My report on laser eye surgery – report from Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Having my eyes lasered had been my dream for about seven years. Firstly, I never had enough money, and secondly, I had too much respect for the procedure. I asked several ophthalmologists for their opinions, but they always advised me against the operation. That is understandable, as after an operation they would no longer earn anything from me. In 2009, I started thinking about it more and more seriously. In April 2010, I decided to have the operation in Poland, in Katowice. Six months beforehand, I had a new pair of glasses made by an optician in Switzerland so that I would be well prepared. Two months before the operation, I consistently wore glasses instead of contact lenses, as I had been advised by the clinic over the phone.
Then the time came. I travelled to the clinic in Poland, where the doctors determined that I had been wearing glasses that were far too strong and that they were therefore not allowed to perform the operation. I was told that I would have to use special eye drops for one to two months to reduce the overcorrection. I was very disappointed and angry with the optician who had examined my eyes incorrectly. I returned to Switzerland and immediately wanted to be examined a second time by an ophthalmologist in order to obtain confirmation of the diagnosis from Poland. I called more than fifteen ophthalmologists in the Bernese Oberland. The earliest appointment I was offered was only in five to six months. I could not arrange an earlier appointment. I was desperate and looked for another solution.
After researching on the internet, I came across Swisslasik. I read all the patient reports. On the Swisslasik website, I also read that they work together with ophthalmologists in Switzerland. I decided to call Mr Karaagacli. The consultation was always very precise, and he was always very friendly. Mr Karaagacli quickly arranged a preliminary examination appointment for me with an ophthalmologist in Zurich. The doctor in Zurich made the same diagnosis as in Poland. The glasses were far too strong and had severely overstrained my eyes. The doctor recommended waiting one to two months and using eye drops three times a day to normalise my visual values. At that moment, he did not recommend surgery. He sent all the examination results to the EyeStar clinic in Istanbul. About a week later, I received an email from Mr Karaagacli stating that I could undergo the operation and that there was nothing to prevent it. The overcorrection could be regulated with various eye drops shortly before the operation.
I was very unsure and ultimately did not know what to do. The fact was that without glasses I saw very poorly, or almost nothing at all. It was extremely tedious and very exhausting. With contact lenses, my eyes were also very tired and often very dry. I would like to add my eye values, which will certainly be of interest to some readers. Right eye: sphere -6, cylinder -2.25, axis 170. Left eye: sphere -6, cylinder -2.50, axis 10. I was particularly surprised that the doctor in Zurich advised against the operation at that moment, while for the doctors in Istanbul there was nothing speaking against it. Mr Karaagacli told me that the doctors at the clinic were very experienced and had far more practical experience than the doctor in Zurich. He reassured me and checked once again with the doctors in Turkey. Once again, I was told that there was nothing speaking against the operation. After that, everything happened very quickly. On 7 May 2010 I had the examination in Zurich, and on 14 June 2010 I was already sitting on the plane to Istanbul. Mr Karaagacli organised everything, the flight, the airport transfer and so on. I did not have to worry about anything. This was extremely helpful; it is better to pay a little more and have everything organised perfectly. My partner was able to come along as an accompanying person at a very reasonable price.
At the clinic, they additionally discovered that I have very large pupils and that only the Femto LASIK procedure would be possible for me. I first had to have my astigmatism treated in another clinic, and then we returned to the EyeStar clinic for the laser correction. The first procedure was very unpleasant and quite exhausting. Afterwards, I could hardly see anything. We then made our way back to the EyeStar clinic, a distance of about 200 metres, accompanied by my partner and the coordinator. The laser operation started immediately. First the right eye, then the left. I had to look at a green light, which after the femto procedure was very exhausting and quite painful. The light became increasingly blurred and I could not keep my eyes steady. After a few minutes, which felt like an eternity, the doctor had finished lasering the right eye. He then began with the left eye.
After a few minutes, the doctors took me into a room and laid me down on a bed. I heard something about the laser being broken. I then had to wait alone for a very long time in excruciating pain. After about one hour, they brought my partner to me. He had been waiting in another room. The doctors informed him that the laser had broken down and that a technician was on the way. The pain was almost unbearable. I had the feeling of looking directly into a glaring light, even though the room was dark and I was keeping my eyes closed. The doctors said that the laser had never broken down before. I waited for about two hours with the left eye only partially treated until the technician arrived and repaired the laser. After that, the procedure continued. While waiting, I was very distressed and thought it would never end. The reason for the interruption was a software problem, which the doctors will be able to resolve themselves quickly in the future. Someone had to be the first. The entire operation lasted between 2 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. My partner took me back to the hotel, as I could not open my eyes. I took a painkiller and a sleeping tablet. I was finally able to sleep for two to three hours and forget the pain for a while. When I woke up, the pain was still intense. My partner put the eye drops in my eyes and gave me another painkiller. In this way, I slept through the whole night. At 6.00 in the morning I woke up. It was extremely bright and I could see quite well. The pain was gone. I was incredibly happy and relieved that everything was behind me.
In the morning, I went to the clinic for the follow-up examination. The doctors were satisfied with the result. Everything had gone well. The astigmatism was still quite pronounced, but the doctor said that there was still fluid in the eyes, which would disappear over time. It was also possible that about 0.5 to -1 dioptre would remain. I had been informed about this before the operation as well.
Now almost a month has passed. During the first week I still had pain, especially in the left eye. At the moment, I see approximately as well as I did before with glasses, which means quite well. According to the doctor, full visual acuity is achieved after six months. There are days when I see better and days when I see a little worse, but only minimally. This is completely normal after this operation. So far, I have not experienced any glare or dry eyes. In August, I will see an ophthalmologist, and there I will find out how much refractive error remains.
Despite the pain and complications, I recommend this operation. According to the doctors, the Femto LASIK procedure is performed rarely and not very willingly. Normal LASIK surgery is painless and takes only a short time. I met two Swiss women at the clinic who had undergone LASIK surgery one day before me. They were very satisfied; the procedure took only a few minutes and was painless. I can only recommend taking someone with you. It is very helpful to have someone you know by your side.
Ewa Debosz