a Must Read Article before your laser eye surgery

What does Laser Eye Surgery stand for?


The cornea, a small area of transparent tissue at the front of the eye, provides 3/2 of the eye's focusing power. Altering it's shape changes the power of the eye. With Laser Eye Surgery methods cornea is flattened to correct shortsightedness (myopia) or steepened the cornea for farsightedness (hyperopia). The reshaping process can also be used to correct astigmatism in the same time.
Reshaping your cornea alters the focusing power of the eye, allowing you to become less dependent on glasses of contact lenses.

Why to choose coming Istanbul for Laser Eye Surgery with BLU?

Am I a candidate?


Probably YES, if you:
Are over 18 years old and have a stable prescription for 2 years
Have healthy eyes with no diseases (e.g. cataract)
Have realistic expectations
Are within the range of correction
Are in good health

The final decision of being a candidate is ensured after a number of tests and screenings in the clinic. 99% of patients are able to have laser eye surgery with several methods. However there is always a possibility of not having any surgery in 1%.

The Surgery Programme


Our surgery programmes are based on the highest standards of care. We offer our patients a comprehensive service:


Your Consultation


Our through evaluation of your eyes and medical condition will determine your suitability for the procedure.
Vision evaluation
For best results, we advice you to stop wearing contact lenses at least 1 week before the surgery. Your doctor, Dr. BAS will test your vision as if with glasses and without glasses. Your degree of nearsightedness or farsightedness is measured using a machine called autorefractometer. Your eyes are then tested to see what level of correction is needed.
Fundus examination
Our screenings are also a detailed eye check up. During your screening your doctor, Dr.Bas will examine back part of your eye, retina, with biomicroscobe.
Your eye tension will be measured and noted to your file.

Cornea measurements

We evaluate the curvature and shape of your cornea by using Orbscan, a sophisticated computerised machine. This procedure, termed corneal topography, is required to ensure that there is no corneal warpage from contact lenses, to see the thin and thick parts of the cornea and to see if there is a possible corneal disease in the eye.
We also map your eyes to see your visual quality and how the light rays are reflected by your eye, by performing Wavefront measurement.

The Options

Monovision

For patients who are over 40, or patients already using monovision contacts and glasses. Making the correction of the eye by using monovison technique is also possible.


Your Surgery Procedure

Before your procedure

We advice you to wear comfortable clothes on the day of the surgery.
Do not drink coffee before the surgery.
Do not skip your breakfast.
You will be given a sedative to help you relax.(It's up to your wish)
You will be taken to a semi sterile waiting room and dressed surgical clothes and a cap.
Anaesthetic and antibiotic drops will be placed in your eyes.

Assistancy

You will enter the surgery room with your BLU patient assistant. And, your assistant would be telling you whats happening during the surgery and surgery room step by step in English.
Also, your specially trained assistant would keep you busy with questions that you will reply with your hands as Yes/No to decrease your anxiety during the surgery.
Surgery Procedure(LASIK, LASEK, IntraLASIK, Wavefront LASIK)

Prior to the procedure to each eye, the laser is calibrated and new disposable instruments are prepared.

Topical anaesthetic drops are used to numb the eye and, after the area around the eye is cleaned and prepared, an eyelid holder is used to prevent you blinking.
In LASIK, a round mechanical special instrument which is called microkeratome, is placed on the eye. Microkeratome cuts a very small part of cornea to form the flap.
In LASEK, a round hand held instrument will put on the eye. This is to mark the flap area which is going to be opened up. After that, surgeon would peel aside an even thinner part of the cornea.
In IntraLASIK, a special laser is used for this first step of the laser eye surgery. Intralase laser forms thousands of tiny bubbles to form the flap at a specified depth in the cornea of each eye. Once the surgeon, DR.Bas is happy with the quality of the flap a second set of more condensed bubbles are made to form the edge of the flap.
Those steps are the difference between LASIK, LASEK and IntraLASIK. The procedure of rest of the surgery is pretty much the same in all three.
The patient is then moved to the VISX S4 Excimer laser. The flap is then carefully lifted and the laser is used to reshape the inner cornea according to your individual prescription and calculations of Dr.BAS to have you to have the perfect vision.
In Wavefront LASIK, the difference comes in that point. In standard LASIK, LASEK and IntraLASIK surgeries, the eye is treated in one single beam of laser. However, in Customvue Wavefront LASIK, every point of the eye is treated with different laser beams in different depthness and strenght.


You will asked to focus on at a flashing red light during the procedure. When the treatment is complete, the flap would be replaced and allowed to dry. The flap attaches without the need for stitches and eye drops will be administered to prevent the infection.


Dr.BAS may put bandage contact lenses to some patients after the surgery. However, all LASEK patients will have a bandage contact lens in the eye after the their LASEK surgery.


Dark glasses will be used to prevent you inadvertently rubbing your eyes. Also, patients often get light sensitive right after the surgery. So, using sunglasses would increase the comfort of the patient.


You will then sit in the waiting area. The operated eyes will be examined before you leave the center.


