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Laser Eye Surgery in Turkey, Istanbul in 2019 (Femto-Lasik) - My Review
Shortly before the end of 2019, I fulfilled a long-term wish by having laser eye surgery performed at the Bati Göz Clinic in Istanbul, Turkey.
I thought I’d provide some information about laser eye surgery in Istanbul and on my experiences with the Bati Göz Clinic and the Health Travels agency – the agency that helped me accomplish this long-term goal.
How I decided to have my laser eye surgery performed in Istanbul:
My lifestyle makes my eyesight incredibly important to me, and glasses weren’t cutting it. I love to surf, play outdoor sports, kickbox, and I love falling asleep on the sofa in the evening.
Anyone that does any of those things knows how much of a pain glasses and contact lenses can be. After years of burning eyes after water sports, lenses falling out during kickboxing, and the annoyance of dealing with lenses and glasses during travel, I’d had enough.
I’d considered laser eye surgery for a very long time, but as it is for many people, the price was preventative. As a German, I would have preferred to have the surgery done at home in a German clinic for a number of reasons, including risks associated with the procedure, the requirements for aftercare, and my general trust of German doctors. But unfortunately, the surgery was just too expensive in Germany.
My job allows me to fly regularly and affordably, so I decided to look into what my options were to have the surgery done abroad. I found that South Korea, Thailand, and Turkey all offered good options, with reputable clinics and more affordable prices. In the end, I decided on Turkey, partially for the shorter flight involved, but also because I wanted to book the whole thing through a travel agency, and Health Travels offered a package to Istanbul.
My experience booking my surgery with the Health Travels agency:
Thanks to a recommendation from a couple of girlfriends, I already knew about the Health Travels agency, and I decided to purchase their Wavefront Femto-LASIK surgery package. The package included everything I needed, including:
• Wavefront Femto-LASIK treatment for both eyes at the Bati Göz Clinic
• A complete preliminary examination
• After-procedure follow-up
• Medication (eye drops)
• Two nights in the four-star Mercure Altunizade Istanbul hotel, which is only five minutes from the clinic
• Shuttle service between the airport, the clinic, and the hotel
• German-language support at the clinic
• A 15-year guarantee on the results of the surgery
Everything about the experience went smoothly. The care and personal service provided by Health Travels was incredible. The shuttle drivers were always punctual, helpful, and friendly.
The Bati Göz staff and doctors were exceptional, including Meysun and Arzu, who supervised my care and spoke fluent German and English in addition to Turkish. The ophthalmologist and senior physician at the clinic also spoke fluent English, and I can’t overstate how much easier it made everything each step of the way.
Laser eye surgery at the Bati Göz Clinic:
Femto-LASIK is the standard laser eye surgery method used in Turkey and is carried out on the same technical level as domestic procedures in Germany. Many reputable eye clinics have established offices in Istanbul since the favorable prices attract customers from all over the world. Bati Göz is one of the best, and has won several internationally recognized awards, including the ISO 9001 quality certificate.
More than 1,000 operations are carried out each year at Bati Göz, and the clinic offers Wavefront-PRK and ReLEx-Smile laser eye surgeries in addition to the Wavefront Femto-LASIK surgery that I opted for. For price comparison, the package I booked would have cost 990 Euros for both eyes with Wavefront-PRK and 2,100 Euros with the ReLEx-Smile method.
The pre-surgery preliminary examination:
The preliminary examination takes place at the Bati Göz Clinic in the morning, so it’s a good idea to get to Istanbul a day earlier. The clinic will ask to see your passport or ID, so make sure to have it with you. The procedure includes measuring the diopter values of your current glasses, computer-controlled measurement of your eyes‘ refractive error using an auto-refractometer, the measurement of your intraocular pressure, an examination of your cornea strength, and the WaveScan wavefront analysis.
