Experience report: Laser eye surgery in Istanbul – Report from Monday, January 29, 2007

This is what our patient I. Hiltbrunner from Walterswil wrote to us on January 29, 2007, at 9:22 p.m.:

—–Original message—–

Sent: Monday, January 29, 2007, 9:22 p.m.
To: info@swisslasik.ch
Subject: Experience report

Dear Mr. Karaagacli

I am happy to provide you with my experience report below, which you are welcome to publish on the Internet.

Experience report: Lasik in Istanbul

I have been dependent on visual aids for over 30 years, with short-sightedness between 3.25 and 3.75 diopters. Because I have trouble tolerating contact lenses, I have often considered LASIK surgery, but until now this has not been an option due to the cost.

Since I had already started to develop presbyopia in my mid-40s, I would soon have needed varifocal glasses. This prompted me to look into Lasik again.

I found out online that Lasik is much cheaper in Turkey than here, which is how I came across the Swisslasik website.

After some research and a preliminary examination in Switzerland, I decided to book the surgery through Swisslasik, together with my son, who was also nearsighted. We signed the contract and received the SwissLasik Pass, which contained a lot of valuable information about our trip.

So my son and I flew to Istanbul on December 13, 2006. On the plane, we sat next to a Turkish woman who lived in Switzerland. She had heard about the Eyestar Clinic and said that it was the best clinic for eye surgery in Turkey! So the start of our trip was very promising.

We were picked up at the airport by Dogan, who spoke perfect German and assisted us in all matters relating to the surgery. He drove us safely to the hotel and picked us up again the next day to take us to the clinic.

Once there, our eyes were thoroughly examined using several devices, and the size of our pupils at night was also tested. Dogan was always at our side and acted as our translator. However, as the doctor speaks English very well, it was also possible to communicate with him in that language.

My cornea was a little thin on the right side (491 my), so in my case, the doctor had to carefully calculate whether it would be possible to use a microkeratome or whether another option, such as Femto-Lasik, would be better. In the end, he decided on normal Lasik, i.e., using a microkeratome, even though the clinic would have made €400 more if it had used the other option. He stated that the reason for this was that there was no long-term experience with Femto yet and that the clinic had the latest microkeratome, with which the flap thickness is only around 100 my.

Since our eyes needed a break between the preliminary examination and the surgery, we went out for something to eat and then explored the Taksim district.

Then it was time for the operation. As my son was a little afraid of the operation (he hates it when someone touches his eyes and finds it difficult to look at a specific spot for a long time when told to), he was given a sedative. Before the operation, you can lie down on a massage chair, which certainly helps you relax. Thus prepared, my son even ventured into the operating room before me. My son Roman asked me to film his surgery. This was easily done through a window into the operating room, with a view of a monitor on the wall showing the treated eye and the procedures.

After spending some time in the massage chair, it was my turn. Dogan was there again and informed me about every step of the operation. Apart from the suction ring, which was briefly applied to cut the flap, and the clamps, which were used to keep my eyes open, I didn’t feel a thing during the operation. After about 20 minutes, it was all over and I was taken to a darkened recovery room. After about 20 minutes, I had my first follow-up examination and then we were driven back to the hotel. Because the eyes are very sensitive to light after the operation, we were given sunglasses to wear on the way.

For the first four hours after the operation, our eyes watered, burned, and stung. We tried to sleep, which we managed to do for a while. They remained very sensitive to light for another hour, and then the discomfort was over.

Due to my presbyopia, I opted for monovision and felt relatively comfortable with it right from the start. However, monovision does take some getting used to. Depending on what you are doing, you either don’t notice it at all or just a little. But it was never a problem.

The next day, we had a follow-up examination, and Dogan picked us up again and took us to the hospital. Our visual acuity was already almost 100%. Now we could explore Istanbul with our new eyes—what a feeling!

We haven’t had any complaints so far, sometimes our eyes are still slightly dry, but this is becoming less and less frequent. Women over 40 in particular have to expect this symptom for a certain period of time. Driving at night is also no problem, with no halos or glare. Our visual acuity is slightly lower than when wearing glasses, but still good enough for everyday life.

Roman sees even better than I do. Unfortunately, I have lost some sharpness due to monovision. But as I said, it’s still good enough for everyday life, whether at the office, in the car, or at home.

We are both glad to have gotten rid of the glasses.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the clinic and you, Mr. Karaagacli, once again for the excellent care you provided.

The first follow-up examination in Switzerland is scheduled for early February, and I will report back to you afterwards.

Until then, best regards from Walterswil

I. Hiltbrunner

P.S. This is a genuine report. If desired, please request proof at info@swisslasik.ch.