Laser eye surgery abroad – Istanbul / August 9th to 12th, 2012 – Report from Thursday, August 9th, 2012

For ten years I had been dependent on visual aids. Either glasses or contact lenses were always necessary in order to perceive my surroundings comfortably. Over time, I increasingly had problems with contact lenses; my eyes became red and painful. Several visits to the optician per year were required. I had to switch from monthly lenses to two-week lenses, adjust the care solution and attend check-ups even more regularly. I never really got used to wearing glasses, and for sport I simply felt more comfortable with contact lenses.
Two colleagues then told me that they had had their eyes lasered in Istanbul. They were very satisfied with the result, even enthusiastic about it, and gave me the address www.swisslasik.ch. That was over a year ago. I kept thinking about it and considering whether I should dare to do it. From people around me, I mostly received negative reactions to my plan; most were of the opinion that laser surgery abroad, especially in Turkey, was dangerous.
I then decided to have the preliminary examination carried out in Zurich. In addition, a colleague of mine was also interested and wanted to have his eyes lasered as well. At that point, I did not even know whether my eyes were suitable for the procedure. The preliminary examination went very well; everything was clean and carried out very professionally. That was when I finally decided to fly to Turkey.
Through Swisslasik, everything could be organised for me: flights, hotel, appointments, etc. This was a great relief. As a result, I was able to board the plane in Zurich on Thursday morning and did not have to worry about anything else. We were picked up at the airport and taken to the hotel. We then had the afternoon free and explored Istanbul for the first time.
On Friday morning, we were picked up from the hotel by a driver and taken to the Acibadem Clinic. There, our eyes were examined thoroughly once again and the procedure was explained to us. The examinations did not take long, and around midday we were able to go back into the city again. Our operation then took place later in the afternoon. We returned to the hospital, were prepared for the operating theatre and had our faces disinfected.
During the operation itself, you have to fixate on a point of light with one eye. You do not feel anything at all during the procedure; everything goes smoothly and without any problems. Around 30 minutes after the operation, an initial follow-up check was carried out. Afterwards, we were taken back to the hotel.
For about four hours, I had some pain; my eyes were watering and felt a little sore. During this time, we simply lay in the darkened hotel room, listened to music and dozed. After these four hours, I was able to open my eyes slightly for the first time, and my vision was already very good again. We were also able to use the eye drops without any problems.
The next morning, it was an incredibly wonderful feeling to wake up and immediately be able to see the world clearly and sharply. The only point that could be improved is that the pick-up times should be adhered to more reliably. On one occasion, we waited one hour for the driver.
Manuela Bänziger