Once my initial examination was complete, I had a conversation with the ophthalmologist who provided me with some additional information about the available surgery methods. While I was suitable for both Wavefront Femto-LASIK and ReLEx-Smile, I opted for Femto since it was cheaper. Payment can be made either in cash or with a credit card, and it’s normally worthwhile to pay cash to avoid the high foreign-exchange fees that most cards carry.
While it isn’t possible to be 100% certain ahead of time that you’ll qualify as suitable for any of the three laser surgery methods available, 90% of patients qualify for at least one, making the travel a safe bet. In some cases, only ReLEx Smile is available, as it’s minimally invasive and suitable for most patients. If it is determined that you aren‘t suitable for any of the options, the 100 Euro preliminary examination fee and the approximately 50 Euros per night for the hotel will still apply. Although the risk of being found unsuitable is small, it’s still a good idea to check domestic prices just in case.
How the Wavefront Femto-LASIK procedure works:
Once the preliminary examinations are complete, you’ll be given an appointment for the operation itself. As a rule of thumb, the surgery generally takes place in the afternoon, but I was luckily able to get it done in the morning. It can’t hurt to ask! Once you’re at the clinic on operation day, you’ll be outfitted with surgical garments and hair protection, given anesthetic eye drops, and the staff will get you settled in and ready for the procedure.
The first stage of the procedure starts with disinfecting the eyes with a cleaning solution. Then a mask is placed over the face covering all but the eye being treated at the time. The doctor then inserts a “lid lock” to stop you from blinking. It’s a strange thought, but it isn’t as bad as it sounds. Next, you’ll feel a pressure sensation as the suction ring that the femtosecond laser attaches to is placed over the eye. Once the laser has been affixed, the corneal flap is cut, and the entire process is repeated on the other eye.
In the second stage of the procedure, the corneal flaps that have been cut are raised, and the excimer laser is used to correct your nearsightedness. During this process you have to look straight ahead the entire time, attempting to fix your eye on a single point of light provided as a target. If your eye moves for any reason, the laser automatically turns off, preventing any accidental damage. It’s comforting to know that such effective safeguards are in place.
Once both eyes are finished – a process that generally doesn’t take more than five to ten minutes – the doctor installs a couple of protective contact lenses which stay in until the next day’s follow-up appointment.
Is there any pain involved with laser eye surgery?
The procedure itself is painless. I didn’t find it unpleasant at all, and actually thought it was fairly fascinating. With that in mind, it might be a bit creepy for people who are skittish about their eyes. There’s even a brief burning smell during the lasering, which is a bit weird.
In my case, I was pain-free for about an hour after the treatment, but after that hour a burning sensation developed in my eyes that was quite painful. It lasted for two to three hours, and even with three ibuprofen in me, the pain was hard to tolerate. Rest assured though that this varies greatly from patient to patient, and some newly released laser eye surgery patients feel absolutely nothing negative at any point after their procedure.
Just as I was about to call my doctor, the pain began to subside. Within twenty minutes my eyes stopped tearing, the burning went away, and a couple of hours later I was out at the restaurant enjoying a delicious meal. If I were to do it again, I’d probably take a couple of ibuprofen right after surgery in anticipation of the pain, but if you’re thinking of doing that make sure to check with your doctor first. It’s also important to note that if you do take painkillers after your procedure, you can’t take blood thinners like aspirin, so stick with ibuprofen or paracetamol.
Medication prices in Turkey:
Once the surgery is complete, three different eye drops are prescribed – antibiotics, cortisone, and an artificial tear substitute. There is also a precise dropping schedule that must be observed very carefully in the days following the procedure. While the antibiotic and cortisone drops are discontinued after seven to ten days, the artificial tear substitute needs to be applied four times a day for three to five months. That full three-month prescription only cost 30 Euros in Istanbul, so depending on what country you call home, the potential savings on post-surgery medication purchased in Turkey can be significant.
