) for a solution.
Should I be doing anything besides applying the drops at regular intervals to help it heal faster and correctly? Should I be spending less time on my computer or in front of the TV and more time outside so I can give my eyes plenty of exercise focusing near and far?
I feel like I may need to wear an eye patch or prosthetic contact lens to cope with the stress if my vision doesn't improve. Can I do this or would this be a bad idea?
Please, from one human to another, be completely honest with me.
Thank you,
Jake
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from: Flavia Tzani <flavia@laservision.gr>
to: jakepassi@gmail.com
cc: "A. John Kanellopoulos, MD" <ajkmd@mac.com>, Staff LaserVision <staff@laservision.gr>
date: Wed, Jan 24, 2018 at 9:30 AM
subject: Re: question
Hello Jake,
I shared your concerns with Dr Kanellopoulos. Your prescription before the procedure was mainly hyperopic and it is expected for you to be slightly myopic for a few days. It needs a little time to heal. Myopia will subside eventually.
Dr Kanellopoulos showed you the comparison maps: your cornea is more normalized now (the irregularity is gone).
Follow the instructions regarding the drops: dispersadron 4 times a day till tomorrow night, restasis 2 times a day (do not discontinue the restasis drops untill Dr Kanellopoulos advises you otherwise). In 2 weeks you should have your post operative examination, let us know how you are doing.
We look forward to hearing from you in 2 weeks. We will be happy to help if you have any additional questions.
Thank you,
Flavia Tzani
Optometrist
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from: info AJKMD <infoajkmd@gmail.com>
to: Flavia Tzani <flavia@laservision.gr>
cc: jakepassi@gmail.com, Staff LaserVision <staff@laservision.gr>
date: Wed, Jan 24, 2018 at 9:57 AM
subject: Re: question
Nothing to worry about Jake
Hang in there, as we discussed the vision will improve as fast as the dryness takes to subside
Keep us posted and Best Regards
Ajk
A. John Kanellopoulos,  MD
Medical Director: LaserVision.GR Institute
Athens, Greece
Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology
NYU Med School
New York City, NY
Twitter: @kanellopoulosMD
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from: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
to: info AJKMD <infoajkmd@gmail.com>
cc: Flavia Tzani <flavia@laservision.gr>, Staff LaserVision <staff@laservision.gr>
date: Thu, Jan 25, 2018 at 5:54 AM
subject: Re: question
Yeah, we'll see. You said it would be "slightly myopic" for a "few days" after the surgery and that it would be temporary. It is extremely myopic, this is day 6 and I don't think there has been any improvement so far...
Before the surgery you said there was a 90 to 95 percent probability that you could improve the vision in my right eye by 80 to 90 percent. Also, I'm pretty sure you said not to worry, that there was a zero percent chance that my vision could get any worse...
You are published in numerous scientific journals. You are internationally renowned. You are known for helping people who have LASIK complications. And you seemed like a pretty empathetic, down to earth person to me based on your interviews and YouTube videos. I chose you over all other LASIK surgeons in the entire world for these reasons. And still, this happened...
In the event that the vision in my right eye doesn't improve over time:
1. If a mistake was made, I would like to know what it was so it can be avoided in the future.
2. If there is something about my right eye which produces inaccurate measurements with one or more of your machines, I would like to know that too. That is my suspicion...
3. If there is something about my right eye which makes it a poor candidate for LASIK due to a biological anomaly or something else like an excessive immune response which causes unexpected healing, I want that to be determined and noted in a scientific journal.
4. I want your guarantee that you will do everything in your power to restore the vision in my right eye and make sure that the mistake which was made or mechanical malfunction with one of your machines doesn't happen with anyone else.
Can you please answer some of the questions I asked in the previous email?:
1. Why would I have temporary extreme myopia after this LASIK procedure? I don't understand... What is the biological explanation for why this is happening to me? What is the biological explanation for why it should return to normal after a certain amount of time?
2. Should I be doing anything besides applying the drops at regular intervals to help it heal faster and correctly? Should I be spending less time on my computer or in front of the TV and more time outside so I can give my eyes plenty of exercise focusing near and far?
3. I feel like I may need to wear an eye patch or prosthetic occluder contact lens to cope with the stress if my vision doesn't improve. Can I do this or would this be a bad idea? How long should I wait after the procedure before I wear an occluder lens (eye patch contact lens)?
Thanks,
Jake
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from: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
to: info AJKMD <infoajkmd@gmail.com>
cc: Flavia Tzani <flavia@laservision.gr>, Staff LaserVision <staff@laservision.gr>
date: Sat, Jan 27, 2018 at 7:57 PM
subject: Re: question
Could someone please answer my questions? These are very serious health-related questions which should have been answered right away. Don't leave me in the dark here...
I had an appointment yesterday at CMU LASIK Center. The head surgeon, Dr. Chulalak said my right eye looks a little swollen. She said we won't know what the final condition is going to be like until one month after the surgery. We did all the scans but they only sent me one scan (or a composite of scans) so far. The receptionist said she will send me all 6 scans on Monday. Attached is the one scan she sent me. What is your interpretation of it?
