FAQ
Appointment
Q: I want to make an appointment for the first time. What should I do?
A: OKUNO CLINIC. is appointment only clinic. We do not accept walk-in patients. Please contact us by our inquiry form on this website. We will be contacting you by email within 3 workdays after receiving your inquiry. No phone call is accepted.
Q: How long does it take for first visit?
A: Approximately 30 mins. However, it depends on patient’s symptoms.
Q: What am I supposed to do during my first visit?
A: Our doctor will check if you have any problem blood vessels. We will hear from you about your painful area, symptoms and how you got the pain. Our doctor also examines whether you have problem blood vessels by touching or seeing your painful area. Depending on your symptoms, our doctor may use echo or MRI to examine if you have problem blood vessels.
**Our clinic does not have an MRI, so please bring the one taken at another clinic or we may ask you to go to one of our partnership clinics to take one. Echo can be taken in our clinic and you will not need to pay additional fee for it. After finishing hearing and physical findings, our doctor will suggest an appropriate treatment such as injection to reduce problem blood vessels, catheterization, or arterial infusion treatment.
** There is no catheterization on your first visit.
** Not all patients need to take catheter treatment.
Q: Can I cancel or change the appointment?
A: Yes. Please contact via inquiry form with your name and the scheduled time.
If you want to change the appointment, please also write a few alternative dates and times. In case of emergency or if you need to cancel on the date of appointment, please contact to the cellphone listed in the email we sent.
Q: Which clinic is closer to my place?
A: Please see our locations from the following link. We have 5 clinics in Japan: 3 in Tokyo, 1 in Yokohama and 1 in Kobe.
Q: Which doctor can speak English?
A: Dr. Yuji Okuno, Dr. Masahiko Shibuya, and Dr. Koichi Miyazaki can speak English. Please check the following link below for more information about our doctors.
Tell me about the treatment fees. Can I use my insurance?
A: All the treatments at Okuno Clinic is not covered by the public health insurance program. If you have a private health insurance other than Japanese national health insurance, please ask the company if your insurance can cover the treatment.
Please also check the following page for the fees.
Is there any parking space around the clinic?
A: Depending on the clinic you plan to visit. Omotesando, Roppongi, Hakusan and Sannomiya do not provide parking space. Please use a coin parking near our clinics or please take public transportation to the clinic. Yokohama Center Minami clinic has underground parking space at the Hotel Atlas. Please note that the parking is for a fee (800 JPY/car) and there is a limit to the number of vehicles available.
Symptoms and treatments
Q: How do I know if I have problem blood vessels?
A: Please use the following checklist for your self-check. Please note this is just a guide for your judgement.
There are objective methods of observation including ultrasound or MRI with contrast agent. If you wish, please discuss this with the doctor at our first visit.
Checklist: If you have more than 2 checks, it is highly possible to have problem blood vessels.
- If you push with your finger, there is a place that you clearly feel more pain (tenderness) than other places
- Even though you do nothing, you feel pain
- You feel pain before bedtime or when you turn over while sleeping
- It hurts to move when you wake up in the morning
- You feel pain when you stand up or move unexpectedly
- Your pain is like throbbing, tingling, pricking or you feel it heavy
- Painful areas become red or swollen
- It hurts differently depending on the weather. It gets hurt when you are under air conditioner
- It hurts more after drinking alcohol
- It hurts more after hard exercise
Q: Is the injection in Okuno Clinic same as the one in orthopedic or pain clinic?
A: No, it is not the same. The substance of injection and area to inject are different. Our doctor will explain more details when you visit our clinic.
Q: How many times should I visit to the clinic after catheterization?
A: Generally, once, or twice.
Q: Do I have to be hospitalized after catheterization?
A: No, you do not need to be in hospital. In case of catheterization, you will rest for about an hour after the treatment, and you can go back home.
Q: Which part to insert the catheter?
A: Catheter is inserted under local anesthesia near the wrist of the forearm or in groin (root of foot). It only scratches a little like drawing blood.
Q: After catheterization, is there any limitation in daily life or exercise?
A: There is no restriction in daily activities. However, please do not take a bath on the day of treatment. You can start light exercising after two to three days. Please avoid exercises that might cause pain before treatment for two weeks. Many people restart the exercise gradually.
Q: Do I have to remove nail polish when I see a doctor for Heberden node?
A: It is not necessary.
Q: Can the deformity of the Heberden node be cured?
A: The effectiveness in reducing the progression of deformity and reducing swelling are recognized. However, the deformed finger cannot be cured as before.