After surgery precautions:
The day after the surgery you’ll have to go back into the clinic for a follow-up appointment to make sure everything is as expected. Many of the measurements from the preliminary examination are repeated, and the chief surgeon will likely take a look at your eyes to ensure everything is alright. In my case, everything went great, and I was able to spend the rest of my time sightseeing in Istanbul. Many clinics will provide you with glasses, but pack a good pair of sunglasses just in case, as your eyes will be extremely sensitive to light.
After the procedure, it’s incredibly important to protect your eyes to ensure that they heal properly. For the first couple of days, no water can come into contact with your eyes, and my doctor recommended that I wash my face with wet wipes and avoid showers as a precaution. You’ll also need to wear protective goggles while you sleep to ensure that you don’t unknowingly touch your eyes. On one rainy day, I even wore my goggles out on the town to help keep my eyes dry. It may have looked a bit stupid, but better safe than sorry.
You should avoid makeup for the first week after surgery, and it's important not to touch your eyes for the first two weeks. Sports are obviously off the table for the first couple of weeks, and sports that might put pressure on the eyes like boxing should be avoided for at least a month. The same goes for water sports, swimming, and high-moisture environments like saunas.
My post-surgery return home:
Naturally, the healing process continues well after you say goodbye to Istanbul. Before leaving Turkey, I was advised by the clinic to continue my eye drop schedule and to go to a German ophthalmologist for a check-up after four weeks and again after three months. Both the Health Travels agency and the Bati Göz Clinic continue to offer support after you’ve arrived back home, and any questions you may have can be sent to Health Travels to be forwarded to the doctors at Bati Göz.
Although my package did carry a 15-year guarantee, in a small minority of patients vision can deteriorate again after the surgery. In those cases, re-lasering is required, which would entail another trip to Istanbul to visit the clinic. The treatment itself would be free as part of the guarantee, but in cases of re-lasering, the flight and hotel are the responsibility of the patient. With any luck, I won’t run into this problem, but it’s important to keep in mind when selecting an out-of-country clinic.
That potential second trip, although highly unlikely, is definitely a point in favor of staying home for the surgery. From a medical side, however, there is no greater risk of complication or post-surgery deterioration for patients that choose to go to a reputable clinic abroad. The ophthalmologists working in reputable out-of-country clinics like the ones recommended by Health Travels are all highly experienced in laser eye surgery procedures and post-surgery care. From an after-care perspective, I’ve found that the follow-ups I do with my ophthalmologists in Germany are not that different from the routine eye examinations people often have done once a year anyway.
Final thoughts on the value of surgery abroad:
From a value perspective, my choice to visit the Bati Göz Clinic in Istanbul turned out to be pretty unbeatable (1190 Euro for Femto-Lasik, both eyes). Depending on the clinic you choose and the prices in your home country, you stand to save around 600 to 1,000 Euros on your Wavefront Femto-LASIK procedure by traveling to Turkey through the Health Travels plan. If you want ReLEx smile, the savings are even greater. The cost of the flight to Istanbul eats into the savings a bit, but flights can often be found for under 200 Euros, leaving a significant amount of money leftover compared to having the surgery done at a domestic clinic.
Of course, for some people, the savings aren’t worth the trouble or anxiety of having to travel to another country or have surgery done in an unfamiliar setting. Those are personal decisions and will depend heavily on how comfortable a person is with international travel. However, based on my own outstanding experiences with Health Travels and the Bati Göz Clinic, I can sincerely give both my highest recommendation. It is my personal opinion that having laser eye surgery done in Istanbul is definitely the best option available – for the price, the quality of the clinic and doctors, and the sightseeing opportunities afterward. Istanbul has a lot to offer, and I can’t think of a better place to test out your “new eyes.”
Three months after my surgery, everything is going great. I recently had my check-up, and there were no problems. My cornea looks great, and my vision is better than 20/20. I still use the eye drops because my eyes are still a bit drier than they were before the procedure. With that being said, I no longer have to deal with the annoying dryness caused by contact lenses. I am still completely satisfied with my decision to have my surgery done at the Bati Göz Clinic in Istanbul, and I consider it the best investment decision of my life.
