Dr. Olkowski is the founder and chief surgeon of EyeSight Hawaii. He is a fellowship-trained corneal surgery specialist practicing in Hawaii since 1990. He has performed thousands of laser vision correction surgeries, even on other LASIK surgeons. He is experienced in dry eye treatment, corneal, cataract, and laser vision correction surgeries including LASIK, PRK, and VisianICL surgery.
Education & Training
- Chief, Cornea Service, University of Hawaii – John A. Burns School of Medicine
- Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston, Mass – Fellowship (corneal surgery specialty)
- George Washington University, Washington, DC – Residency in Ophthalmology
- Georgetown University School of Medicine – M.D.
- Georgetown University – B.S.
Board Certification
- American Board of Ophthalmology – 1990
Professional Appointments
- Associate Clinical Professor, University of Hawaii – John A. Burns School of Medicine
- Medical Director and founder, EyeSight Hawaii
- Medical Director, Eye Surgery Center of Hawaii
- Associate Director, Hawaii Lions Eye Bank
Professional Associations
- Study Club for Ophthalmic Research in Hawaii (SCORH)
- American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons
- International Society of Refractive Surgery
- American Academy of Ophthalmology
- Eye Bank Association of America
- Hawaii Ophthalmological Society
- Hawaii Medical Association
- The Cornea Society
Experience and history
One of Hawaii’s earliest LASIK surgeons, still practicing here today
Dr. Olkowski performed his first LASIK procedure in Hawaii in 1997, within two years of the FDA approving the technology for use in the United States. That makes him one of the earliest LASIK surgeons in the state and one of the most experienced practicing anywhere in Hawaii today. Over more than 35 years in practice on Oahu, he has performed thousands of LASIK, PRK, cataract, and corneal procedures.
His background is specifically relevant to LASIK outcomes. Fellowship training in corneal surgery at Tufts-New England Medical Center means he understands the cornea at a level that most refractive surgeons do not. As Chief of the Cornea Service at the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, he has trained other ophthalmologists. He has, notably, performed LASIK on other LASIK surgeons – a fact that speaks directly to the confidence peers have in his outcomes.
He founded EyeSight Hawaii in 1999, and has practiced exclusively in Hawaii ever since. Every follow-up appointment, every enhancement, every post-op question – his patients have local access to the surgeon who treated them, not a call center. That is not the norm in elective surgery, and it matters.
performed in Hawaii
ophthalmology in Hawaii
procedures performed
American Board of Ophthalmology
“I started performing LASIK in Hawaii in 1997, when the technology was still new. What I learned in those early years, about screening, about corneal anatomy, about the cases that should and should not be done, is what shapes every consultation I do today.”
Dr. John D. Olkowski MD · Founder, EyeSight Hawaii · Fellowship-trained corneal surgeon
Why experience specifically in LASIK matters
LASIK outcomes correlate directly with surgeon volume and experience. The pre-operative screening decisions – who qualifies, who does not, and who would be better served by PRK or EVO ICL instead – are where an experienced surgeon’s judgement has the most impact on your result. Most complications in LASIK are not caused by the laser. They are caused by operating on patients who should not have been operated on.
Dr. Olkowski has been making those screening decisions since 1997. Over that period he has also watched what happens to patients long-term – not just at the 1-month check, but at year 5, year 10, and year 20. That longitudinal experience is genuinely rare.
Request an Appointment
Simply complete the form below and an administrator will contact you to set your appointment.