Thanks,
Jake
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from: A john kanellopoulos <ajkmd@mac.com>
to: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
cc: info AJKMD <infoajkmd@gmail.com>, Flavia Tzani <flavia@laservision.gr>, Staff LaserVision <staff@laservision.gr>
date: Sun, Jan 28, 2018 at 5:41 AM
subject: Re: question
Dear Jake
Everything looks normal for week 1
As the doctors there told you and we discussed together it will take a few weeks for your eye to heal 2-4 and several months for the transient dry eye to subside
I would not use the term “extreme” myopia, but it is customary to measure myopic numbers 0.5-1 the first few weeks when a hyperopic correction takes place
This happens for one of all the reasons below
1- dry eye
2- you maybe still accommodating so the real measurements need to be done with cycloplegia
3- your flap maybe swollen from the topical drop toxicity
I would start using cyclosporine drops ( Restasis) twice a day for the next 6 months, and everything will be fine
As we discussed we will do everything possible and as many diagnostics and treatments available to make your eyes the best possible
I am confident that once your right eye heals you will then complain for your left
I also share with the pain of these weeks that you just have to wait, unfortunately thee is little we can do to accelerate normal healing processes
Give it time and it will be better than it was in regard to quality of vision
Hang in there and keep in mind we will always be here on your side, even if there is something do be done that we cannot do, I will let you know right away
Best Regards
A. John Kanellopoulos,  MD
Medical Director: LaserVision.GR Institute
Athens, Greece
Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology
NYU Med School
New York City, NY
Twitter: @kanellopoulosMD
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from: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
to: A john kanellopoulos <ajkmd@mac.com>
date: Mon, Jan 29, 2018 at 8:45 PM
subject: Re: question
Dear Dr. Kanellopoulos,
Thank you. That is exactly what I needed to hear. This isn't easy for me... I've been dealing with a lot of stress, headaches, dizziness, social anxiety and have been shifting back and forth between anger, hopelessness and despair ever since the surgery. The stress is starting to make me feel numb and detached again, which I worked very hard to try to heal for years before finally deciding to do this surgery with you. Eventually I gave up and realized that it would always be an uphill battle and that I would never be whole or be able to reach my full potential until I got my vision fixed.
I apologize for not trusting you and being patient but I have some serious trust issues with doctors... When I was a kid I had Tourette's and my doctor put me on a number of different pharmaceutical drugs including Clonidine, Valium and eventually Haloperidol (Haldol). The Haloperidol (an anti-psychotic which is no longer given to children in America) caused me to wake up one morning unable to move any muscle in my entire body except for my eyes and eyelids. It took me 6 weeks to recover. It was absolutely terrifying for myself and my family. Then in my teens a doctor put me on a number of antidepressants to treat my depression which only made me feel more depressed and lethargic. And then, in my early 20's I got LASIK surgery with an optometrist in Chicago who did not adequately explain the risks to me. I had a serious complication in my right eye which completely devastated my life. I could no longer read, I had to quit my job at UPS and had to drop out of school. A year later I did an enhancement with him but there was no real improvement and he said "I'm sorry, there's nothing we can do for you. Good luck." and showed me the door. So please understand my distrust and lack of patience. I want to trust you but it is very difficult for me...
I have switched to only using the artificial tears every 2 hours or so. I am picking up my prescription for Restasis in 30 minutes. How long should I continue using the artificial tears? How many times should I use the Restasis drops per day?
Can you please explain what you mean when you say "you maybe still accommodating so the real measurements need to be done with cycloplegia"? Google says cycloplegia means "paralysis of the ciliary muscle of the eye." Why would I have that? That makes me think about what happened after my first touch up in my right eye with the same surgeon (Dr. Burger) in Chicago. Before the first touch up my right eye was completely blurry and totally useless even when I close my left eye. After the 1st touch up it was decent but only when I closed my left eye. When both eyes were open the lights (seen by my right eye) would spread back into a circle. This was very frustrating... I never understood why that happened. I wondered if it had something to do with neurological suppression of the image (since it was like that for one year before the touch up) or if it had something to do with the muscle being overworked or underused. Any idea? Or is it because that eye was hyperopic or myopic and couldn't work in conjunction with a plano eye when looking at objects at a certain distance? I also sometimes wonder if this strange anomaly caused inaccurate readings by one of more of your diagnostic machines. Is that possible?
The surgeon at CMU LASIK Center sent me all 6 scans of my right eye and left eye yesterday. They are attached to this email.
I don't know how to read these scans but most concerning to me is the before and after comparison of the Zernike Analysis of my right eye. It looks terrible... Take a look: https://imgur.com/a/B8uLO
To compare, here is the most recent Zernike Analysis of my left eye: https://imgur.com/a/7Flpo
What is your interpretation of the Zernike Analysis of my right eye? Do you really think something that abnormal looking could normalize over time and produce excellent vision as you say?
One last question: I want to order an occluder contact lens just in case the vision in my right eye doesn't improve. Can I do this or would this be a bad idea? How long should I wait after the procedure before I wear an occluder lens (eye patch contact lens)? Most surgeons online recommend waiting at least one month before wearing any sort of soft contact lens but they all recommend asking one's surgeon. So what do you think? I have already ordered an eye patch and will be using it when I work on my laptop. I'm assuming this is safe. Is it?
Thanks,
Jake
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from: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
to: A john kanellopoulos <ajkmd@mac.com>
date: Mon, Feb 5, 2018 at 9:53 PM
subject: Re: question
Hi Dr. Kanellopoulos
I would really appreciate a response to my last email. It's been a week...