I thought I’d provide some information about laser eye surgery in Istanbul and on my experiences with the Bati Göz Clinic and the Health Travels agency – the agency that helped me accomplish this long-term goal.
How I decided to have my laser eye surgery performed in Istanbul:
My lifestyle makes my eyesight incredibly important to me, and glasses weren’t cutting it. I love to surf, play outdoor sports, kickbox, and I love falling asleep on the sofa in the evening.
Anyone that does any of those things knows how much of a pain glasses and contact lenses can be. After years of burning eyes after water sports, lenses falling out during kickboxing, and the annoyance of dealing with lenses and glasses during travel, I’d had enough.
I’d considered laser eye surgery for a very long time, but as it is for many people, the price was preventative. As a German, I would have preferred to have the surgery done at home in a German clinic for a number of reasons, including risks associated with the procedure, the requirements for aftercare, and my general trust of German doctors. But unfortunately, the surgery was just too expensive in Germany.
My job allows me to fly regularly and affordably, so I decided to look into what my options were to have the surgery done abroad. I found that South Korea, Thailand, and Turkey all offered good options, with reputable clinics and more affordable prices. In the end, I decided on Turkey, partially for the shorter flight involved, but also because I wanted to book the whole thing through a travel agency, and Health Travels offered a package to Istanbul.
My experience booking my surgery with the Health Travels agency:
Thanks to a recommendation from a couple of girlfriends, I already knew about the Health Travels agency, and I decided to purchase their Wavefront Femto-LASIK surgery package. The package included everything I needed, including:
• Wavefront Femto-LASIK treatment for both eyes at the Bati Göz Clinic
• A complete preliminary examination
• After-procedure follow-up
• Medication (eye drops)
• Two nights in the four-star Mercure Altunizade Istanbul hotel, which is only five minutes from the clinic
• Shuttle service between the airport, the clinic, and the hotel
• German-language support at the clinic
• A 15-year guarantee on the results of the surgery
Everything about the experience went smoothly. The care and personal service provided by Health Travels was incredible. The shuttle drivers were always punctual, helpful, and friendly.
The Bati Göz staff and doctors were exceptional, including Meysun and Arzu, who supervised my care and spoke fluent German and English in addition to Turkish. The ophthalmologist and senior physician at the clinic also spoke fluent English, and I can’t overstate how much easier it made everything each step of the way.
Laser eye surgery at the Bati Göz Clinic:
Femto-LASIK is the standard laser eye surgery method used in Turkey and is carried out on the same technical level as domestic procedures in Germany. Many reputable eye clinics have established offices in Istanbul since the favorable prices attract customers from all over the world. Bati Göz is one of the best, and has won several internationally recognized awards, including the ISO 9001 quality certificate.
More than 1,000 operations are carried out each year at Bati Göz, and the clinic offers Wavefront-PRK and ReLEx-Smile laser eye surgeries in addition to the Wavefront Femto-LASIK surgery that I opted for. For price comparison, the package I booked would have cost 990 Euros for both eyes with Wavefront-PRK and 2,100 Euros with the ReLEx-Smile method.
The pre-surgery preliminary examination:
The preliminary examination takes place at the Bati Göz Clinic in the morning, so it’s a good idea to get to Istanbul a day earlier. The clinic will ask to see your passport or ID, so make sure to have it with you. The procedure includes measuring the diopter values of your current glasses, computer-controlled measurement of your eyes‘ refractive error using an auto-refractometer, the measurement of your intraocular pressure, an examination of your cornea strength, and the WaveScan wavefront analysis.
Once my initial examination was complete, I had a conversation with the ophthalmologist who provided me with some additional information about the available surgery methods. While I was suitable for both Wavefront Femto-LASIK and ReLEx-Smile, I opted for Femto since it was cheaper. Payment can be made either in cash or with a credit card, and it’s normally worthwhile to pay cash to avoid the high foreign-exchange fees that most cards carry.
