Laser eye surgery in Istanbul – A dream come true – Report from Wednesday, August 11, 2010

For a long time, it had been a great wish of mine – a life without glasses or contact lenses. Glasses have been a constant companion throughout my life; I got my first pair at two and a half, and, as I can now happily say, my last pair at twenty-two. I’d heard friends and acquaintances rave about having laser eye surgery. I looked into laser eye surgery in Switzerland several times and always found myself daydreaming about it. But the prices always dampened my enthusiasm. I’m a student, I live in my own apartment, and I have a car – there’s not much left over, and certainly not 9,000 Swiss francs for eye surgery. I had almost given up on my dreams when I got talking to a new colleague one day. For some fateful reason, we got onto the topic of laser eye surgery, and I rolled my eyes, implying that I could never afford it. Then she told me she’d had her eyes lasered in Turkey for the price (BUT including flight and four nights in a four-star hotel in the heart of Istanbul) that you’d pay for ONE eye here in Switzerland. That piqued my interest. During my lunch break, I browsed the internet and stumbled upon the Swisslasik website. I immediately ordered some information. I couldn’t wait to learn everything, because even what I’d read on the website had already impressed me. Once the information arrived and I’d thoroughly reviewed it, the surgery was practically a done deal. I raved about the promising offer to my family and friends and quickly found someone else who also wanted to have her eyes lasered in Istanbul. From then on, everything happened very quickly. I sent an email to Swisslasik expressing my interest in their offer, and shortly afterward, I underwent the voluntary preliminary examination and received confirmation that I was a suitable candidate for LASIK. I didn’t hesitate for a second and booked the package. Swisslasik organized absolutely everything from start to finish. They even suggested an ophthalmologist for the initial examination who works with the agency. This doctor would also be responsible for the follow-up examinations. On the day of departure, I was incredibly nervous. I didn’t know what to expect, but on the other hand, I was also incredibly excited about my life afterward – without glasses. The flight, which was also booked by Swisslasik, went smoothly. We were picked up at the airport on time, as promised, and taken to our hotel. Everything was organized; thanks to Swisslasik, we didn’t have to worry about a thing. On the day of the initial examination and the surgery, we were picked up at our hotel. The clinic was just a five-minute walk away, which I found very convenient. Upon arrival, we received a very warm welcome, and the waiting room immediately made us feel comfortable. Thanks to the music and the lounge-like decor, I felt more like I was in a bar than a clinic, which made me feel very calm 🙂 ; Everything was also very clean, and it was immediately clear that hygiene plays a very important role in this clinic. The preliminary examinations all went well, and we hardly had to wait at all. The report was good, and the operation was scheduled for the afternoon. When the time actually came and we entered the clinic again in the afternoon, I felt a little queasy. But then we were given a sedative, and from then on, everything was fine. To clarify “fine,” our biggest worry was that the eye patch, which was glued to our faces, would pull out our eyebrows—so in that respect, we really had no problems. The operation went very quickly and without complications. As soon as you were on the operating table, you were already back outside on a reclining sofa to recover. The surgeon spoke English, and I understood a lot of it, but there was always someone present who translated every detail into German, so there were absolutely no communication problems. Shortly after the operation, we were able to leave the clinic—armed with various eye drops—and return to the hotel. The night, or rather what I experienced of it, wasn’t as pleasant for me as it was for my colleague; I had a nasty burning sensation in my eyes. However, thanks to sleeping pills and painkillers, I was able to fall asleep very quickly, and when I woke up in the morning, I felt like a new person. Then it was time for the follow-up appointment, and the surgeon delivered good news. My nearsightedness (by the way, I couldn’t see well at either near or far distances and had astigmatism) had been reduced to a minimum of 0.25. I was overjoyed. Now I’ve been back for almost a month and am enjoying life without glasses. My near vision is already very good, but my distance vision still fluctuates a little. However, the ophthalmologist I saw for my follow-up appointment told me that it would settle down. In conclusion, I’d like to say that I never had any reservations about having my eyes lasered in Turkey, despite comments from people around me like, “Oh my God, are you crazy?” or “Can they even do that?” or similar remarks. No, I’m not crazy, and yes, they can, because firstly, I did a lot of research beforehand and learned that Istanbul is a major center for eye surgery, and secondly, I’m living proof of that, because I’ve now experienced it myself. My conclusion: “It was worth it, I would do it again in a heartbeat, and I would recommend it to everyone.” Kloten, August 11, 2010, Danielle Eidenbenz