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City of Legends: Magnificent Istanbul becoming "the Medical"

Charming Istanbul stands as as a complete city in itself while also encompassing all that it has been—namely, Byzantium and Constantinople. It's a cliché to talk about Istanbul serving as the bridge between east and west—Asia and Europe—but it’s true that you get the best of both worlds in this captivating city.

The historically diverse area offers something new and unexpected around every corner because it’s been home to so many different cultures over the centuries. International travel magazines agree that Istanbul is a must-see:

·        “The skyline here is a glittering ribbon of palaces, mosques, and minarets, but also of sleek skyscrapers, where the sybaritic restaurant and nightclub scene easily rivals New York’s or London’s.” –Travel + Leisure

·        “’If one had but a single glance to give the world, one should gaze on Constantinople,’” marveled Alphonse de Lamartine, the 19th-century French writer and politician. Sixteen centuries as the legendary capital of the Byzantine, Roman, and Ottoman Empires, Istanbul has long entranced the civilized world.”—National Geographic                                                   

Istanbul sounds fascinating; however, people are travelling here for more. They travel also heal.

With 480 hospitals and a population of 15 million people, Istanbul is becoming the new healthcare capital of Europe.

For the ones who wonder, the city offers:

·        Highly qualified and experienced doctors that are U.S. trained and board certified

·        No waiting period for your treatment

·        Top-quality infrastructure and professionals using the latest technology

·        Well-trained, experienced personnel

·        Affordable treatment costs, compared with the same procedures performed in Europe and the U.S.

Medical tourism is becoming a phenomenon and Istanbul has much to offer its international patient-guests.

My personal experience was organized with BLUmeditravel, which is an innovative international medical tourism company based in Istanbul and London, with offices in Finland, Sweden and Norway.  

They offer a wide range of medical treatment programs like corrective eye surgery, including oculoplastic and cosmetic surgery, with outstanding, internationally-certified doctors, under the coordination of Turkey’s leading Lasik Doctor, Dr. Nusret Bas.
These medical tourism specialists offer their superb skills while they cater the to patients’ need for a relaxing holiday atmosphere in the ancient city of Istanbul.

Lasik is NOT a simple surgery!

The importance of Experience in Laser Eye Surgery

“Even if you watch it several times, you can also do it, it is all about the machine” said an Eye doctor who had his Ophthalmology education in Germany, working in a city of Europe. These words putting me in shock continued… `it is a very simple surgery”.

For me, who has witnessed many treatments since 1999, done by many doctors, Lasik was ,and still is, a treatment that has to be planned perfectly and the surgeon has to be on the eye according to that perfect plan. It also needs good “craftsmanship”. So, it should not be THAT much easy.

Later, I learned this young doctor has started to perform Lasik 3 months ago, and did less than 10 surgeries.

Dr.Nusret Bas (56), who is considered one of the most experienced doctor due to the high volume of the surgeries performed by him (in Europe) and who is performing difficult surgeries such as cornea transplantations (publicly known as; eye transplantation) LASIK is a surgery that needs to be taken seriously.

“The surgeons who underestimates the treatment couple of years later experience hard times with the post-op complications due to their inexperienced treatment planning’s” says Dr.Bas, “Yes, these surgeons do get the certifications for technical education, they do learn how to perform it from the courses, books. However, they underestimate the importance of the “experience”. Because they think Lasik is a simple surgery, they start to accept welcoming patients for performing laser eye surgery” and adds “Of course many of these patients complaining post-op Lasik complications later knocks our door”.

Surgeons do often watch each other for educational purpose. Another Lasik doctor, who used to watch Dr.Bas’s surgeries, was complaining that, he visited Dr.Bas clinic for 4 years, in none of them, Dr.Bas has offered him to perform a single surgery.

“I just stood and watched, but he never let me to try at least once by telling I am not ready yet. It looked very simple. However, after I myself started to perform the treatment, as I started to gain experience, I found out in bold terms the high importance of the experience in LASIK”. 

Lasik in Istanbul, Travel program| BLU Meditravel | Istanbul

Lasik in Istanbul, Travel program| BLU Meditravel | Istanbul

What is a perfect vision?