While it isn’t possible to be 100% certain ahead of time that you’ll qualify as suitable for any of the three laser surgery methods available, 90% of patients qualify for at least one, making the travel a safe bet. In some cases, only ReLEx Smile is available, as it’s minimally invasive and suitable for most patients. If it is determined that you aren‘t suitable for any of the options, the 100 Euro preliminary examination fee and the approximately 50 Euros per night for the hotel will still apply. Although the risk of being found unsuitable is small, it’s still a good idea to check domestic prices just in case.
How the Wavefront Femto-LASIK procedure works:
Once the preliminary examinations are complete, you’ll be given an appointment for the operation itself. As a rule of thumb, the surgery generally takes place in the afternoon, but I was luckily able to get it done in the morning. It can’t hurt to ask! Once you’re at the clinic on operation day, you’ll be outfitted with surgical garments and hair protection, given anesthetic eye drops, and the staff will get you settled in and ready for the procedure.
The first stage of the procedure starts with disinfecting the eyes with a cleaning solution. Then a mask is placed over the face covering all but the eye being treated at the time. The doctor then inserts a “lid lock” to stop you from blinking. It’s a strange thought, but it isn’t as bad as it sounds. Next, you’ll feel a pressure sensation as the suction ring that the femtosecond laser attaches to is placed over the eye. Once the laser has been affixed, the corneal flap is cut, and the entire process is repeated on the other eye.
In the second stage of the procedure, the corneal flaps that have been cut are raised, and the excimer laser is used to correct your nearsightedness. During this process you have to look straight ahead the entire time, attempting to fix your eye on a single point of light provided as a target. If your eye moves for any reason, the laser automatically turns off, preventing any accidental damage. It’s comforting to know that such effective safeguards are in place.
Once both eyes are finished – a process that generally doesn’t take more than five to ten minutes – the doctor installs a couple of protective contact lenses which stay in until the next day’s follow-up appointment.
Is there any pain involved with laser eye surgery?
The procedure itself is painless. I didn’t find it unpleasant at all, and actually thought it was fairly fascinating. With that in mind, it might be a bit creepy for people who are skittish about their eyes. There’s even a brief burning smell during the lasering, which is a bit weird.
In my case, I was pain-free for about an hour after the treatment, but after that hour a burning sensation developed in my eyes that was quite painful. It lasted for two to three hours, and even with three ibuprofen in me, the pain was hard to tolerate. Rest assured though that this varies greatly from patient to patient, and some newly released laser eye surgery patients feel absolutely nothing negative at any point after their procedure.
Just as I was about to call my doctor, the pain began to subside. Within twenty minutes my eyes stopped tearing, the burning went away, and a couple of hours later I was out at the restaurant enjoying a delicious meal. If I were to do it again, I’d probably take a couple of ibuprofen right after surgery in anticipation of the pain, but if you’re thinking of doing that make sure to check with your doctor first. It’s also important to note that if you do take painkillers after your procedure, you can’t take blood thinners like aspirin, so stick with ibuprofen or paracetamol.
Medication prices in Turkey:
Once the surgery is complete, three different eye drops are prescribed – antibiotics, cortisone, and an artificial tear substitute. There is also a precise dropping schedule that must be observed very carefully in the days following the procedure. While the antibiotic and cortisone drops are discontinued after seven to ten days, the artificial tear substitute needs to be applied four times a day for three to five months. That full three-month prescription only cost 30 Euros in Istanbul, so depending on what country you call home, the potential savings on post-surgery medication purchased in Turkey can be significant.
After surgery precautions:
The day after the surgery you’ll have to go back into the clinic for a follow-up appointment to make sure everything is as expected. Many of the measurements from the preliminary examination are repeated, and the chief surgeon will likely take a look at your eyes to ensure everything is alright. In my case, everything went great, and I was able to spend the rest of my time sightseeing in Istanbul. Many clinics will provide you with glasses, but pack a good pair of sunglasses just in case, as your eyes will be extremely sensitive to light.
