Patient report for laser eye surgery in Istanbul, Turkey

My patient report for my laser eye surgery in Istanbul

I’ve had the idea of ​​getting laser eye surgery for several years. However, I was held back for a long time by the relatively high prices in Switzerland and my own concerns.

When I was researching the topic again online after many years, I stumbled across an information day in Zug by SwissLasik. I spontaneously registered for it on January 22, 2022.

During this initial consultation, my questions and appointment requests were handled competently and courteously, and of course, my eyes were measured. I received a rough estimate of the measurements on the spot. The more precise results arrived a few days later via email.

After doing some online research about laser eye surgery and the clinic itself, I was already quite convinced by SwissLasik’s services. A personal recommendation from a colleague whose son had been treated there further solidified my decision.

Since we were planning a city break to Istanbul anyway, I was able to combine it with our other plans. We decided to organize the flights and hotel stay ourselves before the procedure. SwissLasik arranged the pick-up time at our hotel, the date of the surgery, and the return flight.

Istanbul is a city with a long history and a rich tapestry of cultures. A visit to explore the city is definitely worthwhile.

The exact transfer time from the hotel to the clinic was communicated to us the day before via WhatsApp by our German-speaking coordinator. We were picked up from the hotel on May 26, 2022, and driven directly to the clinic. Upon arrival, we were taken with our luggage directly to our room, where we waited for our coordinator. We were able to clarify any further questions about the procedure with her. In the morning, further preliminary examinations took place, during which we also met the attending physician, Prof. Dr. Faik Orucoglu, for the first time. At the end of these preliminary examinations, it was clear that treatment was possible and which technique would be used.

The procedure took place that same afternoon. My German-speaking caregiver accompanied me throughout. Approximately 30 minutes before the procedure, I received a sedative, my eyes were numbed, and the area was disinfected. During the first part of the procedure, I felt pressure on the affected eye. During the second part, I felt almost nothing. The entire procedure took a maximum of 10 minutes. After the procedure, my vision was still slightly blurry but noticeably better than before. Immediately afterward, there was a brief follow-up appointment where I was informed about how it went. Then I was given dark protective goggles to prevent me from rubbing my eyes and to keep out too much light.

For the next three to four hours after the procedure, I experienced a burning sensation in my eyes, similar to the burning after cutting a strong onion. During this time, I was advised to keep my eyes closed, and the very friendly staff administered eye drops every hour. On their recommendation, I slept that night wearing protective goggles.

The next day I felt no more pain and my eyesight was already very good. For the follow-up appointment, we were picked up and looked after again by our caregiver.

The subsequent transport from the clinic to the airport went smoothly again.

The clinic is in decent condition. The bed for the accompanying person is a pull-out armchair and isn’t particularly comfortable. Unfortunately, presumably to save electricity, the air conditioning in the building hadn’t been switched on despite temperatures approaching 30°C. This made the stay somewhat unpleasant. Food is provided during the stay and is adequate. However, the same menu is served at both lunch and dinner. This was compensated for by the competence of the doctors and the friendly staff.

Conclusion:
I received excellent advice and support from SwissLasik. I highly recommend them.

The treatment on site went very well and apart from the minor drawbacks of the clinic, I can only recommend it from my point of view.

June 1, 2022 Reto Schmid