Frequently Asked Questions

Appointments are made by telephone, WhatsApp or the form in the contact block at the bottom of this page. When booking, mentioning your complaint, which district or country you will be coming from, and whether you have SGK, private or travel insurance makes planning easier. Directions and details of the examination day are on the eye doctor in Kahramanmaraş page.

All examinations and operations take place in the Ophthalmology department of HG Hospital in Onikişubat, Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye (Üngüt Mevkii, Prof. Dr. Necmettin Erbakan Bulvarı No:209). Dr. Öztürk has no other practice or branch. For his training and areas of work, see the Dr. Nejmi Öztürk page.

No; drops that widen the pupil are used when the retina and the optic nerve need to be examined in detail. Their effect lasts 4–6 hours; during this time near vision is blurred and light is uncomfortable. Because dilating drops may be needed, you are advised not to drive on the day of the examination; what a general examination covers is explained on the eye diseases and treatments page.

For a general examination it is enough to come without your lenses on the day. For a laser eye surgery or keratoconus assessment, however, soft lenses are left out for 1 week and rigid (gas-permeable) lenses for 2–3 weeks beforehand so that the corneal measurements are accurate. Take this period into account when choosing your appointment date; details are on the laser eye surgery page.

The examination takes 30–60 minutes; a 20–30 minute wait is needed for a dilated retinal examination, and extra time for tests such as OCT, corneal topography or a visual field test. Because the tests are done on the same day whenever possible, plan on possibly spending half a day at the hospital. If you are coming from a distant district, ask for a morning appointment.

Bring a list of all the medicines you take (including blood thinners), your latest HbA1c and blood sugar values and your previous eye reports. Because diabetes can affect the retinal blood vessels without causing symptoms, a dilated retinal examination is done even if your vision is good. Details are on the diabetic retinopathy page.

Suitability is determined by the examination and measurements: corneal topography (a map of the cornea), corneal thickness, pupil diameter, tear tests and a prescription measurement with drops. The general conditions are being at least 18 years old, a prescription that has been stable for at least 1 year and no corneal disease such as keratoconus. Your suitability is assessed with the examination and measurements at HG Hospital in Kahramanmaraş; the method that suits you is planned together. Information: laser eye surgery.

All of them reshape the cornea with a laser; the difference is in how the cornea is reached. In LASIK a thin flap is lifted, in SMILE a lens-shaped piece of tissue is removed through a small incision, and in No-Touch and PRK the surface layer is removed and the laser is applied directly to the surface. Recovery is slower with the surface methods, but they can be applied to a wider range of thin corneas; the choice is made according to the measurements.

The laser corrects the prescription you have at the time of surgery and its effect is lasting; however, the eye continues to age. The difficulty with near vision that begins in everyone at around the age of 40 (presbyopia) is not prevented by laser, and reading glasses may be needed. In a small number of patients part of the prescription can return; this possibility is explained at the examination based on your own measurements. Information: laser eye surgery.

After LASIK and SMILE, return to desk work is usually within 1–3 days; with No-Touch and PRK this takes 1–2 weeks because the surface has to heal. Taking frequent breaks from screens and using artificial tears reduces dryness symptoms. Protective glasses are recommended for dusty and heavy work; the timeline for each method is on the SMILE and PRK pages.

The procedure is done with numbing drops; no injection or general anesthesia is used. During the laser you are asked to look at a light; there may be a feeling of pressure and a few seconds of darkening. The perception of pain varies from person to person; with the surface methods, stinging and burning are more noticeable for a few days after the procedure. Information: No-Touch laser.

Yes. For a thin cornea or a high prescription, an ICL lens placed inside the eye can be considered, and over the age of 45 or at the onset of cataract, lens exchange with a trifocal lens. If keratoconus is found, the priority is to halt its progression; in that case keratoconus treatment is planned. The suitability of each option is determined by separate measurements.

No; today a cataract (clouding of the lens of the eye) is operated on when vision starts to affect daily life. In a very advanced cataract the lens hardens, surgery becomes more difficult and additional problems such as high eye pressure can develop. The timing is decided together at the examination according to your level of vision and your needs. Information: cataract surgery.

