Cataract Treatment in Turkey

Cataract is a common eye disease, in which there is a clouding of the natural glass eye of the lens. If left untreated, cataracts can lead to complete loss of vision.

According to the sources of the World Health Organization, this eye disease has been diagnosed in 65 million people in the world in recent years. At the same time, cataracts have caused blindness in almost 24 million people. Today, Turkish specialists can effectively deal with it in one day. This fact is confirmed by the positive feedback from patients on the Experts Medical website.

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the main successful treatment for cataracts is surgery. Modern technologies that guarantee success in 98% of cases are used by Turkish ophthalmologists. This is one of the main reasons why foreign patients come to Turkey for all kinds of eye surgeries.

Cataract is a serious eye disease caused by the appearance of cloudy spots on the lens. They usually increase in size over time, resulting in hazy and blurry vision. Most often occurs in older people.

Cataract symptoms may include:

• dim and hazy vision;
• inability to see objects at night or in low light;
• all colors look faded, fuzzy, and muted;
• sensitivity to light;
• The patient sees everything around him as blurry, around objects there is a “halo” around bright lights.

Depending on which part of the lens is affected (central, lateral, or posterior), doctors classify different types of cataracts. A cataract can develop in one or both eyes without developing at the same time.

The basis of the occurrence of cataracts is the accumulation of protein in the lens. This process takes a long time, with time the lens becomes cloudy and loses its transparency.

The exact causes of the disease today could not be established. Among the possible factors for the formation of cataracts, doctors name eye injuries, previous eye surgery for other diseases, kidney failure, diabetes, overweight, smoking, and hereditary factors.

Cataract surgery in Turkey is one of the most popular among patients from Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia.

Turkish clinics have a number of advantages that attract foreign patients:

1. Availability of modern medical equipment for the diagnosis and treatment of all pathologies of the organs of vision.
2. Specialized ophthalmological centers in Turkey are recognized as one of the best in the world.
3. Great experience and professionalism of doctors, many of whom have been trained at the best universities in the world and are members of prestigious international associations.
4. High-quality treatment, which takes place according to modern protocols using gentle techniques.
5. Adequate cost of the operation, which is several times lower than in clinics in Europe, Israel, and the USA.
6. Many clinics have package programs for cataract surgery.
7. Leading medical centers regularly undergo national and international certification. This guarantees modern high-quality treatment and safety for the patient.
8. The ability to quickly pass an ophthalmological check-up and get recommendations from leading doctors.

   Anadolu in Istanbul is one of the popular clinics that specializes in check-ups.

9. Attentive attitude of the medical staff to patients and comfortable conditions of stay.

The location of many Turkish clinics in resort areas and the excellent climate allow to optimally combine treatment with relaxation. Moreover, cataract surgery with intraocular lens implantation is predominantly an outpatient procedure in Turkey.

The modern equipment of Turkish medical centers allows doctors to perform quick and accurate diagnostics.

An ophthalmological examination includes a set of tests and examinations, including:

• biomicroscopy of the eyeball is applied to study physiology and identify the pathology of the visible part of the eye;
• eye tonometry is used to determine intraocular pressure;
• ophthalmoscopy – examination of the fundus;
• electrophysiological diagnostics of the retina allows to evaluate the work of the visual organs and identify disorders in the retina;
• optical coherence tomography is used to study the functions of eye tissues;
• angiography and Doppler diagnostics of the eye allows to carefully examine the eye vessels;
• refractometry, viscometry, and perimetry with and without correction allows doctors to determine the refraction of the eye, field, and visual acuity;
• keratometry is used to detect corneal curvature;
• laboratory studies allow to exclude or confirm the presence of eye infections, inflammations, and viruses.

All types of examinations in the ophthalmological centers of Turkey are painless and comfortable for the patient, and for the doctor – the most informative.

Despite the widespread occurrence of the disease, today there is no drug therapy that would eliminate the cause and consequences of cataracts. Therefore, the only way to restore vision to the patient is through surgery.

Cataract surgery involves removing the lens of the eye and replacing it with an artificial lens – an intraocular lens. Turkish ophthalmologists use different types of implants: monofocal, multifocal, toric, and accommodative.

The doctor decides on the choice of the type of lens based on the anatomical structure of the patient’s eye. Cataract surgery in Turkey is performed if the visual impairment caused by the disease prevents the patient from leading a normal life.

Lens replacement surgery for cataracts may be indicated for a variety of medical reasons, which may include:

• overripe and swelling cataract;
• dislocation or subluxation of the lens;
• accession of secondary glaucoma;
• the need to diagnose the fundus: before treating other eye diseases, before performing a laser surgical procedure.

After a thorough diagnosis, the Turkish ophthalmologist decides on the need for surgical treatment and determines the optimal technique.

Depending on the indications for cataract removal, Turkish ophthalmologists can perform both extracapsular cataract extraction and more gentle laser-mechanical or ultrasound interventions.