Thanks,
Jake
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from: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
to: Flavia Tzani <flavia@laservision.gr>
date: Wed, Feb 7, 2018 at 7:40 PM
subject: questions
Hi Flavia,
Can you please ask Dr. Kanellopoulos to respond to my last email? I've been waiting for 10 days now. He ignored my follow up email sent 3 days ago as well. This is not how patients should be treated, especially ones you may have caused harm to (which seems to be the case considering it's day 20 now and my vision is just as bad as it was on days 2 and 3)...
I asked the following questions. The last one (about the occluder lens) I have asked 3 times now via email and still have not received a response. I need a response to that question soon. Here they are. Let me know if you can answer any of them:
I have switched to only using the artificial tears every 2 hours or so. I am picking up my prescription for Restasis in 30 minutes. How long should I continue using the artificial tears? How many times should I use the Restasis drops per day?
Can you please explain what you mean when you say "you maybe still accommodating so the real measurements need to be done with cycloplegia"? Google says cycloplegia means "paralysis of the ciliary muscle of the eye." Why would this need to be done? Why would this be happening? That makes me think about what happened after my first touch up in my right eye with the same surgeon (Dr. Burger) in Chicago. Before the first touch up my right eye was completely blurry and totally useless even when I close my left eye. After the 1st touch up it was decent but only when I closed my left eye. When both eyes were open the lights (seen by my right eye) would spread back into a circle. This was very frustrating... I never understood why that happened. I wondered if it had something to do with neurological suppression of the image (since it was like that for one year before the touch up) or if it had something to do with the muscle being overworked or underused. Any idea? Or is it because that eye was hyperopic or myopic and couldn't work in conjunction with a plano eye when looking at objects at a certain distance? I also sometimes wonder if this strange anomaly caused inaccurate readings by one of more of your diagnostic machines. Is that possible?
The surgeon at CMU LASIK Center sent me all 6 scans of my right eye and left eye yesterday. They are attached to this email (the one I sent Dr. Kanellopoulos).
I don't know how to read these scans but most concerning to me is the before and after comparison of the Zernike Analysis of my right eye. It looks terrible... Take a look: https://imgur.com/a/B8uLO
To compare, here is the most recent Zernike Analysis of my left eye: https://imgur.com/a/7Flpo
What is your interpretation of the Zernike Analysis of my right eye? Do you really think something that abnormal looking could normalize over time and produce excellent vision as you say?
One last question: I want to order an occluder contact lens just in case the vision in my right eye doesn't improve. Can I do this or would this be a bad idea? How long should I wait after the procedure before I wear an occluder lens (eye patch contact lens)? Most surgeons online recommend waiting at least one month before wearing any sort of soft contact lens but they all recommend asking one's surgeon. So what do you think? I have already ordered an eye patch and will be using it when I work on my laptop. I'm assuming this is safe. Is it?
Thanks,
Jake
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from: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
to: Sophia Bourdou <sophia@laservision.gr>, Staff LaserVision <staff@laservision.gr>, "info@laservision.gr" <info@laservision.gr>
 date: Thu, Feb 8, 2018 at 8:08 PM
subject: ignored emails
Hi there, can you please tell Dr. Kanellopoulos to respond to my last email? I've been waiting for a response for 11 days now. He also ignored my follow up email which I sent 4 days ago. It contains several important questions including some questions about LASIK post op care.
Thanks,
Jake Passi
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from: Flavia Tzani <flavia@laservision.gr>
to: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
cc: Sophia Bourdou <sophia@laservision.gr>, Staff LaserVision <staff@laservision.gr>, "info@laservision.gr" <info@laservision.gr>, "A. John Kanellopoulos, MD" <ajkmd@mac.com>
date: Fri, Feb 9, 2018 at 8:46 AM
subject: Re: ignored emails
Hello Jake,
As Dr Kanellopoulos mentioned in his previous email you should use Restasis twice a day for 6 months. Regarding the use of lubricant eye drops (artificial tears), there is no limitation, you can use those as often as you need to.
We do not recommend the use of an occluder contact lens or an eye patch either. You should give it some time, we have discussed that it will take several months for the dryness to subside.
We haven't received your scans from CMU LASIK Center. Could you please email us those measurements?
Kind regards,
Flavia Tzani
Optometrist
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from: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
to: Flavia Tzani <flavia@laservision.gr>
cc: Sophia Bourdou <sophia@laservision.gr>, Staff LaserVision <staff@laservision.gr>, "info@laservision.gr" <info@laservision.gr>, "A. John Kanellopoulos, MD" <ajkmd@mac.com>
date: Sat, Feb 10, 2018 at 8:35 PM
subject: Re: ignored emails
Hi Flavia,
Thank you for your response. Ok I will continue using Restasis twice per day for the next 5 months and the artificial tears when I need them.
Alright, I will hold off on getting an occluder lens. I tried an eye patch already but don't like it because it forces my eyelid to remain closed. I couldn't tell if blacking out the image reduced my stress while working on my laptop because was very uncomfortable.
What about prescription glasses or soft contact lenses? Should I try to get a pair of glasses (or contact lenses) to correct the refractive error? How long until after surgery should I wait before I wear soft contact lenses?
I sent all 12 scans from January 27th only to Dr. Kanellopoulos because I thought he was taking over the conversation. I did not receive a response.
Attached are all 12 scans (plus the first one they sent me).
