Patient report: laser eye treatment in Istanbul by Silvana Romano – report from Wednesday, 17 July 2013

My decision to have my eyes lasered came because I was increasingly having problems with contact lenses. Over time, I could no longer tolerate them and became very frustrated. My son had been wearing his lenses, sometimes overnight, and had developed serious eye problems. I thought that if I decided to have my eyes lasered, he could come along too.
I researched online and came across your clinic. I had found another company, but your website made me feel better informed. It was also very important to me that the follow-up check in Switzerland would be conducted by one of your doctors. My decision was made: I would have my eyes lasered in Turkey. My son was immediately enthusiastic. At work, I told my colleagues about my plan, and one of my employees was “all in” too. She decided to join us in Istanbul.
So off we went. I contacted Mr Karaagacli, who organized everything perfectly for us and booked the flights. On 20 June 2013, our adventure into a life without glasses or contact lenses began. I was very glad, as the two weeks I still had to wear glasses before the surgery were “hell” for me. I couldn’t see well at a distance or up close, constantly having to put my glasses on and take them off to work at the computer. I was totally annoyed. Luckily, that was about to end.
The flight and transfer were perfectly organized, and after only about three hours, we arrived in Istanbul, where we were picked up by a staff member and taken directly to our hotel. A quick freshen-up and some food—that was our plan. At the airport, we met a woman who had also booked the same eye surgery as us. She joined us immediately, so there were now four of us having surgery, plus my friend who traveled with us as a companion.
On 21 June 2013, we started the day with a small breakfast at the hotel and were then picked up and driven to the clinic. A staff member greeted us, and shortly after, our German-speaking interpreter joined us. The pre-examinations began quickly, and during the waiting periods between tests, the four of us could chat and pass the time. We were then informed that all of us could have surgery in the afternoon and could spend the time until then in a shopping center or elsewhere. Since it wasn’t long until the surgery, we decided to stay in the clinic and have something to eat there.
Around 2:30 pm, it was time. We received a calming pill and sat down to wait. My son and my colleague were called first. I wished them luck, and off they went. I was so calm and relaxed from the pill that I actually fell asleep while waiting. When I was called, I said, “Oh, I was asleep, I feel a bit dizzy.” A staff member then led me into the operating room, and the entire procedure was very relaxed for me—I wasn’t nervous at all. I must have “slept through” my eye surgery. A brief post-check and then we were driven back to the hotel to rest our eyes.
From the very beginning, I felt great and was able to help my colleague with the eye drops we had to apply two hours later. She was so sensitive to light at first that she couldn’t manage it alone. I also helped my son with his drops, and later in the evening, we all met again in the hotel restaurant to share our experiences. My friend, who traveled with us as a companion, had a wonderful day in Istanbul, and we were gifted a new life without vision aids. It was a perfect day, 21 June 2013.
The day after the surgery, we had a short follow-up and then enjoyed a boat trip on the Bosphorus. Nearly four weeks have now passed, and I am very satisfied with the treatment. From the very beginning, everything was perfect—I never had any discomfort, and even now, I hardly notice that I had eye surgery. I even put on makeup a week ago, and everything works perfectly.
Best regards, Silvana Romano