My two eyes and I – Laser eye surgery in Istanbul – Report from Thursday, March 24, 2016
For years I had to wear glasses, and at some point I switched to contact lenses. But I was never 100% satisfied because contact lenses, especially when I was sick, caused dry eyes. Of course, you’re probably wondering why I don’t wear glasses. Well, with glasses I can’t see everything around me.
About 10 years ago, I inquired about laser eye surgery at my ophthalmologist’s office. As a teenager, I had to be fully grown, since eyes grow with the body. I probably don’t need to elaborate on the cost. Five years later, a colleague told me she was having laser eye surgery. Where? In Istanbul, of course. It’s very affordable there, and it has other advantages. My colleague wasn’t very lucky during the procedure. The machine broke down. The cause was a software problem. It took a long time for the device to be repaired before the laser surgery could be completed. Naturally, I was a bit unsure afterward whether I should even have laser eye surgery in Turkey. Isn’t Switzerland safer? In any case, she explained that if such a problem were to occur again in the future, the doctors there could resolve it more quickly themselves. Someone had to be the first, after all. And mistakes happen everywhere. It doesn’t have to happen to everyone. But I didn’t know which would be better. In any case, she sees very well after the laser surgery, even though she had a significant visual impairment. About three or four years later, when I finally got around to looking into laser eye surgery, I wanted to have it done in Istanbul. After all, I know someone directly and several indirectly who had the procedure done there, and they’re doing well so far. From what I’ve read, the doctors in Turkey have much more experience because they perform laser eye surgery so frequently. Plus, you have the advantage of being able to have your follow-up appointments in Switzerland.
So I wanted to find out more details and spoke with Mr. Kara, who was friendly on the phone and explained everything I wanted to know. I had my first preliminary examination with Dr. Banu Coşar. It was great that I was able to see the doctor before the laser eye surgery. An interpreter diligently translated everything. I never felt like we couldn’t understand each other. That was important to me, since the eyes are one of the most vital organs. One of my most important questions was whether the laser surgery could cause blindness. The answer was a definite no.
I didn’t read anything about the laser procedure or the patient testimonials. I wasn’t even considering it; I was certain I wanted to do it and simply maintained a positive attitude. After I let them know when I wanted to have the LASIK procedure, everything was organized (flight, hotel, pick-up service), and I received the necessary documents. One of them was the SwissLASIK Passport. The passport is fantastic because it contains all the information, including the e-flight ticket.
Two days before my departure, I developed tonsillitis with a fever of 39.5°C. I was very stressed because I didn’t want to cancel the surgery. Since I also had to take medications like antibiotics and fever reducers, I doubted whether the laser surgery could even be performed. On Tuesday, the day before my departure, I was able to rest a bit. I wasn’t even nervous because I just wanted to get better and get the laser eye surgery over with.
On Wednesday morning at the airport, my fever flared up again. It kept rising and falling. Completely exhausted, my colleague and I boarded the plane, just hoping everything would go smoothly. At the Turkish airport, passport control took forever due to some kind of computer system error. Since we couldn’t understand each other, we didn’t know what the problem was. I just wanted to go to the hotel and rest. Finally, we were allowed to collect our suitcases, which weren’t there. Meanwhile, a woman from Acibadem called me to ask where we were. After much back and forth, we found two lone suitcases standing to one side. Then we were finally able to go to the meeting point, the “Acibadem Health Point.” We were told the taxi would arrive in a few minutes. We finally got into the taxi, and the driver took us to the hotel. It was already dark, around 7 p.m., when we arrived. A very tiring day for me.
I still had a sore throat. I diligently took the medication.
Today was the day for my laser eye surgery. I slept very poorly. Partly because of my illness, and partly I don’t know. Certainly, it was the anxiety about the laser. In any case, I still wasn’t nervous. I just kept thinking positively that everything would go well. At 9 a.m., the small Acibadem bus picked us up. At the Acibadem Hospital, the thorough preliminary examination was carried out. The interpreter, Mr. Tolga, translated everything well. I was told that my eyes were suitable for the laser and that my eyes would be treated in the afternoon. We were able to eat lunch at the hospital. I still had a sore throat. My fever finally went away, and I really hoped it would stay that way. Afterwards, we were picked up by the interpreter, Mr. Tolga. I had to read something about the laser and sign a form. My colleague waited in the waiting room, and I had to go into an anteroom. There, I was dressed in green surgical gowns for hygiene reasons and taken to the operating room. When I then had to lie down on the operating table, I did get a little scared. When Dr. When Coşar opened my eyes, I thought for a second whether I should just give up and leave. But no, I can do this. Even going to the dentist would have been much worse than going to the eye doctor. The thing is, you can’t see anything during laser eye surgery. That scared me the most. You can imagine it. You see really beautiful patterns on a black background that move around. For example, sometimes if you rub your eyes hard, you can see similar patterns. It wasn’t unpleasant at all, though. It was just the fear. I was so scared I held my arm tightly. A few minutes later, they said the laser had finished my right eye. I was very surprised. Then they finished my left eye, too. I didn’t feel a thing. No pain, nothing. I felt great. My vision was still a little blurry, of course. I was given protective sunglasses, as the name suggests, which I also had to sleep in that night to make sure I didn’t rub my eyes or anything. From tomorrow onwards, I was allowed to wear my normal sunglasses. On the drive to the hotel, I could already see well, but I had a slight feeling, as if I had something in my eyes. So I kept my eyes closed. But even that wasn’t too bad. At the hotel, I rested. My companion put the eye drops in every hour, as prescribed. That was a huge help for me, and I didn’t have to constantly check the time to see when to put in the next dose. After about one or two hours, the foreign body sensation was gone, and I could see well. I still rested for another two hours, though, because it was recommended. In the evening, when it was already dark, we went outside. Everything went perfectly. I was also able to sleep soundly with the protective goggles on.
When I woke up this morning, the first thing I wanted to do was put on my glasses, and I realized I could see perfectly now. And in the evening, I almost took off my contact lenses, which I no longer had. It was so strange that my evening ritual of taking them out before going to bed was suddenly gone. Truly a different world. A different life. Finally!!! 🙂
On Friday morning I had my first follow-up examination at the Acibadem Hospital. They said everything looks very good.
The hotel was very nice. There were also a few people at the hotel who spoke German.
Many people come to the hotel for LASIK eye surgery, or other procedures like hair transplants or cosmetic surgery. This meant I had the opportunity to interact with other patients, which I really appreciated. We stayed a few more days to explore the city, and I liked it very much.
During the first month, my vision fluctuated, which meant that my eyes needed about one to three months to stabilize. My left eye was frequently irritated and saw worse with it than with my right. Now, after a month, I had my first follow-up appointment here in Switzerland. My eyes are still dry, which is normal. That’s why my left eye is still irritated. But the test results showed that I see much better with my left eye than with my right, which surprised me. So I was reassured. In about two more months, my eyes should be more stable. In any case, everything else looks good, and I no longer need glasses. I’m still diligently using the eye drops. After a few months, I won’t need them anymore.
Many thanks again to Dr. Coşar and the interpreter Mr. Tolga for the laser eye surgery, and of course to the managing director, Mr. Kara, and the administration, Ms. Lamas, for their cooperation and for always answering my questions so well.
Lahvannjah from Switzerland
