Success Stories with Dr Kageyama

Dear Dr. Kageyama,
I thank you for the "new eyes" you've given me to see with. After 50 years of wondering what everyone else was seeing, now I can see it too. Recovering stereopsis has literally added a new dimension to my visual world. Thank you – to you and all your staff – for all the work you’ve all done this past year to train my eyes.

Jennifer
A friend of family referred this patient. Jennifer had gone through an eye-muscle surgery for exotropia ("wandering" eye). She was supposed to go through a second surgery because the eye continued to turn outward but the surgery was cancelled because she got sick. She had been patched for six years and had done a program of “eye exercises” with no improvement.

On her first exam, I gave her a series of exercises and asked them to drive to San Jose to start vision therapy. They came down three times (from Fresno) unlike any program that I’ve ever attempted (or will ever attempt again). They would arrive on a Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m… I would work with Jennifer for four hours, then we would go out to lunch. After lunch, I would work with Jennifer for an additional three hours, then they would make the three-hour drive back to Fresno. On Monday, after the first session, Jennifer’s teacher called Jennifer’s mother and asked her if she had an eye muscle surgery performed over the weekend! The angle had been reduced by 2/3.

After the second session three weeks later, Jennifer's eye was straight, and she was fusing with normal depth perception. A third session was done a month later and Jennifer's range of fusion were greatly expanded. The correction of her strabismus became permanent. Jennifer's mother said to me, "If you can work wonders like this, you should have the biggest practice in the country! Why would anyone consider doing anything else?!

Gary
Gary was a 45 year old adult with crossed eye and lazy eye. For over forty years, he had been told that his condition was not treatable. He entered into this treatment program with some questions as to whether a crossed-eye adult of this age could actually be successfully treated. In a treatment program that lasted seven months, we were able to successfully improve the vision in his left eye to nearly 20/20 and allow him to use the two eyes together for the first time.

Injy
Injy was referred by her doctor because of a right eye "squint" (crossed eye). The angle was variable and a right eye crossed up to 25 prism diopters.

The angles of crossed eye were similar at distance and near. She reported that the right eye crossed often at near and that she only used the left eye to read. She had gone through twenty sessions of vision therapy with another doctor. At the first exam, I noticed a rapid alternation between the two eyes with either suppression when the right eye crossed or double vision when the left eye crossed.

She started a 60-session program on 2/11/2008. Injy responded very well and reduced her distance angle to 3 eso and her near to 8 eso. She developed 10 prism diopters of base-in range at distance and 18 prism diopters of base-in range at near. She achieved a full functional cure, with straight eyes, normal depth perception, and no evidence of the eyes ever crossing during the day.

She was seen on December 9, 2008 and reported that she was always using both eyes and that she never saw double. Her mother reported that Injy's eyes were always straight.

He was having troubles keeping up in reading. Sometimes saw objects move. Getting behind in school because he read so slow.

He enjoys reading more, he has been scoring much better on test in school and state tests. He gets homework done more quickly and accurately.

Vision therapy is one of the best things we could have done to help Cameron succeed!

Before she started vision therapy, Emily's mother stated that "homework took forever," that she had problems focusing and that her reading was poor. She skipped words, read slowly, and was not progressing in school. She was a 4th grader and reading at grade level 3.8. She was top in her class in everything, except for reading. After 30 sessions of vision therapy, she told us… "Reading is easy!"

After six months of vision therapy and 50 sessions, her reading tested out at grade level 5.5. She was checked for her last progress check seven months later. Her reading rate had jumped from 100 words per minute to over 350. Her teacher tested her reading level at grade 10.1.

Emily went through a 6.3 grade improvement in reading in slightly over one year!

Her optometrists said there were problems with tracking, her eyes would jump around on the page, she had a hard time focusing.

It took her a long time to get her homework done. She could get the work done in class because the teacher had just explained it. At home, I had to read what she had to do, because it was for several subjects, and took her a long time just to figure out what to do.

She is reading harder books, & it isn’t taking nearly as long to do her homework. She would never pick up a book and read it, but now I have to ask her to stop!

She went to grade 5.5 in reading after the 6 months therapy(from grade 3.8) and 6-8 months later went to a 10.1 grade level in reading! Homework is getting completed much faster now! Terrific!!"

I was looking under a tree and suddenly the branch of the tree started to stick out! It was SO COOL! I had to pull the branch back and walk under the tree. Everyplace I looked, branches were sticking out at me. This is 3D Vision! I could believe it… I got out from under the tree and started running under tree to tree shouting ‘the forest is 3D!!!’ All the other people in my group must have thought I was crazy but I was so excited! It was so cool!
Thank you Dr Kageyama!

During a routine eye exam. Dr. Kageyama diagnosed Amanda with "convergence insufficiency." He recommended that we should do therapy no later than 3rd grade.

Amanda is a good student but her homework became a struggle in 2nd grade. Her frustration levels (usually manifest at home) were very high. She was angry with her parents and would not cooperate with the daily routine.

Recently, after therapy, she tested at the 10th grade level in reading. Her homework is coming along better – In the last three weeks both my husband and I have noticed her attitude has improved. She now tells us that she loves us and hugs us spontaneously . She seems happier. I am very pleased with my daughter’s progress. THANK YOU!

After vision therapy headaches & double vision disappeared... also achieved better hand & eye coordination. This was 18 months ago. We are pleased with the therapy she has received. It helped her in sports (basketball and tennis).

We do not know of any children with similar problems, however should we run across such a person we will be sure to recommend you." (1989)

(Update from Dr. Kageyama in 2010)
She went on to attend medical school. She completed two pediatric residencies and is now in
practice as a pediatric oncologist.