Eye laser surgery assessment Istanbul, Türkiye

MY ASSESSMENT OF LASER EYE SURGERY IN ISTANBUL Tiffany C., 06.06.2024 A little over a month ago, I first contacted SwissLasik because I was interested in having laser eye surgery. The staff was friendly, and I received a fairly quick response each time. I’ve been wearing glasses for over 10 years and contact lenses for about 6. Since I have a high prescription and constantly need corrective lenses, I’ve wanted to have laser eye surgery ever since I was a child. With a little research, I came across the company SwissLasik. I chose them because I found their Lasik Premium package very attractive. The fact that they could organize the procedure including flights and transfers, and that this package also included follow-up appointments in Switzerland, convinced me to choose this company. Furthermore, it was helpful that contacting them was quick and easy. SwissLasik went to great lengths to organize the surgery on my preferred date, even though it was very short notice (one week between the initial check-up in Bern and the surgery in Istanbul). I am very satisfied with MedicalTravel-SwissLasik because of their friendliness, reliability, and straightforward communication. They were also available to answer my questions after the surgery. In Istanbul, I had a friendly contact person. The transfer from the airport to the clinic wasn’t great, but that was the fault of the driver himself and not MedicalTravel or the clinic. I informed my contact person, who took my concerns seriously and arranged for a different driver for the transfer from the clinic to the airport. I would give my stay at Birinci Göz Hastanesi Clinic 4 out of 5 stars. The room was large enough and had the essentials. The food was rather repetitive, but perfectly acceptable for such a short stay. On the day of my surgery, I had an examination in the morning, and there were many long waiting times, but this was probably because I was examined by the head surgeon. Unfortunately, I didn’t find my doctor particularly likeable, as he never introduced himself and only gave me the bare minimum of information. For example, I didn’t feel adequately informed about potential complications, but thankfully I’m not experiencing any complications now. Before the operation, my support person asked me to sign a five-page document, which they only had in Turkish and not in English, and didn’t explain what exactly I was signing. Only after I insisted did my support person translate the essentials into English. In my opinion, the clinic should also have these documents available in English, given their large number of international patients. I found the hygiene of the nurse who treated us before the procedure questionable. In the preparation room, I sat with five other patients. The nurse had a paper kidney dish with about six swabs soaked in disinfectant. He went from patient to patient, disinfecting the eye area, but without disinfecting his hands or changing his gloves between patients. After disinfection, one shouldn’t touch the eye area, but he only realized after disinfecting that he had forgotten to administer the numbing eye drops and therefore touched the already disinfected area. I am very satisfied with the LASIK result itself; the procedure was quick. I had no pain after the operation, and the healing process was quite uncomplicated. I’m only partially satisfied with the postoperative care. I would have liked more information from them (e.g., that sunglasses should be worn for a few days). But my assigned contact person was always available for questions, even after I returned to Switzerland. I am very satisfied with the result; I was able to see very clearly the next day, even though I had a high diopter prescription. Over the next few weeks, my vision fluctuated. Some days I saw very clearly, other days less so. Initially, I didn’t notice any halos at night, but for the past few weeks I have. However, this is something I accept, as the LASIK procedure has significantly improved my quality of life. I was missing some information, such as the fact that I need to have the glasses requirement on my driver’s license changed. Perhaps a more detailed brochure could be provided to LASIK patients. In conclusion, I am extremely satisfied with the service and care provided by MedicalTravel and can recommend them. I am also very happy with the result of the LASIK procedure, but not so much with the aftercare. I am glad the procedure went so smoothly, but I can wholeheartedly recommend the Birinci Clinic.