Experience report on LASIK eye surgery in Istanbul from July 21, 2012 – Report from Friday, September 7, 2012

Last winter, I considered having my eyes lasered. With my two young children, I’m often running around, going swimming, and staying active. Often, my contact lenses, which I’ve worn for ten years (correction – 1.25 in both eyes), would fall out or cause discomfort. Especially in summer, when I would rub my eyes after applying sunscreen. I finally wanted to be free from glasses and lenses. So, I researched online and came across the Swisslasik website. After a first phone call with Mr. Karaagacli and seeing the transparent, well-designed site, I gained confidence and decided to go ahead.
However, I still did a preliminary examination at an eye laser clinic in Bern to see if my eyes were suitable for laser surgery and whether a monovision treatment could be done. This means one eye would be lasered for nearsightedness, while the other would be lightly corrected to minimize the need for reading glasses for as long as possible. I tested this with lenses for three weeks but was not satisfied. So, I decided to have both eyes lasered, which would have cost me around 8000 CHF in Switzerland.
On 20th July 2012, I set off for Istanbul. After everything went smoothly with the preparations and information from Swisslasik, the experience continued just as well in Turkey. Late in the evening, I was picked up by the driver with the Acibadem Clinic bus from the airport and taken to the Levent Hotel. The hotel was clean and comfortable, and the staff were very friendly, although not everyone spoke English. As I was travelling alone, I was glad to meet two other Swiss people in the hotel in the morning who had the same plan as I did. We immediately hit it off and spent the entire weekend as a fun and well-functioning group!
We were promptly picked up at the hotel and taken to the clinic, and the process began. At the clinic, we were greeted by Erkan, a Turkish man who grew up in Germany and now lives in Istanbul. He works as a translator and accompanied us from that moment on until we were brought back to the hotel. First came the preliminary examination with the equipment, followed by an individual consultation with the surgeon. She spoke excellent English and gave a very competent impression. However, I was glad to have our German-speaking translator to make sure I understood everything properly. Dr. Cosar then informed me that after the correction, I might need reading glasses, which made me a bit uncertain, as I had never needed them before. Unfortunately, they hadn’t mentioned this in Switzerland despite the expensive preliminary examination!
I was then allowed to think about it calmly in the waiting room, and quickly decided on the laser treatment, as at 43 years old, I would likely need reading glasses soon anyway. After a lunch break, which we enjoyed in the clinic restaurant with a view over the city, the procedure followed. First, the eye drops, then changing into the surgical clothes, and finally, the treatments began one by one. My procedure lasted only about 10 minutes, as I had a small correction. Our good Erkan even held our hands during the surgery, which was really reassuring. I was pleasantly surprised by how painless the procedure was, as I had imagined it would be much worse. After the surgery and a short follow-up examination, we were taken back to the hotel, where we could rest with our eyes closed, as they were already burning and watering. This all happened between 7:00 AM and 2:00 PM. By 5:30 PM, the discomfort, which I managed quite well with 500 mg of Dafalgan, was already subsiding. I also noticed an improvement in my vision and felt the urge to take a short walk to test my “new” eyes. What I saw made me very happy!
From then on, we three were able to enjoy the weekend in Istanbul. We had a well-deserved dinner by the Bosphorus with the illuminated bridges, as it was during Ramadan. The Bosphorus cruise the next afternoon, after the follow-up check-up at the clinic, also went well, despite a one-hour delay due to a misunderstanding about the time. Otherwise, we enjoyed the day without any complaints. Taksim Square, Sapphire Center (which is very close to the Levent Hotel, just a 5-minute walk).
The only thing I would mention is that the prescribed eye drops (cortisone and antibiotic), which I was supposed to use until Thursday, unfortunately only lasted until Monday, and despite my request for more, the surgeon didn’t provide any additional ones. Well, it turned out fine, and Swisslasik has communicated this to the clinic for improvement.
I would have the procedure done in Turkey again. Today, after 6 weeks and a follow-up examination in Switzerland, I am very happy with the result. I no longer need lenses or glasses, and I can even still do without reading glasses. My eyes don’t feel any drier than before the procedure, and my light sensitivity is the same as it was before. This is probably also because I only had a small correction.
What would I do differently? Spend more time in the wonderful city of Istanbul!
Ursula Gerber