My one month post op evaluation is on February 16th at the CMU LASIK Center. I will send you the next set of scans when I receive them.
Thanks,
Jake
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from: Flavia Tzani <flavia@laservision.gr>
to: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
cc: Flavia Tzani <flavia@laservision.gr>, Sophia Bourdou <sophia@laservision.gr>, Staff LaserVision <staff@laservision.gr>, "info@laservision.gr" <info@laservision.gr>, "A. John Kanellopoulos, MD" <ajkmd@mac.com>
date: Fri, Feb 16, 2018 at 8:30 AM
subject: Re: ignored emails
Dear Jake,
Dr Kanellopoulos reviewed the topography scans you sent us. Regarding the right eye: the post operative corneal images look much better, the irregularity has improved a lot and the corneal shape is more homogeneous now.
You will find attached the comparison between the pre operative images we performed on 19JAN18 and the post operative images you emailed us. The anterior irregularity indices have also improved.
In your email you asked if you should wear glasses or contact lenses to improve your vision: you do not need glasses or contact lenses, you just have to continue the Restasis drops and wait for the dryness to subside.
Best regards,
Flavia Tzani
Optometrist
---------------------------------------------------------------
from: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
to: Flavia Tzani <flavia@laservision.gr>,
A john kanellopoulos <ajkmd@mac.com>
date: Sun, Feb 18, 2018 at 7:14 AM
subject: one month post-surgery checkup
Hi Flavia & Dr. Kanellopoulos,
I had my one month post-surgery checkup on February 16th at the CMU LASIK Center with Dr. Chulalak. Attached are all the scans of my right eye plus some before (from March 10th, 2017) and after comparisons.
She said the swelling has gone down but didn't say if it has gone down completely. She said my vision is 20/20 in my right eye (shockingly) as I was able to just barely make out the 20/20 line of numbers (in spite of the blurriness). She said my current vision is -0.5 (I'm assuming diopters). She said the irregular astigmatism should continue to decrease over the next few months. She said she thinks Dr. Kanellopoulos made some improvements... but it does not feel that way for me.
This is very frustrating honestly because the vision in my right eye is only a little bit better than it was on days 2 and 3. It is still very blurry during the day and at night it is a complete disaster - I think worse than ever before. It looks very similar to the way it looked after my first surgery 8 years ago with the daytime blurriness and lights spread into a circle at night. Here is what I see when looking at text on my computer screen:
https://imgur.com/a/LGbpu
And here is what I see when looking at streetlights and headlights at night:
https://imgur.com/a/yXyoy
As you can imagine, this is very disorienting. It caused a lot of headaches, eye aches and dizziness during the first 3 weeks. Now, fortunately, the stress and accompanying side effects (listed above) have decreased but I think that is mainly because my brain has started suppressing the image from my right eye. I am still having trouble staying focused when working on my laptop (especially while reading) and am having trouble interacting with people in person because (1) it is difficult to maintain eye contact with them, (2) my face/eyes are always tired which makes me feel insecure about my appearance, and (3) I have trouble staying focused on the conversation depending on what time of day it is, room brightness, number of bright lights around me, etc.
Here are my questions:
1. How would you classify the vision distortion simulated above? Is it monocular polyopia due to an irregular astigmatism or is it myopia which is causing the streetlights/headlights to spread into a circle? Or a combination of the two? Something else?
2. By looking at the most recent scans (attached), are you able to see what is causing the ghosting/circular focal point spread? Are there still higher order aberrations close to the center of the pupil?
3. Do you recommend a touch up surgery to try and correct these higher order aberrations and/or the myopia at some point in the future? Can it even be fixed? If so, with the same technique - topography-guided LASIK - or something else? And if so, how long do you think we should wait?
4. I tried to contact both of the surgeons who performed LASIK on me in the past. The optometrist or ophthalmologist (Dr. William Brand in Lombard, IL) who set up the first LASIK procedure with Dr. Burger (based in Florida I think) apparently had his staff delete my records after they refunded my money so I am unable to find out what my prescription was before and after I did LASIK with him. The assistant for the second surgeon (Dr. David Shapiro in Ventura, CA) who performed LASIK on me 3 years ago (the 2nd touch up for my right eye) said the prescription for my right eye before doing LASIK with him was as follows:
+1.00+1.00x105 (20/15 -1)
That was from October 31st, 2012. Then 3 years later after doing LASIK with him the prescription for my right eye was:
+0.25+0.75x120 (20/15)
That was from October 13th, 2015. I'm not sure how long after the procedure that prescription was recorded. Probably 1 to 3 months.
Then on February 16th I asked Dr. Chulalak at CMU LASIK Center what my right eye prescription was on March 10th, 2017 (before I did LASIK with you) and what it is now. She said it was +0.25 before the procedure and -0.5 now. I asked her why your diagnostic machines would say it was +1.25 without dilation and +1.75 with dilation while hers and Dr. Shapiro's would both say +0.25 and she said "oh that doesn't mean anything, every surgeon uses different measurements." This does not make sense to me... Isn't there an international standard? Aren't these measurements in diopters? Doesn't the fact that her diagnostic machines and Dr. Shapiro's diagnostic machines both produced a measurement of +0.25 but your diagnostic machines produced a measurement of +1.25/+1.75 mean that your diagnostic machines most likely produced an inaccurate measurement which resulted in a bad outcome?