There are four main groups: monofocal, which sharpens distance vision; toric, which also corrects astigmatism; EDOF, which gives continuous distance and intermediate vision; and trifocal (multifocal), which targets distance, intermediate and near together. The choice depends on the structure of your eye, your occupation and how independent of glasses you expect to be. A comparison is on the lens surgery page.

The expectation is that dependence on glasses is greatly reduced; vision without glasses at every distance and in every light cannot be promised. Glasses may occasionally be needed to read very small print in dim light or for long periods of fine work; halos around lights at night may be seen at first and usually lessen. For people who drive at night, an EDOF lens is considered separately. Information: trifocal lens and EDOF lens.

You go home the same day; at the check-up the next day the protective shield is removed and the drops are started. Reading, television and light walks are allowed; rubbing the eye, heavy lifting and getting water in the eye are restricted for a week, and swimming pools and Turkish baths for about a month. The glasses prescription is measured once vision has settled, usually after 3–4 weeks. Information: cataract surgery.

The eyes are usually operated on on separate days; the gap is between a few days and a few weeks and depends on the healing of the eye operated on first. When a trifocal lens is chosen, doing the two eyes close together makes it easier for the brain to adapt to the new way of seeing. For patients travelling from afar, the two operations and the check-ups are planned together. Information: lens surgery.

The most common cause is clouding of the back capsule that holds the artificial lens (secondary cataract); the artificial lens itself does not deteriorate and the cataract does not come back. This clouding is cleared with a YAG laser procedure that takes a few minutes as an outpatient and is usually needed only once. Whether the blurring has another cause, such as macular degeneration or glaucoma, is investigated at the examination. Information: cataract surgery.

Frequent and rapid increases in your glasses prescription, especially the astigmatism, not seeing clearly even with glasses, lights appearing scattered and ghosted vision suggest keratoconus (a cornea that bulges into a cone shape). The diagnosis is made with corneal topography and a thickness map; frequent eye rubbing and allergies increase the risk. Topography is recommended for any young person whose prescription keeps changing. Information: keratoconus treatment.

No; cross-linking aims to halt the progression of the disease by stiffening the cornea, and it does not return a cone-shaped cornea to its former shape. After the procedure, the need for glasses or special contact lenses usually continues. It is applied in patients whose disease is progressing and whose cornea is thick enough; your suitability is assessed with the examination and measurements at HG Hospital in Kahramanmaraş. Information: cross-linking.

A transplant comes into consideration when adequate vision cannot be achieved with glasses and special lenses, when permanent clouding (scarring) develops in the cornea, or when the cornea becomes very thin; this is a small proportion of patients. With early diagnosis and timely cross-linking the need for a transplant can be reduced. Transplants are performed at centers with a cornea bank; for assessment and referral, see the corneal diseases page.

Yes. Diabetic retinopathy (retinal damage caused by diabetes) produces no symptoms for a long time; by the time vision deteriorates, the damage may already be advanced. If there is no retinopathy, a dilated retinal examination is done once a year; if there is, every 3–6 months depending on the stage, with OCT when needed. Keeping blood sugar and blood pressure under control is part of the treatment; information: diabetic retinopathy.

The anti-VEGF medicine injected into the eye temporarily suppresses the leaking blood vessels; because its effect wears off within weeks, the treatment is repeated at intervals. Usually three monthly injections are given at the start, and the interval is then extended according to the OCT result. The treatment does not eliminate the disease; it aims to preserve vision. Information: macular degeneration.

The same day. New flashes of light and a sudden increase in floaters can be the sign of a retinal tear; a tear can be sealed with laser as an outpatient in the early period, but if it is left it develops into a retinal detachment (separation of the retina) and requires surgery. If you notice a curtain or shadow in your field of vision, go to the nearest emergency department. Information: retinal diseases.

The outcome depends on whether the center of vision (the macula) was detached and on how much time passed before surgery. In operations done before the macula is affected, vision is largely preserved; if the macula was detached, vision improves only partly even when the retina is reattached. If gas was placed in the eye, a face-down position is required for a while and you should not go to high altitudes. Information: vitrectomy.

