Experience report on laser eye surgery in Istanbul – Report from Thursday, April 24, 2008
Experience report: Laser eye surgery in Istanbul
At around the age of 22, I was prescribed a visual aid, in other words glasses, for driving. At first, I only needed the glasses when driving or at the cinema. For the rest of the day, I did not need them. Over time, my eyesight deteriorated and I ended up wearing glasses all day. As glasses were inconvenient for certain sports, such as swimming or jogging, I decided to switch to monthly contact lenses. With monthly lenses, I felt freer and less restricted. It was a new feeling. However, even with monthly lenses there were occasional unpleasant situations. But since I no longer wanted to wear glasses for cosmetic reasons, I simply had to put up with it. Around three years ago, I then started seeing advertisements for laser eye treatments everywhere in various magazines. I always read everything very carefully and became very interested in the subject. A good friend then shared his experiences of his laser eye operation in Bern with me and informed me about everything, including the fact that I would have to expect costs of around 8,000 Swiss francs. Until it got to that point, however, it first meant one thing: saving money.
By chance, on 25 June 2007 I then saw the documentary about laser eye treatment in Istanbul on Swiss television, in the programme PULS. That is how I came across the website www.swisslasik.ch. After a long period of deliberation, I decided at the end of September to register for the preliminary examination in Zurich. It turned out that an operation would not be a problem for me. In addition to the actual diagnostic examinations, the ophthalmologist also informed me about the advantages and disadvantages of laser eye surgery. After the examination in Zurich, I was still not completely convinced. Among friends and acquaintances, I received nothing but comments such as having laser eye surgery in Istanbul, whether I was out of my mind, and that it was far too dangerous, so there was little encouragement there. Time and again, I read the experience reports in the Swisslasik forum. And with every convincing report, my determination grew: now or never. At the beginning of January 2008, I contacted Mr Karaagacli and informed him that I would like to have the laser eye operation in Istanbul on 31 March 2008. Mr Karaagacli organised the flight, the hotel (Taskim Gönen) and the registration for the operation. Everything was perfectly organised. At the beginning of March, I then received the personally issued Swisslasik pass with all the necessary and useful information for my stay in Istanbul. Many thanks to Mr Karaagacli for the quick and friendly emails and for the excellent organisation.
So, on Sunday, March 30, 2008, my husband and I flew to Istanbul. We were picked up at the airport by Mr. Cayli, who drove us to the hotel. He spoke fluent German and, during the 25-minute drive, informed us about the “EyeStar” eye clinic and the procedure. Since the surgery was scheduled for Monday, we had Sunday afternoon free and explored the streets around Taszkim Square. The next morning, March 31, 2008, Fred picked us up from the hotel at 11:00 a.m. It was only about a 200-meter walk to the eye clinic. On the way, we were joined by two other women from Germany who, like me, were scheduled for surgery that Monday. At the clinic, we received a warm and welcoming reception. First, we enjoyed a cup of coffee, and then our eyes were thoroughly examined. Afterward, we had a lunch break, and in the afternoon, around 3:30 p.m., it was finally time for the surgery. I was put in a green coat and a hairnet, then I sat down in a massage chair where Mr. Cayli disinfected my eyes and spoke to me in a calming manner.
Then I went into the operating room for the laser surgery. Every step was documented in English by the ophthalmologist, and Mr. Fred translated all the instructions into German for me. I felt some unpleasant pressure when the eye brace and the small device for fixing my eyes were inserted. Otherwise, everything went smoothly. Both eyes were operated on one after the other.
About 10 minutes after the surgery, my husband accompanied me back to the hotel. My eyes were a little watery, but I didn’t feel any pain. Now it was time to sleep, put in eye drops every hour, and just sleep, sleep…
The next morning I already had my full vision and no discomfort whatsoever. The ophthalmologist also confirmed during the follow-up appointment that morning that I had already achieved 100% visual acuity. What a fantastic feeling! Full vision, no discomfort or pain, no tearing or burning, all just one day after the surgery – unbelievable!
We had the rest of the day to ourselves, so we had time to visit the sights of Istanbul before flying back towards Switzerland the following day.
In retrospect, I can honestly say that the trip to Istanbul was absolutely worth it. Everything was perfectly organized, and everyone at the eye clinic was friendly, helpful, and competent. A life without glasses or contact lenses can begin…
Salzmann Ingrid, Baltschieder, April 20, 2008