In partner clinics of Experts Medical in Turkey, the following surgical methods of cataract removal are available to patients:

1. Ultrasonic phacoemulsification is the most popular cataract surgery in Turkey among foreign patients. This is a microsurgical procedure, during which the doctor destroys the clouded lens using ultrasound, and then removes it from the eye cavity with a special thin aspirator. The operation lasts 5 minutes and does not involve suturing. Vision begins to improve within 3 hours. Full recovery of the patient takes 1-2 days.
2. Laser phacoemulsification is a new word in modern ophthalmology. It is the most sparing method of surgical treatment. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that the doctor performs all incisions to remove and replace the lens using a special laser. After that, it replaces the affected lens with a flexible intraocular lens. Laser cataract treatment in Turkey is carried out as quickly and accurately as possible, the risk of complications and side effects is minimized. After 3 hours the patient leaves the hospital. The only negative may be the higher cost of the procedure compared to other methods.
3. Mechanical phacofragmentation. During the manipulation, the doctor removes the affected lens through a small incision. After that, an intraocular lens is implanted in its place, an artificial lens. There are also no stitches in this procedure.
4. Extracapsular extraction is a special operation to remove cataracts. The intervention involves the removal of a cataract through a deep incision in the eyeball. Postoperative sutures are removed after 2-3 months. This operation is carried out exclusively in the later stages of the disease with mature cataracts.

Cataract treatment in Turkish hospitals is also carried out after LASIK laser vision correction. This is done so that the effect after installing the intraocular lens is not reduced, which happens in the presence of myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. Therefore, the doctor may decide on a complex surgical procedure.

Like any other operation, cataract surgery has a number of contraindications. They can be temporary or absolute.

Temporary ones include pregnancy, acute infections in the body, including eye infections, and SARS.

Absolute contraindications to the operation include:

• functional disorders of the retina and mechanical injuries of the eye;
• cardiovascular diseases;
• serious condition of the patient after a heart attack, stroke;
• diabetes mellitus.

There are also age restrictions. As a rule, many clinics do not perform laser and ultrasound procedures on patients under 18 years of age.

American Hospital in Istanbul specializes in laser treatment of cataracts and other eye diseases in the elderly. If it is impossible to treat cataracts surgically, the patient is prescribed drug therapy aimed at slowing the progression of the disease.

Based on the opinions of patients who underwent cataract treatment in Turkey with the assistance of Experts Medical’s doctors-coordinators, the company has compiled a list of the best clinics.

TOP 5 hospitals for cataract treatment in Turkey: 

1. Ophthalmological centers Dunyagez. These are some of the world’s best-specialized hospitals for all types of eye treatments. Doctors have high results in the field of laser surgery in the treatment of cataracts and the installation of an artificial lens. The clinics have the LENSX femtosecond laser system, which allows for accurate cataract removal with minimal incisions without damaging healthy tissues.
2. Hisar Clinic in Istanbul is a well-known large center with advanced medical equipment. Doctors practice bloodless and sutureless surgical interventions on the eyes.
3. Cagin Eye Hospital. Cataract removal is performed using ultrasound and laser technologies. Patients are implanted with optical lenses of the latest generation. Microsurgical interventions on the cornea are performed using a femtosecond or excimer laser. Complex combined procedures are in demand among patients. For example, cataract and glaucoma surgery in the elderly.
4. Network of ophthalmological clinics Batigoz. Hospitals have advanced facilities for accurate diagnosis and all types of ophthalmic procedures, including the most complex ones. Patients have access to a wide range of lenses used in cataract surgery.
5. Veni Vidi Ophthalmological Center in Istanbul. This is the first clinic in Turkey, which began to use laser technology without corneal incisions. More than 50,000 low-traumatic eye surgeries are performed here every year. The medical staff consists of Turkish and foreign ophthalmologists, each of whom has performed 30,000 or more procedures. Doctors are constantly improving their skills, exchanging experience with colleagues from the US and Europe. According to the data of the clinic, 99% of laser treatments are successful.

The approximate cost of an ophthalmologist consultation in leading Turkish clinics is $120-150. Surgical treatment of cataracts in Turkey with intraocular lens implantation is from $700-1000. More detailed information about Turkish clinics for the treatment of cataracts with price analysis will be provided by the doctors-coordinators of Experts Medical. You can also read real testimonials from treated patients on the site.

To quickly and easily organize a trip for the diagnosis and treatment of cataracts with the best ophthalmologists in Turkey, you need to leave a request on the Experts Medical website. Coordinators-doctors will advise and help choose a clinic, or a leading specialist, taking into account the needs of the patient.

If necessary, the company will prepare medical documents and send them to the clinic for examination by a doctor, with whom they will organize a preliminary online consultation. The doctor can offer the patient in advance the optimal method of performing the operation, as well as determine the approximate cost of the service.

With the support of Experts Medical, the patient will be relieved of all organizational problems for cataract treatment in Turkey. They will book flights and a hotel room, and help with the transfer.

1. WHO launches first World report on vision

1. American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery | ASCRS
2. The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (iapb.org)
3. Global Ophthalmology – American Academy of Ophthalmology (aao.org)
4. Main Page – International Council of Ophthalmology ICO-Exams ICO-Fellowship (icoph.org)