Experience report on eye surgery in Istanbul via Swisslasik – Report from Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Since I was 11 years old, I had to constantly carry around a pair of glasses. I found contact lenses very annoying and simply too expensive. Since I do a lot of sports and lead an active lifestyle, eye laser surgery became an increasingly viable option for me. Then, when I was 20, I was playing football and got hit in the face with a ball, causing my glasses to break, and I ended up in hospital where they had to surgically remove several glass splinters. That was the moment when I decided I wanted to have my eyes lasered.
I then had a preliminary examination done, as I wanted to be absolutely sure that I was a good candidate for this surgery. The examination went quickly and smoothly, and after a positive result, I signed up for the surgery in Istanbul with Mr. Karaagacli. Five weeks later, I was already on the plane heading to the Bosphorus. I brought my father along as a companion because he had wanted to visit Istanbul for a long time, and the offered deal (flight and hotel) seemed affordable to him.
Upon arrival in Turkey, we waited for our chauffeur, who was stuck in traffic, but since we had been warned in advance that delays could happen, we remained relaxed. Safely taken to the hotel, we prepared everything for the surgery day and went for a short walk. The hotel (Levent) exceeded our expectations by far. Everything was very clean, and the staff was always friendly and helpful.
On the day of the surgery, we were picked up promptly at the hotel and driven to the hospital. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a German-speaking assistant who explained the process and what would happen next. In the late afternoon, it was finally my turn. Another eye laser patient and I were taken to a waiting room, where the assistant explained how to use the eye drops properly. We were then both asked to put on shoe covers and head coverings. The assistant doctor administered the eye drops (I’m not sure what they did).
While I had to wait outside the door, I heard the patient before me being operated on, which made me quite nervous. I heard the interpreter giving instructions like “Please look down” and “Keep your head still and look into the red light.” A few minutes later, he said, “Mr. XY, everything went perfectly. You can now stand up.” Then, it was my turn…
I gathered all my courage, lay down on the bed, and was “driven” into the machine. The doctor and her assistants stood behind me. My only task was to look into a red light. About 10 to 15 minutes later, the procedure was over, and it was completely pain-free. Everything had gone perfectly for me too. A weight lifted off my shoulders…
On the way back to the hotel, my eyes were watering a lot. I could hardly open them because everything seemed very bright. I lay in bed for 3 hours (highly recommended), took my eye drops, and allowed my eyes to rest. Then, in the evening, the miracle happened—full vision! The tearing subsided, and I was able to keep my eyes open for a few minutes at a time. The next morning, I didn’t feel anything at all. Out of pure habit, I reached for my glasses as soon as I woke up… On the same day, we had time to explore the city extensively, and all without any visual aids! What a wonderful feeling. We took a boat trip, visited the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar, and Istiklal Street. A thoroughly successful trip with lovely memories and photos.
I would like to express my sincere thanks once again to Swisslasik and personally to Mr. Karaagacli for the excellent service.
Isenschmid Oliver, 18.06.2013