BLUmeditravel blog: 2011

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Open publication - Free publishing - More augenlaser

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

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”.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Lasik in Istanbul, Travel program| BLU Meditravel | Istanbul

Friday, February 25, 2011

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.

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!

LASEK recovery expectation

The LASEK recovery period is very similar to the recovery period following LASIK surgery with a few exceptions. Patients recovering from LASEK surgery can expect the flap created during the procedure to be fully healed after one day. However, they will likely have to wear a specially designed contact lens for four days following the procedure. This contact lens acts as a bandage during the recovery process.

The LASEK recovery process may have a brief period of discomfort following the procedure. This irritation usually only lasts for a day or two. Additionally, LASEK patients may not enjoy improved vision for approximately one week after the procedure. The patient will likely visit the surgeon for the first post-operative visit the day after the procedure. Additional visits usually occur one week after the procedure and three months after the procedure. These post-operative visits are critical because they enable the surgeon to evaluate the results of the surgery and determine whether or not there are complications which require emergency care.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

LASIK statistics

LASIK surgery statistics can prove to be an excellent source of information for patients who are considering the procedure. This is because statistical data can be used to support the patient’s decision to undergo the procedure. Some of the LASIK surgery statistics a prospective patient may find useful include:

LASIK surgery was performed on approximately 1.3 million Americans in 2005
LASIK surgery takes approximately 10-15 minutes for both eyes
Custom, wavefront-guided procedures accounted for approximately 50 percent of all LASIK procedures performed in the United States in 2005
Bladeless, all-laser procedures accounted for approximately 25 percent of all LASIK procedures performed in the United States in 2005
In 2005, the average cost of LASIK surgery ranged from $2,200 to $2,400

Before committing to undergo a LASIK procedure, prospective patients should take the time to thoroughly research the LASIK surgery statistics which are most important to them specifically. Your eye surgeon may be able to provide a great deal of worthwhile statistical information but it is also important to do independent research on the subject, as well as relying on your surgeon to provide this type of data

Poor Candidates for LASIK

While LASIK can produce incredible results in terms of vision correction, not all patients with poor vision are good candidates for the procedure. Patients who are considering LASIK should consult with their eye surgeon to determine whether or not they are an ideal candidate for LASIK surgery.

Some of the conditions which may make a patient a poor candidate for LASIK include the following:

Thin cornea
A cornea with an abnormal structure
Pregnancy
Cataract
Corneal Dystrophies
Ocular Herpetic Keratitis
Diabetic Retinopathy
Severe dry eye

Patients with the above conditions may not be ideal candidates for LASIK but may find that other types of vision correction may be beneficial.

What is LASIK?

LASIK is the combination of a surgical incision (keratomileusis) and the laser technique. The incision technique in conjunction with the preciseness of the laser provides for a good predictability and for a quick rehabilitation period for even high refractive errors.

Procedure in 3 steps:

1. Preparation of the cornea

With a precision knife, an incision is placed to create a thin flap of the cornea (0.16 mm). If a laser is used instead of the knife, the procedure is called Intra-LASIK.
The corneal flap is flapped back like a book cover.

2. Application of the laser

The exposed lower corneal tissue is reshaped according to the refractive error. Nearsightedness is corrected by flattening the center of the corneal tissue. For the correction of farsightedness, the ablation takes place in a circle around the periphery of the corneal center. If, in addition to nearsightedness or farsightedness, astigmatism is present, it is corrected by ablation in a manner that the cornea regains a ball-like shape.

3. Closing of the wound

The corneal flap is repositioned back onto the stromal bed. It sticks to the corneal tissue on its own and acts like a band-aid.

LASIK in Istanbul

LASIK in Istanbul (german)

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Who should have Custom LASIK (Wavefront-LASIK)

Wavefront-guided, or custom, laser eye surgery may be required if you have significant "higher-order" aberrations in your eye. These go beyond simple nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, and can affect your vision even once these lower-order conditions have been treated.

Another group of people who require custom LASIK are patients who have had refractive surgery in the past, but are suffering from side effects or complications that keep them from achieving their best possible visual acuity.

If you are too nearsighted or farsighted, have too much astigmatism, or have thin corneas, you may not be a candidate for custom LASIK.

LASIK in Istanbul

LASIK in Istanbul (german)

Monday, February 21, 2011

Eye laser in Istanbul - Dr. Nusret Bas in turkish TV

LASIK in Istanbul

LASIK in Istanbul (german)

LASIK in Turkey - Leading Lasik surgeon Dr. Nusret Bas

- Turkey's leading ophthalmologist
- Graduated from Istanbul University Medical School in 1980
- Specializes in corneal diseases and laser eye surgery
- Involved in the LASIK research process

Dr.Bas studied with Dr. Stephan Trokel, who is known as the father of laser eye surgeries, as well as Dr. Marguerite McDonald, the doctor who performed LASIK on a seeing eye during the research process.

In a medical meeting held in Istanbul, Dr. Trokel described Dr. Bas as "the doctor who makes magic with his hands."

Cataract and Refractive Surgery Specialist
Dr. Nusret Bas is one of the leading ophthalmologists in Turkey. Dr. Bas specializes in corneal diseases and refractive surgery. He was also involved in the LASIK research process and co-authored the book, LASIK, the first book about LASIK surgery written in Turkish for Turkish ophthalmologists.

The Doctor of Firsts
Dr. Bas is one of the first doctors to implement laser eye surgery in Turkey. He also introduced the breakthrough Custom Vue Wavefront Technology in Turkey and was one of the first doctors to perform the blade-free Intralase LASIK technology in Europe.

Years of Experience
He's among the most experienced doctors inTurkey—and all of Europe—in laser eye surgeries. Dr. Bas has performed more than 55,000 successful laser eye surgeries over 17 years.

Continuous Training
Dr. Bas is a member of international medical associations including the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) and the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ESCRS). He has attended nearly every association conference in order to follow the latest technology and new methods of treatment. He's also presented papers at these conferences to the international ophthalmology community. Thanks to his record of success and innovation, prime ministers, politicians, and world-famous athletes have chosen Dr. Bas as their ophthalmologist.

He also treats patients from as far as away as Scandanaia and the United States in Netherlands and Istanbul clinics.

LASIK in Istanbul

LASIK in Istanbul and Rotterdam