My eye lens treatment in Istanbul – report from Friday, November 13, 2015

Three years ago, I checked in Switzerland whether lens implantation would be an option for me. It was, plus 5,000 Swiss francs per eye, which I didn’t have readily available. I put the whole thing aside to consider whether it was worth the expense. Two years later, a friend told me she’d had laser eye surgery in Istanbul. This motivated me to research online and compare different offers. That’s how I came across Swisslasik, where I received excellent and prompt information. It took a while before I could finally decide on a date. Suddenly, everything had to happen very quickly due to my studies and a change of internship. Two weeks before my appointment, I decided to fly to Istanbul at the beginning of October. This wasn’t a problem for Swisslasik, and so it was booked. I received my ticket, all the information, and a map of Istanbul by mail. This allowed me to prepare thoroughly and know what to expect. I was also able to compare notes with friends about what I absolutely had to see in Istanbul.

Day 1
I arrived late in Istanbul on Monday evening, and the driver was already waiting for me. Unfortunately, none of the drivers spoke very good English, but they still tried to tell me something or ask me questions!

Hotel Levent is extremely well located, the staff is friendly, and the rooms are quite good and clean. The breakfast buffet is also extremely generous and plentiful. English and even German were spoken without any problems.

Day 2
After a good breakfast, I was picked up on time by another driver and taken to the clinic. My translator was already there, eagerly awaiting me. The initial check-up was quick and pleasant. After all my questions were answered by the doctor, I used my time at the hospital to examine my teeth. Afterwards, I was taken back to the hotel. I spent the entire afternoon exploring the city a bit.

Day 3
Since I had general anesthesia and surgery on both eyes at the same time, I had to go for breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Afterwards, I had the whole morning to explore Istanbul’s old town. That day, the driver even arrived at the hotel early, and I almost got stressed out 🙂

Upon arriving at the hospital, I was slowly prepared for the operation and had a long wait before finally being taken into the operating room. But from my perspective, it wasn’t bad at all because I kept dozing off. Since I had never been to a hospital before, everything was new to me. Under general anesthesia, I had about 30 minutes of surgery and woke up wearing something similar to ski goggles. I felt no pain and could see just as if I weren’t wearing glasses – in my case, like a mole. Afterwards, everything was checked again, and I was given a small snack. Then I was given eye drops, which I had to put in every hour, and a cream. Once back at the hotel, I slept for a while and put the drops in my eyes every hour. When I next woke up, it was 10:13 p.m., and I could already see much better. It was like a miracle, and I had to do a double take.

Day 4
I felt a little nauseous this morning, so I went to the clinic without breakfast. I had a follow-up appointment, and the doctor was very pleased with my progress. My eyes were also getting better and better. My eyes were extremely red all around, but this should be gone within a month. We’ll check again in three months to see if we need to do anything to correct the astigmatism or if everything is fine as it is.

After a pleasant farewell, I was taken back to the hotel and needed some rest. My eyes tired very quickly from the bright light and the moving images. In the afternoon, I wanted to go out for a bit, but after 30 minutes I had to return to the hotel because my eyes felt as if I had been crying all night, so I relaxed in my room for a while.

Day 5
I spent my last day in Istanbul and was taken to the airport by a different driver for the last time. My eyes felt much better; I simply got tired easily.

After a month, the redness in my eyes is slowly disappearing, and I’m enjoying a new world without glasses every day. Upon arrival, I had to go for a follow-up appointment immediately, which went very well. Next week is my second appointment, and I’m curious to see how things will progress with my eyes.

I definitely don’t regret visiting Istanbul at all, because everything was wonderfully and brilliantly organized, and I really liked Istanbul as a city – and the food too.

Regula Rufer