Patient report: Eye surgery in Istanbul – Report from Monday, July 8, 2013

Patient report from Corinne Amherd, Frauenfeld (July 7, 2013): Until recently, I hadn’t even considered the possibility of living without glasses. I enjoyed wearing them. However, I’d been having increasing problems with contact lenses over the past few years. On vacation or in nice weather, I constantly had to switch from my prescription sunglasses to my regular glasses whenever I went into a shop or restaurant. This got annoying after a while. A few years ago, my brother’s girlfriend had laser eye surgery in Istanbul. She was extremely happy with it, and I found myself thinking about it from time to time. We also talked about it occasionally at the office. Then one day, my boss came into the office and said that she and her son were going to take the plunge. LASER EYE SURGERY IN ISTANBUL. Okay, I thought, why not? My boss did some research online and came across your company. All three of us were immediately tempted, and after sleeping on it, I agreed to travel to Istanbul for laser eye surgery. It was very reassuring for me that the three of us would be having the same procedure. It was also great that we had the option of going back to Switzerland for follow-up appointments. Then everything happened very quickly. Mr. Serdar Karaagacli kept us well-informed via email and organized everything perfectly for us. The surgery was scheduled for June 21, 2013, and we flew to Istanbul on June 20, 2013. We landed in Istanbul around 6:00 PM with Pegasus Airlines, where a friendly employee met us at the airport and drove us to the hotel. After a delicious dinner at the hotel, we went to bed to be rested for the day of the surgery. The day of the surgery, June 21, 2013: We were picked up from the hotel in the morning and driven directly to the ACIBADEM clinic. We were greeted by a staff member, and later our translator joined us. It was a great support and reassurance for all of us that he was with us all day and translated everything. The preliminary examinations, carried out by the friendly clinic staff, started very quickly. We had to wait a bit here and there, but things always moved along smoothly. We then met our doctor, and she examined us again. Our translator informed us that the surgery would begin around 2:30 p.m. and that we were all suitable candidates. We then had a light meal at the clinic and sat in the sun outside until it was time. It was very comforting for me to have Mr. Gökhan Izlisu with us all day. He exuded a calming presence, which made me feel completely at ease. I simply felt a great deal of trust in the doctor and the clinic, so I wasn’t very nervous. Nevertheless, I took the sedative shortly before the surgery. At the agreed-upon time, we went back in and it began. I was starting to feel a little uneasy, but I trusted that everything would go smoothly. We were given drops to numb our eyes, and after a short wait, it was time. The surgery was very quick and problem-free. After the procedure, we were given protective goggles and had to go back for a follow-up examination. Everything went well, and the doctor was pleased. We were too! ;o) Right after the surgery, while still in the hospital, my eyes were very sensitive to light; I could barely open them and just wanted to keep them closed. We went straight to the hotel and lay down. I had no pain; the only thing was a burning sensation in my eyes. After about four hours of rest, we were able to treat ourselves to a delicious meal in the hotel restaurant. Wearing sunglasses, we all sat there happily, chatting about our sensations. It was simply unbelievable that we could see without glasses or contact lenses. Wow… incredible! The next day we had a follow-up appointment and that was it :o) We were then able to explore Istanbul. The city is beautiful and I will definitely come back as soon as possible to see more. Two weeks have now passed since the surgery and I still sometimes can’t believe it. In the evenings I still feel like I need to take my contact lenses out… haha. At first, I was very sensitive to light and even wore sunglasses at the office. The headlights of other cars were also very blinding when driving at night. But I’m noticing that it’s getting better and better, and it will get even better with time. I’m absolutely thrilled with my decision to have my eyes lasered in Turkey and can highly recommend it to everyone. It’s a quality of life that…
I’m so happy to be getting it back! Thank you to all the staff at SwissLasik and the Acibadem Clinic for the excellent care. All my love, Corinne Amherd