Please be honest with me. I don't want to point fingers. I don't want to shame anyone. I promise never to contact a lawyer or anything like that. I just want to fix my vision once and for all. It's been 8 years of dealing with this, of being limited by this, of being worn down emotionally by the stress. I can't take it anymore. Please help me figure out a solution.
Thank you,
Jake
---------------------------------------------------------------
from: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
to: A john kanellopoulos <ajkmd@mac.com>, Flavia Tzani <flavia@laservision.gr>
date: Wed, Feb 28, 2018 at 12:54 AM
subject: Re: one month post-surgery checkup
I've been waiting for a response to this email for 10 days now. How long do you guys expect me to wait?
Please respond. If I was a doctor I would never do this to one of my patients...
---------------------------------------------------------------
from: Flavia Tzani <flavia@laservision.gr>
to: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
cc: Flavia Tzani <flavia@laservision.gr>, A john kanellopoulos <ajkmd@mac.com>, Staff LaserVision <staff@laservision.gr>
date: Thu, Mar 1, 2018 at 10:36 PM
subject: Re: one month post-surgery checkup
Dear Jake,
We reviewed your latest scans: the corneal surface is even more normalized one month postoperatively.
Regarding the touch up surgery you are asking: we should wait at least 3 months prior any intervention and ensure that your measurements are consistent.
Best regards,
Flavia Tzani
Optometrist
---------------------------------------------------------------
from: Flavia Tzani <flavia@laservision.gr>
to: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
cc: Sophia Bourdou <sophia@laservision.gr>, Maria Paraskevopoulou <p.maria@laservision.gr>
date: Tue, Mar 6, 2018 at 8:04 PM
subject: Re: one month post-surgery checkup
Dear Jake,
My colleagues informed me that you called on Monday morning but we are abroad to attend a conference, can I give you a call next Monday 12MAR18?
---------------------------------------------------------------
from: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
to: Flavia Tzani <flavia@laservision.gr>
cc: Maria Paraskevopoulou <p.maria@laservision.gr>, Sophia Bourdou <sophia@laservision.gr>
date: Tue, Mar 6, 2018 at 9:26 PM
subject: Re: one month post-surgery checkup
Hi Flavia,
Yes, that's fine, but I want to speak with Dr. Kanellopoulos himself.
Honestly, I'm very dissatisfied with your last response. I asked 4 very specific questions (which took a lot of time to properly construct). You sent me 40 words and only answered one of them partially. Imagine how I feel... Those questions were to help me determine whether or not Dr. Kanellopoulos knows what went wrong with the last procedure, why my vision got worse, what's wrong with my eye currently and whether or not he can even fix it. I want Dr. Kanellopoulos to call me and discuss this with me. For 3500 euros I think I should be able to talk with my own doctor when I need to. And if he doesn't have time to talk to me then he accepts way too many patients at one time. A doctor should always have time to speak to one of his patients, especially one who is experiencing serious complications from a procedure he performed.
Thanks,
Jake
---------------------------------------------------------------
from: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
to: Flavia Tzani <flavia@laservision.gr>
date: Thu, Mar 15, 2018 at 10:22 PM
subject: (no subject)
"Your vision, our mission." What I wanted to say was, I really hope that's true because for the past month I've been feeling like I got conned and physically harmed at the same time. My friends and family have been telling me to contact a lawyer and demand a refund. Taking into account the worsened vision, the stress, the pre-op/post-op numbers not adding up, the ignored emails, the unanswered questions, Dr. Kanellopoulos cutting off all contact about a month ago, your receptionist hanging up on me, etc., I've been seriously considering it... However, I want to give you guys every opportunity to make this right. Please make this right.
What are the scans or measurements you need at the 3-month mark? Let me know so I can ask the surgeon at CMU LASIK Center and make an appointment.
Thanks,
Jake
---------------------------------------------------------------
from: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
to: Flavia Tzani <flavia@laservision.gr>, A john kanellopoulos <ajkmd@mac.com>, Staff LaserVision <staff@laservision.gr>, info@laservision.gr, Sophia Bourdou <sophia@laservision.gr>
date: Sat, Apr 7, 2018 at 9:29 AM
subject: 3-month check up
Dear Flavia & Dr. Kanellopoulos,
My 3-month check up at CMU LASIK Center is coming up in a couple weeks. What scans or measurements do you need me to send?
I have really been suffering a lot these few months. I need you to understand that. The LASIK procedure you performed on me has undoubtedly made my vision significantly worse and that is reflected in both the way I feel and in the results for all the free vision tests I have done with various optometrists around the city. Here are photos of the results for three of those tests:
https://imgur.com/a5jrS9I
https://imgur.com/REzCsyc
https://imgur.com/hGSv04i
As you can see when using the automatic prescription machine the prescription for my right eye usually reads -1.5 or -1.75 with a -0.25 to -1.0 astigmatism. When checking my prescription manually optometrists usually settle on -1.25 with a -0.75 astigmatism.
Here is roughly what I see when trying to read text on my computer screen:
https://imgur.com/XKo3I85
Here is roughly what I see when looking at headlights and streetlights at night:
https://imgur.com/X5ZuGuA
Except I think it's gotten much worse now. It's more distorted. More asymmetrical. More blurry.
Is this what you expected? Is this what you would consider a success? Is this the "slight myopia" you were talking about? If I had known this could/would be the result I never would have agreed to do the surgery in the first place...
