Travel report by Samuel Müller to Istanbul to the Acibadem Maslak Clinic for laser eye surgery.
After much deliberation and comparing prices, I decided to have my eyes lasered in Istanbul. Despite concerns from family and friends, I took the plunge and had the procedure done abroad – and I don’t regret it at all. Booking through SwissLasik was straightforward; information and travel documents arrived in my mailbox just a few days later. My flight departed on July 10th. My parents took the opportunity to travel with me to Istanbul and explore the city. We arrived in Istanbul at 2:00 AM and were met by our driver, who took us safely to the Hotel Levent. By 3:00 AM, we were already on our way to Taksim Square. A delicious Turkish dinner rounded off the first day. On the morning of July 11th, I was a little nervous. After all, the operation was scheduled for today, provided everything went well during the preliminary examination. After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, the driver took me to the Acibadem Hospital. The preliminary examination was lengthy, but I realized that they were really taking their time to clarify everything. Throughout the entire process, I was looked after by a German-speaking person at the hospital. This person never left my side and translated everything the doctors said to me. Shortly before noon, the preliminary examination was completed, and nothing stood in the way of the surgery. Unfortunately, it wasn’t scheduled until 4 p.m., and I had to wait until then. The surgery itself was quite painful. My problem was my narrow and deep eye sockets, which made attaching the braces difficult. The laser treatment itself was painless, just accompanied by an uncomfortable sensation. Just 40 minutes later, the driver took me back to the hotel, where I immediately lay down. My eyes were watering profusely, and I could barely see. However, this improved considerably during the night. By July 12th, I could already see well and enjoy breakfast at the hotel without any problems. I was picked up again by a driver for a follow-up examination. The follow-up examination revealed that everything had gone well, my eyes had no infections or inflammation, and my vision was already 100%! So I was able to happily spend the afternoon sightseeing with my parents. On July 13th, we spent the morning sightseeing again. At midday, a driver took us to the airport, where we boarded our flight back to Switzerland. The entire trip was very well organized; the transfers from the airport to the hotel to the hospital and back to the hotel and back to the airport always went smoothly. At the hospital, I was always expected and received German-speaking care. The doctor and staff seemed and were very competent; I always felt I was in good hands. I would book the trip with SwissLasik again in a heartbeat and have my eyes lasered in Istanbul, and I can highly recommend it to everyone! I already had my follow-up appointment with the doctor in Zurich, Switzerland, where I was able to get a check-up appointment on the same day I called. I encourage anyone who also wants to have their eyes lasered. Besides saving money, you also get the opportunity to visit the city of Istanbul. Näfels, July 17, 2013
