In the 21st century, one of the most serious medical problems in children and adults is visual impairment. In recent decades, ophthalmology in Turkey has been developing quite intensively. Turkish specialists are among the first to introduce modern technologies into practice, thanks to which they have achieved significant success.
Patients come to Turkey for eye treatment, mainly from Arab countries and Central Asia, in order to receive qualified assistance. According to the Turkish Ministry of Health, 16 million people turn to the country’s ophthalmological clinics every year to correct vision problems.
Ophthalmology in Turkey: Reviews
Turkey’s specialized ophthalmological clinics are among the best in the world. Patients from the Balkan countries, Central Asia, and the Middle East come to Turkey because of its convenient geographical location.
According to patients, among the main advantages of ophthalmology in Turkey are:
- Opportunity to undergo treatment in medical centers accredited by the International JCI Commission. This is a guarantee of high-quality medical care. To receive a certificate, a clinic must meet 1,600 requirements.
- Turkish hospitals are equipped with advanced new-generation medical equipment, which is not available in some countries. Thanks to this, doctors have the opportunity to treat complex pathologies.
- Affordable prices with high-quality service. The cost of ophthalmology in Turkey is 40% lower than in clinics in Europe, Israel, and the USA.
- Most hospitals in Turkey are located in resort areas. Therefore, patients have the opportunity to combine treatment with rest.
The best eye clinics in Turkey cooperate directly with Experts Medical, a medical tourism company. Thanks to this, patients have the opportunity to quickly and cost-effectively organize a trip to Turkey. Here they receive medical services for vision correction or complex treatment of serious pathologies from the best specialists.
Vision Treatment in Turkey
According to Experts Medical, foreign patients mainly come to Turkish clinics to receive modern treatment for the following vision pathologies:
- Cataract is a clouding of the lens, which often develops in patients older than 40 years. Cataract treatment in Turkey is carried out with modern minimally invasive methods, the duration of which is only 30 minutes.
- Glaucoma is a disease, the main cause of which is an increase in intraocular pressure. It is characterized by the gradual destruction of retinal cells, which can eventually lead to complete blindness. Treatment of glaucoma in Turkey in the early stages involves high-quality drug therapy and allows to do without surgery. In the later stages, Turkish doctors use laser surgery.
- Strabismus is a violation of the position of the eyes. In Turkey, a microsurgical intervention is performed, during which the position of the eye muscles is corrected.
- Diseases of the cornea. For their treatment, surgical interventions are carried out using sparing methods.
- Detachment of the retina. The disease is treated with laser surgery and liquid nitrogen.
- Myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism. To treat these pathologies, specialists in Turkish hospitals use different methods. For example, corrective lenses, hardware technologies, as well as laser vision correction using the LASIK method in just 20 minutes.
- Keratoconus is a deformation of the cornea, which gradually takes the form of a cone. Turkish clinics have developed a successful method of treating this pathology, which is based on the stabilization of keratoconus and the improvement of vision. For mild forms of the disease, doctors perform a crosslinking procedure. For more complex cases, they use intracorneal rings or perform keratoplasty.
The high level of ophthalmology in Turkey makes it possible to treat rare and complex eye diseases that are considered incurable in many other countries.
Ophthalmology in Turkey: diagnostics
Doctors diagnose eye pathologies using modern equipment. Thanks to this, they have the opportunity to make the most accurate diagnosis and choose the optimal treatment, taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient’s health.
According to partner clinics of Experts Medical, for examination in Turkish hospitals, the following are prescribed:
- Ultrasonic biomicroscopy. This is an anterior segment scan. Examination reveals cataracts, glaucoma, dysplasia of the anterior chamber angle, iris, and part of the choroid, as well as damage from trauma. The doctor directs a beam of light with a special apparatus into the patient’s eye and uses a microscope to study the structure of the organ.
- Scanning laser polarimetry. The procedure allows specialists to measure the thickness of the retinal fibers of the eye using the effect of polarized light. It is used to diagnose glaucoma.
- Electroretinography. The study measures the electrical response of eye cells that are sensitive to light.
- Fluorescein angiography of the retina. The examination involves taking pictures of the retina using a special camera. Thanks to this, the doctor evaluates the structure of the back of the eye and the condition of the blood vessels. Also, the procedure is prescribed to track the treatment process. Before the procedure, special drops are instilled into the patient to dilate the pupil, and a fluorescent substance is injected into the vein. This allows the doctor to clearly see the eye vessels.
The high level of equipment of Turkish clinics allows for performing high-quality eye examinations, which is especially in demand among foreign patients.
Modern Methods of Vision Treatment in Turkey
The use of modern techniques and advanced equipment allows Turkish specialists to achieve high treatment results.
