My stay in Istanbul for laser eye surgery – report from Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Experience Report by Jorge Ferreira: My Stay in Istanbul from April 5th to 8th, 2012. I had been toying with the idea of ​​having laser eye surgery for some time. However, I had always decided against it due to the cost. Last autumn, I came across SwissLASIK. I researched SwissLASIK more thoroughly, read the testimonials and the article in Puls magazine. The testimonials gave me confidence, and I told myself: Now or never! After a brief exchange of emails, I received an appointment for a preliminary examination in Arbon, where they confirmed that my eyes were suitable. On April 5th, my wife and I flew to Istanbul. We flew with Pegasus Airlines and landed at approximately 6 p.m. on the Asian side of Istanbul. Unfortunately, there were problems upon arrival. As an EU citizen, I needed a visa, but I was able to obtain one retroactively for €15. The driver was already waiting for us at the airport. He greeted us politely but didn’t exchange a single word with us during the entire journey. The journey took about an hour due to traffic. When he dropped us off, he explained in English that we would be picked up the next morning at 7:00 AM (instead of 8:00 AM). We stayed at the Park City Hotel. The hotel is located on a quiet street in a pedestrian zone. This pedestrian zone has many restaurants and cafes, which we really liked. The room was very small but clean. The hotel staff were very friendly. However, the hotel was not very soundproof. After unpacking, we went outside and chose a restaurant. The food was very good. Ottoman cuisine is simply wonderful. I can recommend the Hanci Baba restaurant. If you walk from the hotel to Taksim Square, you will pass right by this restaurant. The staff speak excellent German and are very friendly. The next morning, a hospital employee picked us up well ahead of time. The drive to the hospital took about 15 minutes. Upon arrival, we had to wait about 20 minutes until a second group arrived. Our contact person at the hospital was very friendly and spoke excellent German. He took very good care of us. After the preliminary examinations, we had three hours and could get something to eat in the cafeteria. Afterwards, we had to sign a consent form and received instructions for the eye drops. Then we were prepared for the surgery, and our caregiver was also present during the operation. This was very reassuring for me, as my English wasn’t very good. After the surgery, we were driven back to the hotel, where I lay down for a bit of sleep because my eyes were burning intensely and I couldn’t keep them open. After four hours, however, the burning subsided, and I was able to open my eyes again. Jorge Ferreira, Frasnacht