This has been a complete nightmare for me. I've become a recluse. I'm struggling with my work. I've lost most of my friends. My health is worse than it's been in a long time. My scalp is burning every day from the stress and I feel burnt out emotionally. I've been contemplating suicide almost every single day...
How are you gonna make this right? What are you gonna do to fix this? When are you gonna fix this?
I really think I deserve some compensation for all the suffering you've put me through. At least pay for my plane tickets and living costs for a week in Athens so I can afford to come back and do another surgery. I never expected to have to come back. The way you described it, I might end up being slightly myopic (like -0.25 or -0.5) and wouldn't really need to come back for a touch up unless I wanted to. Well it looks like I ended up being extremely myopic (-1.25 to -1.75) with a severe astigmatism (-0.75 or so) and now I need to come back before this completely destroys my life and my health.
Please search your hearts and do the right thing here,
Sincerely,
Jake
---------------------------------------------------------------
from: A john kanellopoulos <ajkmd@mac.com>
to: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
cc: Flavia Tzani <flavia@laservision.gr>, Staff LaserVision <staff@laservision.gr>, info@laservision.gr, Sophia Bourdou <sophia@laservision.gr>
date: Tue, Apr 10, 2018 at 4:54 PM
subject: Re: 3-month check up
Dear Jake
thank you for the update
we are actually in the NY office this week and will certainly review your data when back from the annual ASCRS meeting in DC
I certainly understand you have been having a rough time as you describe
I cannot access the links sent, can you please email us PDF forms?
remember that all dryness needs to have subsided prior to accessing quality of vision, which from your last cornea images that I took a look at had improved
please send us PDF images of the scans and will get back to you when back in Athens
Best Regards
ajk
A. John Kanellopoulos, MD
president of the International Society of Refractive Surgery,  partner of the American Academy of Ophthalmology
Medical Director, The Laservision.gr Research & Clinical Eye Institute
17 Tsocha Street, Athens Greece. Postal Code: 11521
Tel: + 30 (21) 7472777, Fax: + 30 (210) 7472789
Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology,
NYU Medical School, NY
---------------------------------------------------------------
from: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
to: A john kanellopoulos <ajkmd@mac.com>
cc: Flavia Tzani <flavia@laservision.gr>, Sophia Bourdou <sophia@laservision.gr>, Staff LaserVision <staff@laservision.gr>, info@laservision.gr
date: Tue, Apr 10, 2018 at 10:27 PM
subject: Re: 3-month check up
Hi Dr. Kanellopoulos,
Flavia said she would tell me what scans or measurements you need from CMU LASIK Center before my next appointment on April 19th. This is the second time I have asked via email and I still have not received a response. My appointment is in a week. Please tell me what you need.
I don't think dryness is an issue. My right eye hasn't felt dry in over a month.
Attached are all 5 images I linked you to in the previous email. Please look at them and let me know your thoughts.
Thanks,
Jake
---------------------------------------------------------------
from: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
to: Flavia Tzani <flavia@laservision.gr>
date: Mon, Apr 16, 2018 at 2:34 AM
subject: 3 month checkup
Hi Flavia,
Can you please tell me what scans and measurements Dr. Kanellopoulos needs from CMU LASIK Center for my 3 month checkup? This is the 4th time I've asked you via email. A month ago you told me over the phone that you would tell me before my appointment. Well my appointment is on Friday. I would appreciate it if you could please make responding to me a priority. I'm getting very frustrated here. This is not appropriate at all and really isn't helping my mood or how I feel about this whole situation.
Thanks,
Jake
---------------------------------------------------------------
from: Flavia Tzani <flavia@laservision.gr>
to: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
cc: "A. John Kanellopoulos, MD" <ajkmd@mac.com>, Sophia Bourdou <sophia@laservision.gr>, Laser Vision Laservision <reception@laservision.gr>, Staff LaserVision <staff@laservision.gr>
date: Mon, Apr 16, 2018 at 3:25 AM
subject: Re: 3 month checkup
Dear Jake,
The measurements we need you to have for your 3-month post operative check are the following:
•Corneal topography (Placido disk topography)
•Corneal tomography (Pentacam Oculyzer scan)
•OCT Anterior Segment scan (corneal thickness and epithelial mapping)
•Visual Acuity testing
•Autorefraction
•Manifest dry Refraction
•Cycloplegic Refraction (and a Wavefront measurement after the cycloplegic refraction)
Please send us all the measurements and scans after your examination on Friday and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Yours sincerely,
Flavia Tzani
Optometrist
---------------------------------------------------------------
from: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
to: Flavia Tzani <flavia@laservision.gr>
cc: "A. John Kanellopoulos, MD" <ajkmd@mac.com>, Laser Vision Laservision <reception@laservision.gr>, Sophia Bourdou <sophia@laservision.gr>, Staff LaserVision <staff@laservision.gr>
date: Mon, Apr 16, 2018 at 8:41 AM
subject: Re: 3 month checkup
Thank you. I have informed the staff at CMU LASIK Center. I'll send all the scans and measurements once they send them to me.
