Refractive Surgery in Turkey, Prices of Istanbul Clinics

What is refractive surgery?

Refractive surgery is one of the most effective eye surgeries, but also one of the most widely used. It aims to correct eye problems through various ophthalmic operations. This procedure also eliminates the need for glasses or contact lenses for people with vision problems.

Technological advances, especially recent lasers, have allowed laser eye surgery to show excellent results and become a common and accessible procedure.

Among the techniques used, we find that of Lasik, PRK, or Relex Smile. These laser techniques are used to correct disorders such as myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia, or even astigmatism.

In which cases to use refractive surgery?

The patient with certain eye diseases such as myopia or astigmatism may choose to have refractive surgery. However, this operation requires several selection criteria and therefore cannot be done for all patients.

The first criterion is the age of the patient. Indeed, he must be at least 18 years old to undergo the operation. Patients who are too young are excluded, because it is essential that the vision is in balance and stable for at least one year.

Then, it is necessary to do a preoperative assessment to know if the intervention can take place. The main elements of this report are:

• Various examinations: including an examination of refraction, pachymetry and corneal topography. These tests are used to see if there are issues that can impede the progress of the intervention.
• Medical examination: So that the ophthalmologist is aware of the patient's health problems, whether they are ophthalmic or not, as well as any surgeries they have had in the past.

What are the contraindications?

If the patient's vision has been stable for two years with contact lenses or glasses, laser eye surgery cannot be done. This is because the glasses or lenses are sufficient to provide a satisfactory correction.

There are other reasons that may prevent the operation from taking place. Among these reasons:

• Severe eye dryness.
• Cataract.
• Glaucoma.
• Pregnancy
• Deformation of the cornea.

Techniques Used to Correct Eye Problems in Turkey

The techniques used to correct eye related problems are generally divided into two categories:

• Surface techniques. These techniques make it possible to act directly on the eye and precisely on the cornea.
• Intraocular techniques. For this type, a lens is implanted inside the eye.

Surface techniques are generally the most used, because they do not last long and show very good results. This is due to the use of lasers which allow direct action on the cornea with great precision.

Types of laser intervention:

• Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK).
• Lasik.
• Relex Smile.

How is the laser eye surgery performed in Istanbul & Antalya?

Before the operation, the patient is not recommended to wear contact lenses for 48 hours so that the surface of the eye is not irritated on the day of the operation.

Usually, the operation is done on both eyes together, this is called bilateral surgery. It is done under local anesthesia and sometimes a light tranquillizer comes to supplement it.

A blepharostat is used to keep the patient's eyelids open and apart so that the patient can fix a point throughout the procedure.

The ophthalmic surgeon initiates the procedure which is guided by a computer to minimize the risks. The procedure usually lasts between 10 and 15 minutes.

At the end of the operation in Istanbul and Antalya, the surgeon places a bandage lens on the eye of the patient.

Risks and side effects of laser vision treatment

Refractive surgery is a safe procedure with very little risk. However, it is still surgery and therefore has some side effects, for example:

• Infection.
• Dry eyes.
• Degradation of night vision.
• Duplication of vision.
• Tearing and visual discomfort within eight hours of surgery.

There are also side effects specific to the Lasik technique:

• Scarring problem.
• "Sand of the Sahara" effect: this is the name given to diffuse lamellar keratitis.
• Epithelial invasion.

Price of Laser eye surgery in Turkey and Istanbul : Cost & Reviews

The cost of laser eye surgery in Turkey depends on the technique used. Indeed, the techniques use different lasers, some more recent, and therefore more expensive than others. For example, the Relex Smile technique is the most recent and requires the use of only one laser, unlike Lasik which uses two.

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