Experience report of my laser eye treatment in Istanbul, Turkey – report from Sunday, 29 July 2012

I made the firm decision to go through with this at the beginning of this year. I did some research online and came across SwissLasik. I reviewed several websites, but SwissLasik made the best impression on me. Fortunately, there was an information meeting in Zurich shortly afterwards, which I attended to learn more. The treating doctor was also present and answered all questions. After this meeting, my decision was made, and my journey to a life without glasses began. I first decided on a preliminary examination in Switzerland to check whether laser surgery would even be possible for me. A pre-examination is not mandatory, but I wanted to be sure, so I would not be disappointed in Istanbul. SwissLasik also organised this pre-examination. Shortly afterwards, I received all travel documents as well as the SwissLasik pass, which included everything one needs to know—concise, compact, and very helpful. Reading it before departure is really useful, and I can highly recommend it.
I didn’t have to worry about anything. On Thursday, 26 July 2012, I began my trip to Istanbul. I was picked up at the airport with my companion and taken directly to the hotel. We chose the Park City Hotel, just a five-minute walk from Taksim Square. It is very quiet and very clean. We were completely satisfied. The driver informed us that we would be picked up again at 8.00 a.m. on Friday. The rest of the day was free. In the evening, I received a call from the clinic confirming the pick-up time. After this call, I became even more convinced.
On Friday, we were picked up with a 30-minute delay. This is a minor detail. Istanbul is a huge city with heavy traffic, so delays can happen. On the day of the procedure, however, the minutes felt like hours. But, as mentioned, it was a minor issue. Upon arrival at the clinic, we were warmly welcomed. A perfectly German-speaking gentleman was always by my side, translating every step. The clinic was very clean and the staff very friendly. The preliminary examination went the same way as in Zurich. Afterwards, I had a consultation with the doctor. Since I had already met her at the information meeting, she was not entirely unfamiliar to me, which reassured me further. Everything was discussed again, and then she said: See you shortly. See me shortly? Wasn’t the procedure scheduled for the afternoon? That’s what I had read in other reports. I was fortunate that it could start immediately. After a short wait, it finally began. The German-speaking assistant remained by my side, continuing to translate everything.
The procedure itself was over within 10 minutes. I was then given protective glasses and waited in a darkened room for about 30 minutes before being taken for the final check-up. After this, we were immediately taken back to the hotel, where I spent four hours with my eyes closed. At the clinic, I was given medication (eye drops) to be applied every two hours. After these four hours, I dared to go out on the balcony for the first time and was thrilled. I could read the shop signs on the street. It was a wonderful feeling. That evening, we strolled through Istanbul again, glasses-free—but of course wearing sunglasses.
On Saturday, we were picked up at 10 a.m. for the mandatory follow-up examination. Unfortunately, there was no German-speaking staff left at the hospital. Without English, it would certainly have been more difficult, especially because we still had to arrange the pick-up for the airport on Sunday. This was no problem for me, but for someone who doesn’t speak English, it could be confusing. This really is the only criticism. The follow-up examination took about 10 minutes, after which we were taken back to the hotel and had no further appointments. The airport pick-up on Sunday also went perfectly, and I returned home very happy.
Everything, truly everything, was perfect, and I am completely satisfied. I hope this report can help alleviate the fears of those considering this procedure. From my perspective, I can only rave about it. Huge thanks also to SwissLasik. I didn’t have to worry about a thing and was excellently cared for. A tip from me: although it is not very pleasant to watch, I had previously watched videos of the procedure online. This allowed me to know at every moment during the procedure what was happening, which was also reassuring.