No. Glaucoma (high eye pressure) is damage to the optic nerve caused by the pressure of the fluid inside the eye, and it is measured independently of blood pressure; a person with normal blood pressure can have high eye pressure. Because glaucoma progresses without symptoms, regular measurement is recommended after the age of 40. Information: glaucoma.

Missing one dose does not harm the nerve immediately; use the drops when you remember and return to your routine the next day. Frequently missed doses, however, raise the pressure and allow unnoticed loss of visual field to continue; vision lost to glaucoma does not come back. Using the drops at the same time each day and setting a phone alarm help you keep to the routine. Information: glaucoma.

Most of the time you cannot tell; the child does not complain because they see well with one eye. An eye turn, fussing when one eye is covered, squinting and tilting the head to one side to look can be clues; the definite diagnosis is made with a dilated examination. This is why an examination should be done at 6–12 months, at 3–4 years and before school, even without symptoms. Information: strabismus and lazy eye.

It can be either. If the eyelid covers the pupil and narrows the field of vision, the operation is functional and is documented with a visual field test; blepharoplasty done for appearance alone is cosmetic. This distinction also determines SGK coverage; details are on the blepharoplasty and ptosis page.

For mild dryness, artificial tears bring relief; but if you use them more than four times a day, preservative-free products should be chosen and the cause of the dryness should be investigated. Blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelid margins), blocked eyelid glands or a rheumatic disease may lie behind the dryness; treatment depends on the cause. Drops that whiten the eye (redness relievers) can make dry eye worse. Information: dry eye and blepharitis.

Surgery is recommended if the pterygium is approaching the visual axis, is impairing vision by causing astigmatism, or is causing constant redness and irritation. A small pterygium without symptoms is monitored with sunglasses and artificial tears. During surgery, a graft taken from the patient’s own conjunctiva is placed to reduce the chance of recurrence. Information: pterygium.

Yes. HG Hospital is a private hospital contracted with the Turkish social security institution (SGK); patients with valid SGK coverage may use it for examinations and treatment, although a private-hospital co-payment may apply. The coverage conditions and any co-payment are explained by the hospital before the examination.

Laser eye surgery (laser vision correction), ICL, lens exchange for the purpose of a trifocal lens and cosmetic blepharoplasty are generally not covered by SGK, and most private health insurance policies also exclude them. In cataract surgery the standard lens is covered; if a trifocal or EDOF lens is chosen, the lens surcharge is paid by the patient. Ptosis that restricts vision and cross-linking for keratoconus may be covered under certain conditions; the conditions are clarified at the consultation. Information: lens surgery.

Yes; HG Hospital accepts private health insurance policies. Before your appointment, ask your insurer whether eye examinations, tests and surgery are included in your policy and whether pre-authorization is required, and mention that you are insured when booking. Patients without SGK coverage, such as international patients and visitors from abroad, pay privately or through their private or travel health insurance; the hospital checks coverage before treatment.

Fee information is given by the hospital after the examination; SGK and private insurance coverage is clarified at the consultation. Under the Turkish regulations on advertising and information in health services, fee information is not published on this website.

No. Dr. Nejmi Öztürk is originally from Elbistan, but he has no consultation days in Elbistan or in any other district; all examinations and operations take place at HG Hospital in Kahramanmaraş. Travel and planning information for people coming from Elbistan, Afşin, Göksun, Ekinözü and Nurhak is on the patients from Elbistan and the surrounding area page.

Morning. Because the journey takes about 2 hours, a morning appointment allows the dilated examination and the tests to be finished the same day and lets you travel back in daylight. Because of the drops, do not drive yourself on the way back. Information: patients from Elbistan and the surrounding area.

For most operations it is enough to spend the night of the surgery in Kahramanmaraş: the day 1 check-up is completed the next morning and you return to your district. Later check-ups are combined according to the travel time. In cases such as cataract, where the two eyes are operated on on separate days, the plan is made accordingly; the follow-up schedule for each treatment is shown in the table on the patients from Elbistan and the surrounding area page.

Yes, it is recommended. Vision stays blurred for a few hours after a dilated examination; the journey and the waiting are tiring for elderly patients, and having a second person listen to what is explained at the examination makes it easier to use the drops correctly at home. Ask the companion to bring a list of all the medicines taken and the previous reports. Information: eye doctor in Kahramanmaraş.