After the procedure, it’s incredibly important to protect your eyes to ensure that they heal properly. For the first couple of days, no water can come into contact with your eyes, and my doctor recommended that I wash my face with wet wipes and avoid showers as a precaution. You’ll also need to wear protective goggles while you sleep to ensure that you don’t unknowingly touch your eyes. On one rainy day, I even wore my goggles out on the town to help keep my eyes dry. It may have looked a bit stupid, but better safe than sorry.
You should avoid makeup for the first week after surgery, and it's important not to touch your eyes for the first two weeks. Sports are obviously off the table for the first couple of weeks, and sports that might put pressure on the eyes like boxing should be avoided for at least a month. The same goes for water sports, swimming, and high-moisture environments like saunas.
My post-surgery return home:
Naturally, the healing process continues well after you say goodbye to Istanbul. Before leaving Turkey, I was advised by the clinic to continue my eye drop schedule and to go to a German ophthalmologist for a check-up after four weeks and again after three months. Both the Health Travels agency and the Bati Göz Clinic continue to offer support after you’ve arrived back home, and any questions you may have can be sent to Health Travels to be forwarded to the doctors at Bati Göz.
Although my package did carry a 15-year guarantee, in a small minority of patients vision can deteriorate again after the surgery. In those cases, re-lasering is required, which would entail another trip to Istanbul to visit the clinic. The treatment itself would be free as part of the guarantee, but in cases of re-lasering, the flight and hotel are the responsibility of the patient. With any luck, I won’t run into this problem, but it’s important to keep in mind when selecting an out-of-country clinic.
That potential second trip, although highly unlikely, is definitely a point in favor of staying home for the surgery. From a medical side, however, there is no greater risk of complication or post-surgery deterioration for patients that choose to go to a reputable clinic abroad. The ophthalmologists working in reputable out-of-country clinics like the ones recommended by Health Travels are all highly experienced in laser eye surgery procedures and post-surgery care. From an after-care perspective, I’ve found that the follow-ups I do with my ophthalmologists in Germany are not that different from the routine eye examinations people often have done once a year anyway.
Final thoughts on the value of surgery abroad:
From a value perspective, my choice to visit the Bati Göz Clinic in Istanbul turned out to be pretty unbeatable (1190 Euro for Femto-Lasik, both eyes). Depending on the clinic you choose and the prices in your home country, you stand to save around 600 to 1,000 Euros on your Wavefront Femto-LASIK procedure by traveling to Turkey through the Health Travels plan. If you want ReLEx smile, the savings are even greater. The cost of the flight to Istanbul eats into the savings a bit, but flights can often be found for under 200 Euros, leaving a significant amount of money leftover compared to having the surgery done at a domestic clinic.
Of course, for some people, the savings aren’t worth the trouble or anxiety of having to travel to another country or have surgery done in an unfamiliar setting. Those are personal decisions and will depend heavily on how comfortable a person is with international travel. However, based on my own outstanding experiences with Health Travels and the Bati Göz Clinic, I can sincerely give both my highest recommendation. It is my personal opinion that having laser eye surgery done in Istanbul is definitely the best option available – for the price, the quality of the clinic and doctors, and the sightseeing opportunities afterward. Istanbul has a lot to offer, and I can’t think of a better place to test out your “new eyes.”
Three months after my surgery, everything is going great. I recently had my check-up, and there were no problems. My cornea looks great, and my vision is better than 20/20. I still use the eye drops because my eyes are still a bit drier than they were before the procedure. With that being said, I no longer have to deal with the annoying dryness caused by contact lenses. I am still completely satisfied with my decision to have my surgery done at the Bati Göz Clinic in Istanbul, and I consider it the best investment decision of my life.
Provider Review
Health Travels