Experience report: Laser eye surgery in Turkey – Report from Tuesday, October 2, 2007

“What? Eye surgery in Istanbul? Have you lost your mind? I would never do that there! You only have two eyes!” – That’s how it sounded when I first told people about my plan to have my eyes operated on at the Eye-Star Clinic in Istanbul. Since I was determined but also a little nervous, I decided not to tell anyone else about it. Comments like that didn’t exactly reassure me. I could talk about it once everything was over.

Several years ago, I had toyed with the idea of having my short-sightedness corrected with laser surgery, but then rejected the idea because of the high costs involved.

When I heard about Swisslasik on the Swiss television program “Puls” and read a report that had been published in “Facts,” I quickly made my decision.

I made an appointment with an ophthalmologist in Zurich to have a preventive examination. Due to my severe nearsightedness, I wasn’t sure whether the operation would even be possible. If the decision was positive, I wanted to go to Istanbul; if it was negative, the matter would have been settled for me.

During this examination, my eyes were thoroughly examined and measured, and I received the positive news that laser treatment was possible.

I then contacted Mr. Karaagaçli-Leoni from Swisslasik. Mr. Karaagaçli-Leoni then organized the operation very quickly and competently and always answered my questions about my stay in Istanbul and the operation promptly and extremely kindly.

I felt very well looked after and advised before, during, and even after my stay in Istanbul, which was very important to me!

The staff at the Eye-Star Clinic did everything they could to make me and my companion feel comfortable. We were given a very warm welcome and I was really impressed by the foreign language skills of the staff. Swiss German, German, English, French—they seemed to speak every language!

We were always picked up very punctually and enjoyed the transfer service very much!

At the clinic, I also met several people who had already had eye surgery and were there for a follow-up examination. Their enthusiastic reports further reassured me before the operation.

Now I’m back from Istanbul and the only thing I regret is that I didn’t have the operation done much earlier! Just a few hours after the operation, I was walking around Istanbul and could read street signs, etc. For the first time in over 20 years, I don’t need to wear glasses or contact lenses, but can see clearly 24 hours a day – even though I was short-sighted with a prescription of -8 diopters! The surgery was 100% successful, and I am extremely happy about my life without visual aids. No more crawling around on the bathroom floor because a lens has fallen down, or fumbling around for your glasses early in the morning! Next summer, I will be able to swim for the first time without having to worry about my contact lenses, and I will be able to travel without lens solution, etc.

I can highly recommend Swisslasik and the Eye-Star Clinic and hope that this review will help to dispel any preconceptions that some people may have about eye surgery in Turkey.

And finally, Istanbul is a beautiful and fascinating city, and I will return there one day!

Warm regards

Eva Thoma