My experience with surgery in Istanbul – Report from Friday, July 4, 2008

Twenty-four years ago, it all began. I needed my first pair of glasses, and my eyesight worsened year by year until both eyes reached minus 7.00 dioptres. Then it stabilised. With my first apprentice’s wage, I bought my first contact lenses. After some time, however, I could no longer tolerate them and had to go back to wearing glasses. Years later, I once again considered having my eyes laser-treated, but it was simply too expensive for me. Two years ago, my brother told me that several of his colleagues had undergone laser eye surgery in Istanbul and were very satisfied with the results. Shortly afterwards, there was also a report about it on the programme Puls, which I naturally followed with great interest. By coincidence, a colleague of mine went to Istanbul last year to have his eyes laser-treated. After hearing his experience, it was clear to me that I too would go to Istanbul.

After I received the all-clear for the operation during the preliminary examination in Zurich, the time had come on 25 May 2008. I flew to Istanbul. At the airport, I was given a very warm welcome in German by Birol and driven to the hotel. The following morning, Fred picked me up at the hotel at around 11 a.m. and we went straight to the clinic. There, I was warmly welcomed and everything was explained to me in German. The preliminary examination was completed very quickly, and at 1 p.m. I was told that nothing stood in the way of the operation. I was advised to go and eat something and informed that the operation was scheduled for 4 p.m. As my eyes were still very sensitive to light due to the drops used to dilate my pupils, I decided to go back to the hotel first and lie down for a while. A little later, I went to eat something and then headed straight to the Eyestar clinic. At that point, I became really nervous. I was very relieved when a member of staff from the Eyestar clinic brought me a calming tablet. Shortly afterwards, we went up one floor. Only then did I realise that there was no light at all, in other words, there was a power cut. However, the staff member reassured me and explained that they had a generator in the operating theatre precisely to rule out such risks. Once upstairs, I had to put on a surgical cap and a gown. I was then able to sit down in a massage chair while the staff member cleaned my face with a disinfectant. Then it was time. Without my glasses, I was guided to the laser and lay down. The staff member explained every step the doctor was taking, in German. To my surprise, I hardly noticed much of the operation at all. The only unpleasant part was rinsing and drying the eye. So absolutely no pain. The operation was over very quickly, and when I sat up from the table, I was very surprised to find that I could already see everything very sharply. I was led to a large reclining chair, where I could listen to some music in the dark and relax. After a short while, I was taken back down to the lower area. There, I immediately put on my sunglasses because my eyes were very sensitive to light. This was followed by another check-up, during which everything was fine. I then went straight to the hotel room and lay down to sleep. Apart from watery eyes, I had absolutely no pain. When I woke up the next morning, I was very happy to be able to see everything so clearly and distinctly. I then went back to the clinic once more for the follow-up examination. The doctor was very satisfied with my eyes. At that moment, my values were even in the positive range. However, these would still change, and the doctor said that I would ultimately end up at minus 0.50 dioptres. That means I will no longer need glasses. Smile. I was then picked up by Birol and taken to the airport.

It has now been nine days since my operation, and I am still feeling very well. I am simply enjoying my new life without visual aids. I can highly recommend this operation in Istanbul to everyone. You really do not need to be afraid of Istanbul or Turkey. The care provided by swisslasik.ch and the Eyestar Clinic is truly outstanding.

Many thanks to the team in Istanbul and to Mr Serdar Karaagacli-Leoni from Swisslasik.ch

Daniela Mächler-Broger