My LASIK experience in Istanbul, Türkiye – report from Monday, December 24, 2012

As a long-time glasses wearer, I’d been toying with the idea of ​​laser eye surgery for a while. What held me back was the relatively high price in Switzerland. I stumbled across the Swisslasik.ch website by chance and was immediately convinced that this was the one. Of course, I had to listen to a lot of dissenting opinions from my friends, but especially after speaking with Mr. Karaagacli, I was certain I would travel to Istanbul. And so it was done. Mr. Karaagacli arranged the trip for us within 24 hours, and before we knew it, we were on a plane to Istanbul. There, we were picked up by a chauffeur and taken to our hotel. We only stayed two nights in the city, so that very afternoon we visited the two mosques and shopped our way through the bazaar. The next morning, the clinic’s chauffeur was waiting for us promptly and navigated us through Istanbul’s morning traffic. You shouldn’t plan anything else for that day… The day is truly dedicated to the preliminary examinations, the surgery, and the follow-up appointment. So we arrived at this beautiful clinic, and the German-speaking coordinator was already there. He always explained to me beforehand what was going to be done. I had complete confidence in him. After all, the doctors in Istanbul are very well-trained. First, I had to take a short eye test, then I was given drops to dilate my pupils. I was then allowed to see the doctor, and she told me that everything was okay for the procedure (I hadn’t had the preliminary examination in Switzerland). The procedure was scheduled for the afternoon, and we were driven to a shopping mall, but then we took a public bus to the waterfront and ate a kebab. We took a taxi back to the clinic and waited for the procedure. I didn’t need a sedative (I had a good feeling, and I’m not a nervous person), and my coordinator was always there for me with translations and to answer any questions. He also came into the operating room with me. Things went relatively quickly from there. My eyes were kept open with a ring, and I only had to look at the red light. After the procedure, it was uncomfortable for about three to four hours. I got a headache, and my eyes stung and burned a little. I was given protective goggles and driven back to the hotel where I lay down and simply closed my eyes. My vision wasn’t clear yet, but immediately after the procedure, I could see things I hadn’t been able to see before without glasses. This was already a success, and it got better hour by hour. The next day, we were picked up again on time for the follow-up appointment. The doctor was pleased, and the driver took us to the airport. I was given eye drops for the first five days and then artificial tears, which I was supposed to use three times a day for three to six months. For the first two to three weeks after the procedure, I wore sunglasses when the sun was shining, but now I can manage without them. I’ll have my follow-up appointment in Switzerland. I was completely satisfied and can highly recommend Swisslasik.ch. Next time, I would combine it with a 1-2 week holiday in Turkey and have the laser eye surgery at the end. That way, you get more out of it. Christian Rüfenacht