Have a nice week,
Jake
---------------------------------------------------------------
from: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
to: Flavia Tzani <flavia@laservision.gr>
cc: "A. John Kanellopoulos, MD" <ajkmd@mac.com>, Laser Vision Laservision <reception@laservision.gr>, Sophia Bourdou <sophia@laservision.gr>, Staff LaserVision <staff@laservision.gr>
date: Fri, Apr 20, 2018 at 1:46 AM
subject: Re: 3 month checkup
Dear Dr. Kanellopoulos and Flavia,
Attached are all the scans and measurements from my 3-month checkup at CMU LASIK Center. Included is the report from Dr. Chulaluck herself.
Please note that I don't think they did a proper manual vision test because they used those little glasses where you swap out the lenses (instead of a phoropter), they based it on the results of the autorefractor, they used a stationary Snellen eye chart (the same one as last time) for which I have memorized all the lines - instead of a unique projected one - and they spent less than 5 minutes doing it.
Also please note that Dr. Chulaluck has no idea what is causing the vision distortions simulated below. She says she doesn't think it's myopia because myopic patients would see just blurry balls of light when looking at headlights and streetlights. She doesn't seem to know what monocular polyopia is and admits that she just doesn't have enough knowledge or experience to diagnose the problem with my vision or determine what might be causing it.
https://imgur.com/XKo3I85
https://imgur.com/X5ZuGuA
Once again, here are the three autorefractor results I got at various optometrist's offices around the city within the past 30 days:
https://imgur.com/a5jrS9I
https://imgur.com/REzCsyc
https://imgur.com/hGSv04i
I'm confused as to why the autofractor at CMU LASIK Center would produce completely different results for my right eye. However, I understand that these machines are notoriously inaccurate... The three manual vision tests I did at these optometrist's offices also produced completely different results from that of the manual vision test they performed today at CMU LASIK Center. They usually settle on -1.25 with an astigmatism of -0.75 and when I wear a contact lens which is -1.25 it significantly reduces the polyopic images and merges them closer into one so I feel like that's probably pretty accurate.
Here are my questions:
1. What is your analysis of these scans and measurements taking into account all the additional information I have provided?
2. What do you think is the problem? Can you see the cause(s) of the vision distortion in the scans? Is it myopia or monocular polyopia, or both, or something else? Could it be cerebral polyopia? I don't think so because this all started with my first LASIK procedure (though I did have some astigmatism in my right eye initially which is why I got LASIK in the first place). Also, when I look through a pinhole with my right eye the polyopic images disappear. I feel like it has to be due to higher order aberrations on the surface of my cornea where my pupil is reaching.
3. What went wrong with the procedure you performed? Why did it make my vision worse? Why did it cause the polyopic images to spread out further into a circle? Why did it cause my daytime vision to become more blurry? Did you or your staff miss something? Was something important not taken into account? Do you think there could be an unknown factor which was not detected (or inaccurately reported) by one of your scanning machines or manual tests?
4. Do you think you can fix this problem? If so, how? How confident are you that you can fix it? Remember, you said you felt there was a 90 to 95 percent chance that you could improve the vision in my right eye by 80 to 90 percent and you didn't think there was any chance it could get worse...
Please answer all of my questions this time. I know I'm just one of many patients to you and that you have limited time but this is my life, my health, my well-being and my future at stake here...
Thank you and please let me know if you need anything else.
Sincerely,
Jake Passi
---------------------------------------------------------------
from: Flavia Tzani <flavia@laservision.gr>
to: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
cc: Flavia Tzani <flavia@laservision.gr>, "A. John Kanellopoulos, MD" <ajkmd@mac.com>, Laser Vision Laservision <reception@laservision.gr>, Sophia Bourdou <sophia@laservision.gr>, Staff LaserVision <staff@laservision.gr>
date: Fri, Apr 27, 2018 at 11:27 AM
subject: Re: 3 month checkup
Dear Jake,
Dr Kanellopoulos reviewed all the comparison scans and measurements you had last week. Your cornea looks much more regular now. If your refraction remains stable in a 6-month period then you can have a myopic laser correction, which would be part of the first procedure, without any additional fees.
Best regards,
Flavia Tzani
Optometrist
---------------------------------------------------------------
from: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
to: Flavia Tzani <flavia@laservision.gr>
cc: "A. John Kanellopoulos, MD" <ajkmd@mac.com>, Flavia Tzani <flavia@laservision.gr>, Laser Vision Laservision <reception@laservision.gr>, Sophia Bourdou <sophia@laservision.gr>, Staff LaserVision <staff@laservision.gr>
date: Fri, Apr 27, 2018 at 12:03 PM
subject: Re: 3 month checkup
Flavia, I need my doctor to respond and I need ALL my questions answered. Why can he not do this for me? I'm a paying customer and a patient who trusted him to help me. You're telling me to do another surgery without providing any details or giving me any assurances. That is extremely irresponsible and disrespectful.
I would like to schedule a 10 minute phone call with my doctor. Can this be arranged?
Thanks,
Jake
---------------------------------------------------------------
from: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
to: Flavia Tzani <flavia@laservision.gr>
cc: "A. John Kanellopoulos, MD" <ajkmd@mac.com>, Laser Vision Laservision <reception@laservision.gr>, Sophia Bourdou <sophia@laservision.gr>, Staff LaserVision <staff@laservision.gr>
date: Mon, Apr 30, 2018 at 2:01 PM
subject: Re: 3 month checkup
You know what, that's it. I've had enough. My trust in you and Dr. Kanellopoulos has been completely destroyed. There's no way I would feel safe letting him perform LASIK on me again. I sent you 626 words, 17 scans, 3 photographs, 2 simulations I created in Photoshop and 15 questions. I put a lot of time and effort into constructing those questions. You sent me 55 words and only answered one of them partially. This is the second time you've done this to me. I have several very important medical questions that are vital to my recovery which remain ignored/unanswered.
