Eye laser surgery experience report from Türkiye – Report from Friday, July 27, 2007
It has now been a week since I had my eyes laser-treated at the Eyestar Clinic in Istanbul. I still have not quite fully grasped that in the evening I no longer have to take out my contact lenses, but can simply fall into bed. And in the morning after getting up, I no longer stumble into the bathroom like a mole, but the world already appears razor-sharp to me. It is simply wonderful. Finally going on holiday without having to pack glasses, prescription sunglasses, contact lenses, contact lens cases, lens cleaning solution and regular sunglasses into the suitcase. Finally being able to go on a mosquito hunt at night and actually see the little pests instead of just hearing them. It is an amazing feeling.
I can only recommend Eyestar and Swisslasik. Their professionalism convinced me even before the trip and was fully confirmed in Istanbul. I had also sought information about laser surgery from a Swiss clinic in parallel. My impression was that Eyestar and the Swiss clinic were in no way inferior to each other, but the price difference was strikingly significant. For me, it was therefore very clear that I would have the operation carried out in Istanbul. Swisslasik appealed to me additionally because everything was organised and I did not have to worry about anything at all.
I had the preliminary examination carried out in Switzerland, and I can warmly recommend this as well. This way, you do not end up in a stressful situation in Istanbul if several laser techniques are possible, and you also do not travel to Turkey in vain if you are not suitable for laser surgery at all. Personally, I greatly appreciated the fact that the assessment was completely neutral and that I was never pressured into having an operation or otherwise persuaded in an overly pushy manner. Neither by Swisslasik nor by the doctor in Zurich.
Everything also went very smoothly in Istanbul. My companion and I were picked up from the airport on time and taken to the hotel. The fact that my booked hotel was fully occupied and that I was moved to another hotel two streets away was not a problem for me. The clinic was still just a short walk away, which is extremely pleasant, especially after the operation. The atmosphere in the clinic is very familiar, and Fred in particular takes wonderfully good care of you. With his Bernese German spoken with a Turkish accent, you immediately feel at home with him. Everything then happens relatively quickly, and you hardly have time to study all the paperwork. The repeat preliminary examination did not take too long in my case. The longest part is waiting for the eye drops to take effect, as they are used to dilate the pupils and then return them to their normal state. After the preliminary examination, you have time to go and get something to eat, and the Italian café directly below the clinic is a good option.
Everything also went very smoothly in Istanbul. My companion and I were picked up punctually at the airport and taken to the hotel. The fact that my booked hotel was fully occupied and that I was moved to another hotel two streets away was not an issue for me. The clinic was still just a short walk away, which was extremely pleasant, especially after the operation. The atmosphere in the clinic is very warm and familiar, and Fred in particular takes excellent care of you. With his Bernese German spoken with a Turkish accent, you immediately feel at home with him. Everything then happens relatively quickly, and there is hardly any time to go through all the paperwork in detail. The repeat preliminary examination did not take very long in my case. The longest part is waiting for the eye drops to take effect, as they are used to dilate the pupils and then return them to their normal state. After the preliminary examination, there is time to go and get something to eat, and the Italian café directly below the clinic is a very good option.
The following morning, there is another follow-up check, and if everything is in order, you can enjoy Istanbul a little more. I was already seeing extremely well the very next day.
Yesterday, I had the first follow-up check in Switzerland. It was found that the left eye had been slightly overcorrected, which reduces visual acuity a little. Apart from that, everything is in order, and I regret only one thing when it comes to the laser operation: why on earth did I not come up with this idea much earlier?