What is a perfect vision?...We always have a group of patients who are continuously writing or calling us by asking if they can have a re-surgery, because the vision they got after LASIK surgery is not perfect enough.

As a procedure, we ask them to visit an eye doctor or an optician, and send us the results of their current visual error. And generally the result they sent to us is quite low like -0,25 or -0,75. Also their percent of vision, or visus is 100%. For us, this result means perfect vision, but no matter how we explain, this is not the case for some patients because of their previous expactations.

As Blumeditravel we strongly recommend people who are considering LASIK to read the article below. 

Your Vision After LASIK

How Well Will You See?

By Troy Bedinghaus, O.D., About.com Guide

Updated August 05, 2008

Perfect Vision? No Guarantee

LASIK will almost certainly reduce your dependence on glasses and contact lenses, but there is no guarantee that you will have perfect vision without glasses. While perfect vision is the optimal outcome of LASIK, whether or not you receive it depends on your individual experience. Everyone's eyes and vision are unique. What works for some may not work for others. Success in LASIK depends on the individual. Your personal eyeglass prescription can tell a lot about how you may respond to LASIK. The higher your prescription, the lower the chance of a perfect outcome. Your doctor will study all of your health data and will be able to give you an educated guess on your expected outcome. Every individual is unique...problems will occur in any field of health if a medical professional views every patient in the same way.

Consider Your Expectations

Your potential vision also depends on the quality of vision that you would like to have, depending on what types of visual activities you do everyday. Do you wish to be able to see the alarm clock without slipping on your glasses, or do you need to be able to see clearly through an archery scope lens? Desirable expectations should be thoroughly discussed with your doctor in order to realistically assess your chances of a successful outcome. Your ultimate satisfaction with your results of LASIK depends mostly on having realistic expectations for your individual case. Before making a final decision, be sure to talk with your doctor about how well you truly expect to see after surgery.

"20/20" Vision Doesn't Mean "Perfect" Vision

Today, most patients can expect to have close to 20/20 uncorrected vision. In fact, many patients are ending up with 20/15 or better vision. However, most refractive surgeons will require a consent form with a disclaimer that the procedure is designed to "reduce your dependency on eyewear." This is a fair statement and should be taken seriously. Doctors can never guarantee that you will end up with perfect vision. Based on experience, most patients receive "20/HAPPY vision." This means that your vision may not be exactly perfect, but you can enjoy 95% of your daily activities without corrective glasses or contact lenses.

Be aware that the typical Snellen eye chart (the one with the big E at the top) is only one measurement of vision clarity. You may be able to read the very bottom line on the chart, but still not see clearly -- you could have debilitating problems such as halos around lights, glare, filmy vision or very dry eyes that decrease the quality of your vision. Try not to become focused with achieving the magic number of 20/20. Instead, focus on the goal of your surgery: to reduce your dependence on glasses or contacts.

Typical LASIK results:

·         95% of patients have 20/40 or better vision

·         85% of patients have 20/20 or better

Note that some of these studies do not take into consideration one’s unique physiology and requirements. Of course, this varies depending on the research study that was conducted. The FDA classifies LASIK results based on what brand or type of laser was used.

_{Source: Azar, Dimitri T. and Douglas D. Koch. "LASIK: Fundamentals, Surgical Techniques, and Complications." Marcel Dekker, Inc., pp 277-280. Copyright 2003.}

Advantages of LASEK surgery

Although LASEK surgery and LASIK surgery are very similar procedures which yield similar results, there are some advantages to LASEK. One of these advantages is the decreased potential for dry eye. Another advantage is the elimination of complications which stem from cutting and reattaching the flap in the cornea.
For some patients the most important advantage of LASEK surgery is the procedure can make vision correction surgery an option for patients who were considered poor candidates for LASIK. This includes patients with thin corneas and patients with steep corners. During LASEK the thickness of the flap cut in the cornea is significantly less than the thickness required during LASIK.

Your vision after LASIK - How well will you see?

Your vision after LASIK.

How well will you see? Read this interesting article!