Laser eye surgery or LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileuses) is the procedure to treat conditions like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. LASIK is pain-free and takes as little as 15 minutes to complete the procedure. The cornea is reshaped to enable to let the light get accurately focused on the retina.
Since most of us have to rely on the screens for most of the work, some eye-conditions may develop which may later need laser eye surgery. These conditions are:
Astigmatism - Astigmatism is a condition where the cornea gets curves or flattened, hence interfering with the near and distant vision.
Farsightedness - In some cases, the eyeball is shorter than normal or the cornea is too flat that normal, due to the light is focused behind the retina. This makes the near vision blurred.
Nearsightedness - in some cases, the eyeball is longer than the normal size or the cornea is too curved due to which the light is focused in front of the retina. Hence the far vision gets blurred.
Why is Turkey a Suitable Option for Laser Surgery?
Turkey is a great place to offer world-class healthcare at affordable prices in addition to the scenic beauty. It has started sharing a global market in medical tourism with countries like India, Malaysia, Thailand, and Hungary. Patients come in huge numbers from across the world to get medical treatment for Cardiovascular surgery, cancer treatment, neurosurgery, orthopaedics or cosmetic surgery. Turkey has many JCI accredited hospitals and other medical institutions. There is a shorter waiting time as compared to other countries.
Steps followed during the surgery
- In the beginning, the doctor conducts an eye examination to check whether you are the right candidate for the surgery. It is important to check that one does not have any risk of dry eyes after the procedure is done.
- The patients are advised to avoid wearing lenses at least two weeks before the surgery as the contact lenses can change the shape of the cornea.
- Just before the surgery, the eye is anaesthetized by applying eye drops to facilitate a pain-free procedure.
- The eye is positioned under the laser and held wide open with an instrument called a lid speculum.
- Application of suction ring in the front eye helps to prevent any eye movement that may affect the procedure.
- A corneal flap is created with the help of a surgical tool called a microkeratome or a femtosecond laser. The flap is folded back to gain access to the underlying cornea.
- The underlying cornea is reshaped by using an excimer laser.
- Then the corneal flap is placed back and sutured with the rest of the cornea.
- There may be temporary burning or itching in the eyes, immediately after the procedure.
Success Rate of Laser eye surgery in Turkey
It is a well-known fact that the Lasik surgery success rate is as high as 95% in the case of nearsightedness. Merely, one or two out of 10 patients may require revision surgery for further enhancement. However, people having a smaller amount of refractive error before the surgery have a lesser chance of needing a second surgery. Nevertheless, there may be some chance of developing the following conditions after the surgery as a side-effect:
- Reduced night vision - A few patients after the surgery may have glare or halos around lights and a reduced night vision.
- Dry Eyes - There may be a reduction in the tear volume especially if there is any previous condition for dry eyes.
- Eye infection - There may be some temporary infection which can be treated by the medications.
The recovery period after the surgery
The laser eye surgery is a day-care procedure and you go back home the same day. However, you cannot drive yourself until the doctor allows you.
You can expect a bit of pain, slight burning or discomfort after the surgery. The doctor will give you a pain-relieving medication to deal with it. Other than this, you might experience:
- Haziness in the vision
- Halos around the lights
- Bloodshot eyes
- Sensitivity to light
However, you do not need to worry as these are natural responses to the surgery and a part of the healing process. Some may experience it for a few hours after the surgery to a few days. You will need to put antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drops to be used at regular intervals. It is important to go for a follow-up visit after the next 24 to 48 hours.
One should be able to drive within the first couple of days after the surgery and do most of the routine activities. You can also take a bath making sure the water droplets or the soap does not go inside the eyes. Also, make sure you wear safety glasses if you play any physical sports to avoid any direct impact on the eyes. Also, make sure the sweat does not run into the eyes. Do not rub your eyes. Wearing makeup refrained for a week after the surgery as it can drop into the eyes.
After a gap of six months, you are supposed to have a regular check-up. Any issues like haziness or halos should be gone by this time. You can also stop using any wetting eye drops.
Laser Eye surgery cost
When it comes to the cost of Laser Eye surgery in Turkey, the average cost lies around 1300 Euros. The exact cost may vary, depending upon different factors such as,
- The reputation of the hospital
- Associated medical illnesses
- Fees of the doctor
- Length of stay
- Cost of living
What is the approximate length of stay in Turkey for laser eye surgery?
Usually, it is recommended to arrange a stay for at least 3 nights. This is to have a comfortable stay in a new country with a surgery and a follow-up visit to the doctor. If you have time, you may also take a city tour and enjoy yourselves.
What are the methods of payment accepted in Turkey?
The hospitals in Turkey are open to both cash and card. The cash is accepted in either Euros or Turkish Lira.
Top Eye Doctors in Turkey
She has an overall experience of more than 7 years and has worked in several reputed hospitals before KOC University. She holds an expertise in corneal transplant, cataract surgery, Intraocular implants, retinal detachment surgery and Oculoplasty.
Dr Afsun is a well-known eye doctor in Turkey, who received his medical degree from Ankara University Medical School. He holds more than 100 articles, book chapters and abstracts to his credit.
Akif Özdamar
Dr Akif has an overall experience of more than 18 years. He specially deals with conditions like cataract, keratoconus, cornea and presbyopia treatment. Currently, he is working with Dunaygoz hospital in Turkey.
Top Eye Hospitals in Turkey
Dunyagoz, Antalya
The hospital was started in 1996 and currently caters to 8000 outpatients and performs 1000 surgeries on an everyday basis. There are nearly 300 specialists in the hospitals and 2500 other medical staff. The hospital has about 20 branches in Turkey in 11 different provinces. These provinces include İstanbul, Ankara, İzmit, Adana, Samsun Tekirdag, Bursa, Konya, Sakarya and Gaziantep. When it comes to the number of medical tourists coming to the hospital, approximately 96000 patients come here from 107 different countries.
Memorial Antalya Hospital
Memorial Health Group is known to work in accordance with the international standards of quality treatment and hygiene. The medical staff is also internationally-recognized with expert specialists and professional health care staff. The hospital is accredited with JCI and is spread across an area of 15,000 square meters. There are about 132 in-patient beds, 28 ICU beds, 5 operation theatres, all equipped with the latest technology.
Medical Park Hospital
Medial Park was first opened in 1953 and is one of the largest scale healthcare groups in the country. Overall, there are nearly 14 thousand employees located in 28 hospitals located in 17 different cities in Turkey. Spread across an area of 760 thousand square meters, the hospital has in total of 200 operating theatres and 5200 beds. It is also accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI).
How can Vaidam Health help you in getting medical treatment in Turkey?
Vaidam Health is in an online mediator company which can facilitate your entire journey in Turkey. The case managers can help you find the best doctor and the best hospital for your treatment at the most affordable prices. In addition to this, you can also seek help for arranging places of stay, airport pickup etc. overall, we ensure that you have a pleasant experience while you get yourself treated in Turkey.
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