Surgery to both eyes


Dr.BAS performs surgery to both eyes on the same day where appropriate. However, at the hospitals that BLU collaborates with the advisory of Dr.BAS, in the special interest for safety and good practice, each eye is treated as a separate procedure with new disposable instruments for each eye.


After the procedure


Before you leave to hotel, instructions for your aftercare will be explained
Our drivers will take you back to hotel safely. Since you will not be able to drive or find a taxi by yourself because you may feel a little drowsy from the sedative tablet.
Hotels that BLU collaborates with would be informed by your situation to bring you the best care&help.



Your recovery


There may be a little discomfort like the sensation of as if you have an eyelash or sand in your eye. This feeling starts 10-15 minutes after the surgery and continue averagely 4 hours.
For rapid visual rehabilitation a nap is advised.


You MUST NOT touch and rub your eyes. Drops will be provided and you will need to use them as:
every hour 1 drop / first day every 2nd hour /second day every 4th hour/ 3rd day for a week of time.
You will use Natural Tears Drops for minimum 1 month..


(This prescription may be changed by Dr.BAS, depending on the patients need)


Activities following surgery


It is important to avoid dusty and smoky atmospheres for the first two weeks following the procedure.


Showering: The next day with eyes closed (Only LASEK, 2 days after the surgery)
Driving: When you are comfortable with your new vision and if it meets the level of the driving standard
Work: After you turn back to your country if you are comfortable.
Moderate exercise: 1 week
Heavy exercise: 2 weeks
Swimming: 2 weeks with goggles, 6 weeks without goggles
Eye make-up: Mascara 4 weeks; other 2 days(consider eyelash tinting prior to your surgery)

How to use Drops after LASIK surgery

After Lasik surgery, patients are prescribed several drops. Using eye drops may sound something that can be done easily. Now I would like to tell some real stories about the way drops being used.

We had a patient from mid-Europe who didn't used any drops prescribed after the surgery. It may sound crazy but it's true. Because of this, his eyes had some problems and we needed to call him back to Istanbul for treatment.

We had many patients who called us by asking what can they do because they lost their drops or they forget the cap open, and the liquid inside leaked.

First rule after your surgery is; to use drops in the way they prescribed
and to pay attention your drops since, because to get those drops you need a prescription from an eye doctor. For the patients who lost their drops, it was a little problematic since, getting an appointment from an eye doctor immediately would be very difficulty in many countries.

When it comes to use of dropping,
1- The nozzle of the drops should not be touched.
2- Drop your drop by not touching the nozzle to your eye or eye lashes.
3- Drop it around 2 cm higher from the eye.
4- If you have difficulty to do it by yourself, you can ask for a help. However, your friend should. not pull your upper eyelid by touching your eye, even over the eyelid.

Dry Eyes after Lasik

A simple description, big problem..comes with an easy solution: Dry Eye

After Lasik, patient experiences several difficulties that makes them worried and turn us back by phone calls and e-mails. They are generally like;

- I get very tired after I use my computer
- My eyes burns and itches
- My eyes hurts when I wake up in the morning and open my eyes
- I have vision changes in day time, I was seeing blurry in the morning, but it get better in the evening
- I went my optician, he/she told me that my eyes are (eg) -0,25 both after the surgery..But I see blurry..

I can make the list go longer...After this serious complains that makes, some, patients worried what we do is just to tell them to use their "tear drops" more frequent or use longer.

It's that much easy.

Unfortunately, the period that follows LASIK surgery, patients do get Dry Eye problem. It generally lasts 1 month, and Dr.BAS prescribe them to use "artificial tear drops" minimum 1 month, 4 times a day.

However, some patients may need to use even longer up to 3 months of time to help their eyes during healing process.

The dry eye problem is though not very disturbing for all patients, roughly the complains done to us in every 10 patient is 1.

Another very important note is; patients are prescribed "antibiotic and steroid" drops right after the surgery. If patient feels dry, then he/she should use the "dry eye" drop putting minimum
20 minutes between the prescribed antibiotic and steroid drop.

Hotels to choose before your medical travel

Sure the place you stay is quite necessary if you are going to travel. And for many tourists, the only, or the most used way, for finding the hotel to stay is googling through Internet.

So far from our personal past experiences with hotels ( since we personally visit the hotels that we book for our patients traveling to Turkey to undergo surgery ) the web site, the actual hotel and the price/night is not reflecting the reality.

For that reason, our patients know that we personally visited their hotels before they arrive and checked if everything is OK.

Another important issue is sure the price/night rates. Normally, if a guest book the hotel my him/herself hotels give them their regular price, nearly double of the price that are given to travel agencies.

We do go and make deals with hotels to NOT to make our patients pay MORE. With the low cost accommodation opportunity, our patients has the chance to make a more affordable vacation, out of having a surgery.

Another nice point is, if we have the low price agreements with many hotels ( nearly 12 four star, 4 five star hotel in Istanbul) why not to help our former patients, or friends&relatives of our former patients coming Istanbul for vacation.

So, it is enough for them to mail us to ask for a booking through our company agreement.

It is how easy it is!..