Did you or Dr. Kanellopoulos even look at the vision simulations I created in Photoshop? Is that complete mess the expected outcome? Is that what you would call a success? You didn't even address them or mention the words "irregular astigmatism", "higher order aberrations" or "monocular polyopia." You ignored this data entirely in multiple emails. That in itself is a form of medical malpractice - negligence.
I gotta tell you, I'm on the verge of leaving a very lengthy, very detailed, very negative review on Google, Yelp, Facebook, YouTube and Vimeo. That's how pissed off I am right now.
I have never been more disappointed in someone in my entire life. I mean that. That's directed towards both of you.
I feel like I got conned and abused at the same time. All done with a smile on your faces.
If you don't make this right, I will take things into my own hands and use what power I have to balance out this injustice.
Here is what I want:
1. I WANT A FULL REFUND! 3500 euros. Dr. Kanellopoulos lied to me. He told me there was a 90 to 95 percent chance that he could improve the vision in my right eye by 80 to 90 percent. He said there was a ZERO percent chance that it could get any worse. Well guess what, he made the vision in my right eye 80 to 90 percent worse! It's blurry during the day and absolutely horrendous at night. He then went on to tell me everything is fine, that there's nothing to worry about and suddenly started ignoring my emails which expressed very serious concerns and had his assistant send half-assed responses several weeks later. I think it's pretty clear at this point that he massively overcorrected my right eye because he used inaccurate measurements. He told me that the prescription for my right eye was +1.25 before the surgery when in actuality it was only +0.25 with an astigmatism. I have records of this data from both CMU LASIK Center one year earlier and from my surgeon in California (Dr. Shapiro) 3 years earlier. My prescription now is -1.25 with an even worse astigmatism and I know this because that is what feels best when I wear both glasses and contacts. You also ignored this information and let me suffer for 3 months by telling me not to wear glasses or contacts when I desperately needed them. Yes, I want a full refund. I deserve that. I'm going to need another surgery in the near future because of this and you should be the ones to pay for it.
2. I want an additional 3500 euros for my flights, living costs in Athens for a week, 6-month supply of Restasis (which wasn't provided and should've been), additional appointments and scans at CMU LASIK Center, the expensive pair of glasses and lenses I had to buy to correct (only partially) the problem you created, the financial losses I have incurred by not being able to perform my job as well as I used to and all the pain and suffering you've put me through over the past three months (both physical and emotional) which I will probably continue to experience for years to come.
3. I want a sincere apology from both Dr. Kanellopoulos and Flavia for botching this surgery and treating me like shit in the aftermath.
I'll give you one week to decide - until Monday, May 7th, 11:59pm Athens time. Then I will start leaving lengthy/detailed/negative reviews on those 5 websites at a rate of one per day. After that I will start posting my review in the comments for articles written by Dr. Kanellopoulos, articles about Dr. Kanellopoulos and lastly articles which simply mention his name. I will do the same on YouTube and Vimeo as well. After that I will make posts in various LASIK and eye health Facebook groups and online forums informing people about what happened. Lastly, I will send a letter to NYU Medical School, Harvard Medical School, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University Medical College, Nassau County Medical Centre, Colby College, Southern Illinois University, each of the medical professionals who endorsed his LinkedIn profile, ocular health media companies including Opthalmology Times, the Better Business Bureau, the FDA and each of the medical organizations of which he is a member including the medical board which granted him his medical license (which he clearly should not have) informing them about what he has done to me.
If you send me a full refund (3500 euros), an additional 3500 euros and two sincere apologies, I will not do any of this. The choice is yours. Either way I hope you learn from this very serious mistake.
Sincerely,
Jake Passi
---------------------------------------------------------------
from: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
to: Flavia Tzani <flavia@laservision.gr>
cc: "A. John Kanellopoulos, MD" <ajkmd@mac.com>, Laser Vision Laservision <reception@laservision.gr>, Sophia Bourdou <sophia@laservision.gr>, Staff LaserVision <staff@laservision.gr>
date: Thu, May 3, 2018 at 10:20 PM
subject: Re: 3 month checkup
I'm not bluffing. You did this to an activist. Someone who's been trying to make the world you live in a better place. Someone who knows how to hit businesses and powerful figures where it hurts. Someone who has connections with numerous journalists and media companies. I'm planning to publish every single email exchange between me, yourself and your staff so that people who read my review, my letter and my comments can easily access them and know that everything I said is true. I will continue sending the letters and posting the comments at a rate of one per day until I've run out of people to send it to and content to post it on or until my demands have been met. I'll do it for years if I have to. I'll use multiple accounts and multiple versions of the comments to avoid triggering spam detection systems. I will check the content I posted the comments on every month to see if they got deleted and if they did, repost the comment using a different account.
Do you really want me to do this? Say nothing and I will assume the answer is yes.
---------------------------------------------------------------
from: Jake Passi <jakepassi@gmail.com>
to: Flavia Tzani <flavia@laservision.gr>
date: Thu, May 3, 2018 at 10:21 PM
subject: (no subject)
FYI your name will be included in this. You're just as guilty as he is. You can't do this to people.