Among the innovative technologies that are used in ophthalmology in Turkey:
- iLasik is a device for laser correction, thanks to which it is possible to safely improve visual acuity for the patient. In Turkey, iLasik treatment has a 98% success rate.
- IFS Visex is a femtosecond laser that allows the doctor to create flaps that are ideal in shape and quality for each individual patient during keratoplasty.
- Excimer laser is a popular method for correcting myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism of various degrees of complexity.
- Crosslinking is carried out in order to prevent the development of keratoconus.
- Infiniti Phaco is a Ultrasound system, thanks to which doctors successfully perform cataract surgery in Turkey.
- Argon Laser is an argon laser device, which is used for coagulation of vascular pathology, as well as for retinal detachment.
- TOPCON CL-200. With the help of this technology, doctors quickly and accurately select optical lenses.
Turkish ophthalmological clinics successfully treat vision in children. All procedures that are prescribed to the child are carried out in a gentle and painless way.
Keratoplasty in Turkey
Keratoplasty is a surgical procedure to replace the damaged cornea of the eye with healthy tissue. It is indicated for people whose cornea is damaged and conservative methods of treatment do not help.
Foreign patients come for keratoplasty mainly for the treatment of keratoconus. This disease is characterized by deformation of the cornea, which leads to visual impairment.
The disease usually occurs at a young age. The causes of the pathology have not been precisely established. The disease is characterized by slow progression and leads to the development of myopia and irregular astigmatism.
Also, keratoplasty is successfully used for such problems:
- scars or defects on the cornea after trauma, surgery, or infection;
- corneal dystrophy;
- keratitis is an inflammation of the cornea;
- parenteral corneal ulcers;
- herpetic keratitis is an inflammation caused by the herpes virus.
Before the operation, patients undergo diagnostics, which helps to accurately assess the condition of the cornea. In addition to a visual examination, doctors prescribe an anterior segment ophthalmoscopy, keratometry, pentacamera, corneal topography, and ocular coherence tomography.
The essence of the keratoplasty procedure is to remove the affected cornea and replace it with donor tissue prepared in the laboratory.
The choice of technology depends on the specific features of the patient’s eye disease. Turkish ophthalmologists mainly perform keratoplasty surgery using laser systems. This allows patients to recover quickly. According to the general data of medical centers in Turkey, the effectiveness of the procedure exceeds 90%.
Eye Clinics in Turkey
Experts Medical has studied the reviews of patients about ophthalmology in Turkey and made the TOP-5 medical centers.
- Dunyagoz eye clinics in Turkey. Annually, 80,000 operations are performed in the hospitals of the network. In total, there are 23 centers, among which the eye clinic in Antalya is recognized as one of the best. Equipment of Dunyaguez includes unique installations that are used only in these clinics. Professor Palikaris, the author of the LASIK methodology, advises hospitals.
- Batigoz is a group of eye clinics in Turkey. It has international recognition. In addition to the surgical treatment of all eye pathologies, non-surgical laser eye contour lifting using the Plexr method is available in Batigoz.
- Veni Vidi Eye Ophthalmology Center in Istanbul. The best ophthalmologists in Istanbul work here. The effectiveness of laser vision correction exceeds 99%. The clinic only treats adult patients.
- Cagin Ophthalmological Hospital. It is one of the most equipped ophthalmological centers. It specializes in the surgical treatment of keratoconus, cataracts, glaucoma, and retinal detachment, as well as laser vision correction. The hospital’s doctors have performed over a million successful surgeries. Also, the hospital has developed all-inclusive packages.
- Liv Hospital is the leading multidisciplinary hospital in Turkey. Progressive medical technologies, including ophthalmological ones, are practiced in the clinic. They allowed the hospital to receive the status of a Center of Excellence.
For more detailed information about Turkish ophthalmological centers, please contact Experts Medical coordinating physician.
Cost of vision treatment in Turkey
Prices for ophthalmic services in Turkish hospitals are formed taking into account many factors:
- type of clinic. Prices may be lower in public hospitals;
- number of diagnostic procedures;
- experience and qualifications of specialists. Treatment by a professor will be more expensive than by a novice doctor;
- additional services. Transfer and translation services in some clinics are included in the cost of treatment, in others they are paid separately.
Laser treatment of glaucoma in Turkey costs $1800-2000 on average, lens replacement $1000, and keratoplasty $4000-8000.
How to go for vision treatment in Turkey
To quickly organize a trip for diagnostics and treatment with the best ophthalmologists in Turkey, you need to leave a request on the Experts Medical website. Coordinating physicians will contact the patient and help select a clinic and specialist based on the needs of the patient.
With the support of Experts Medical, the patient has access to an online consultation with a leading Turkish ophthalmologist, assistance in booking tickets and hotel rooms, and transfer.
The material was checked and approved by Erica Igonina, a medical author at Experts Medical.
Sources:
