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THE OPHTHALMOLOGIST IN TURKEY GIVE US ‘ MARKET REVIEWS
About 60 thousand laser surgeries done, 70% of the physician in the operation, 30% of the technology plays a role in the opinion. But as much as the experience of the Turkish eye laser doctor, the quality of the device and material is important.
‘Dumping’ discussions about laser operations that enable clear vision by eliminating crushing defects in the eye (myopia, farsightedness and astigmatism) have progressed to the level of ‘my hospital beats your hospital’. According to Turkey eye doctor, the ophthalmologist who brought the ‘lasik’ operation performed with the Excimer laser device to Turkey, the discussions are neither compatible with medicine nor business ethics. Turkey eye doctor, who is one of the world’s few doctors in Lasik, says that he has become ashamed to say ‘I am an ophthalmologist’ due to marketing techniques with dumping content in laser operations in the eye.
To AA correspondence, “we talked about the risks of lasik technique surgeries in Turkey, the financial dimension of the event, the weight of the physician in the operation in question and the recent discussions with Turkey eye doctor, who has signed about 60 thousand laser operations in 15 years.
– Laser operations in the eye have been discussed in terms of the risks it carries since the years it began to be applied. What point did he make with the experience? Have all predicted risk factors been exceeded?
There is almost no risk of losing the eye in laser operations in Turkey. If an experienced doctor works with good equipment, teams and devices, there is no risk of serious damage to the person’s eyes that may affect his life in the future. It can be very small things. But the opposite is true. Cheap material, inexperienced and untrained doctor or careless treatment as a result of a person’s eyes can remain serious damage. In other words, a person who sees a hundred percent degree with glasses or lenses before surgery, as a result of complications, visual acuity can fall to 60 percent, 50 percent, despite using glasses and lenses. It can’t go above 70 percent. This is permanent damage. That’s what’s most feared. But unfortunately there is a risk of such complications. That’s why everyone wants to go to experienced doctors.
– Can you explain a little more about the causes of complications (undesirable condition) that lead to permanent damage? Who’s negligent in this?
At first, cheap material, cheap laser. 250 grand and a laser, 750 grand… At the price of the laser I use, you get three lasers. He’s a laser, he’s a laser. The patient has almost no way of knowing that. Because ‘Is Your Laser state-of-the-art? ‘when asked, everyone says ‘state-of-the-art’ of course. After using the first laser I brought to Turkey 14-15 years ago, I sold it to someone. Old lasers are also circulating. Those who use them also call them the latest technology. No one calls it old technology. I’m afraid it’s a little difficult for patients to understand that.
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THE KNIFE MUST BE USED ONCE
– Can we open up the technological infrastructure a little more before the doctor? For example, some Turkish private medical park hospital owners in Turkey talk about knives. He says they put the knives in patients ‘ hands to see if they were used more than once.
The knife can be used once, five times. The more you use it, the less it costs. But the risks are increasing. Normally, it should not be used more than once. It’s about cutting.
– Standard use in the world?
Of course. In fact, we do it with a laser to eliminate the knife incident. A new technology has come out. The knife factor also disappears. But these are all costs. You’re using a 500-thousand-dollar laser. It’s got extra parts. It’s impossible for them to be 200 euros.
– It’s called putting the knife in your hand. How can I tell if I’m new or old when I’m given a knife?
In no way you can’t understand.
– They say I invested this many million dollars. What do these investments cover?
$1 million is enough to open a Laser Center. Unless you open a hospital. And the Eye Hospital is not $100 million. All of these figures are exaggerated once. For advertising purposes. They multiply them by 5. If he’s invested $10 million, he’ll multiply it by 5, he’ll multiply it by 10. He says $150 million. We know it’s there. They say we’re bringing patients from abroad. We also know the number of patients brought in. Because the same companies bring patients. If the company brings 1,000 patients, that’s 100 grand. This is Turkey; there is no institution to oversee it.
– How much does a quality knife cost, Sir?
A good knife costs about $75.
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250 EUROS GOES TO MATERIAL-
– If we add up mandatory operating expenses, what figure does it appear?
We said $75 knives. It costs $100 per person. $100 for maintenance, head and gas. The laser has a head. About 50 grand. It changes in 1,000 patients. 200, 250 euros go entirely to the material. There is no operating cost in it. It’s happening at a loss somewhere. So dumping is being done. Like in the bus companies.
– 4 thousand euros in Germany, 4-6 thousand dollars in the United States. Why is it so expensive there, is it a matter of supply and demand, people are not in demand?
They’re in demand, but not as much as Turkey. Second, the doctor’s Labor money is very high there. The hospital and the doctor don’t agree to a low fee.
– Do you have any information about the rate of demand? Do they prefer glasses, or do they want me to get rid of it?
There are no such statistics, but in the US this treatment is very popular. They advertise very well, they tell. It’s not very common in Europe alone. It is also done there, but it is not as common as in Turkey. Because the doctors aren’t very fond of it. They say it in such a way that patients get scared and run away. And 4 thousand euros is already expensive. The average European receives a salary of 2 thousand euros. That’s two salaries.
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I’D DO IT FOR 6 THOUSAND EUROS IN EUROPE
Does he prefer to live his life with glasses?
Natural. In addition, he thinks that 4 thousand euros can be spent for a few years. 200 or 400 euros in Turkey; even the lowest-paid person can think.
– How much does surgery cost at your center?
My surgery costs a thousand euros. It’s because I did it first, because I had experience and because I had patients from all over the world. I have less time. When I first started, I was doing it for 2 thousand euros. My teammates do it for 450 euros. We’ve come to this point in our dreams. It’s impossible down there.
– If you were in Germany?
I’ll do it for 6 Grand. I have the title of Doctor Who does the most lasers in Europe. Approaching 60 grand.
– Looking at the scale of the world…
I don’t know the statistics in the world, but maybe there might be a friend or two in China who got to those numbers. I don’t know more than 50 thousand doctors in Latin America.
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70 PERCENT ARE PHYSICIANS, 30 PERCENT ARE MACHINES
– Laser operations always talk about technology. Where’s the doctor in this?
There’s the doctor factor, of course. It’s not like the doctor comes in and just enters the machine, the computer, and presses the pedal. If there was, the nurse could have done it. First of all, there is the surgical part. Cuts to the cornea. There are risks behind it that can lead to up to 50 percent vision loss. It’s all the doctor factor. But there’s also the machine factor. The machine is a stupid tool. The machine doesn’t have its own intelligence. If you enter Number 5, Number 5 is doing treatment. If you enter Number 5 in a patient with Number 2, it treats incorrectly. The doctor factor is very important. After all, it’s a surgical procedure. Every doctor has certain complication rates. At rates ranging from 20 percent to 1 thousand.
– It’s being touted as if the whole job is on the machine?
Definitely not. In my opinion, 70 percent are doctors, 30 percent are machines. It’s not the doctor who says it’s all about the machine, it’s the institution. I mean, boss. He’s not even a doctor. He sees it as a business. He’s gonna sell his dick. I give courses on this. I issue international valid certificates. I’m one of those who knows best how important experience is. We’re transferring our savings to these doctors. I’ve been for 15 years now. I feel like I’m learning more every year.
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THE LIE THAT CLOSE GLASSES WERE TRASHED
– How far do you think this technology will go, what’s the target?
It’s limited by your imagination. A lot can happen in the future. But the things that are being tried to resolve in the near future are about blindness. There are some problems with the Retina that we can’t solve, trying to solve them. It was a stem cell, a chip in the retina, etc. In my area of expertise, we are exploring new techniques that will be more risk-free and increase the success rate in high-numbered myopia. Laser treatment of age-related close vision has not yet been fully established. That’s one of the issues that’s been abused a lot.
– How is he abused?
Every two or three years, they advertise’ close glasses, throw glasses in the trash’. Turkey is such a country that one person can not come out and say, ‘this is not true, it is a lie, everyone is being deceived’. Close glasses have not yet been treated in Turkey, in the world, or in space.
– Don’t those who have been operated on notice it later?
He’s going sick, so do it to me. If you disrupt an eye with a number zero and make it myopic. For example, number 2 is myopic. A person can see close to him with that eye. Here, you see someone close to you. But he doesn’t see far. He doesn’t wear close glasses, but he wears far glasses. Now these close glasses are a cure? But with these ads, the patient is attracted. Other offers are being made, and so on.
– How can this abuse be prevented?
There is an advertising board under the Ministry of industry. A medical institution wants to put an ad in the newspaper. The newspaper’s lawyers say you can’t write a 100 percent guarantee, you can’t name the price doctor. You can’t call it the best. So the ad is not received. But in this case, some institutions can come out and say this percentage discount. In the most popular programs on television, it is referred to as a discount on the subtitle. There’s a competition authority. If the rule says that it applies to some and not to others, it means that there is a great injustice. It’s like some big powerful groups applying pressure. These boards and institutions must work properly. It’s like selling a new plasma TV, and we’re doing this to the newspapers, and the ads are definitely not true. Of course, there should be news about medicine. People need to be informed. That’s normal. Of course, the doctor and the institution will get paid, make a profit; but it is not right to see it as a purely commercial commodity. Health is a sensitive issue. I’m almost ashamed to say I’m an Turkish ophthalmologist.
– Dumping logic aside, what should be the price of operations in Turkey for you?
As I said, it is not possible for it to fall below 450 euros and dollars.
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WHAT ARE LASIK AND EXCIMER LASER?
The eye lasik operation in Turkey, which takes few minutes, is performed using an Excimer laser device. The device is first used in the plastics industry and in the production of electronic integrated circuits. It was first tried in 1988 in the United States to treat myopic eyes. With the most sensitive scalpel in human hands, the cornea layer is shaved and vision defects (myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism) are eliminated. Each touch of the cornea shaves 0.25 microns of tissue corresponding to one in 400 strands of hair. A lid is removed when 0.16 millimeters thick from the outer surface of the cornea before Lasik is applied. The lid closes after processing.
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CRITICAL THRESHOLDS IN OPERATION LASIK IN TURKEY
Turkey Medicals, to AA correspondence, “Ofcourse the patient is over 18 years old and the eye structure should be suitable for surgery. Vision defect should not exceed the limit of -14 dioptres in myopia, -5 dioptres in astigmatta, +8 dioptres in hypermetropia. Lasik surgery cannot be performed on those who do not have corneal tissue thickness, keratoconus patients, rheumatism, pregnant women and intraocular hemorrhages caused by diabetes.” was said.
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I hope this helps…
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Turkey's world-renowned organ transplant specialist. Dr. Demirbaş has 104 international publications and 102 national publications.
Physician's Resume:
Born on August 7, 1963 in Çorum, Prof. Dr. Alper Demirbaş has been continuing his work as the President of MedicalPark Antalya Hospital Organ Transplantation Center since 2008.
Prof. who performed the first tissue incompatible kidney transplant in Turkey, the first blood type incompatible kidney transplant, the first kidney-pancreas transplant program and the first cadaveric donor and live donor liver transplant in Antalya. Dr. As of August 2016, Alper Demirbaş has performed 4900 kidney transplants, 500 liver transplants and 95 pancreas transplants.
In addition to being the chairman of 6 national congresses, he has also been an invited speaker at 12 international and 65 national scientific congresses. Dr. Alper Demirbaş was married and the father of 1 girl and 1 boy.
Awards:
Eczacibasi Medical Award of 2002, Akdeniz University Service Award of 2005, Izder Medical Man of the Year Award of 2006, BÖHAK Medical Man of the Year Award of 2007, Sabah Mediterranean Newspaper Scientist of the Year Award of 2007, ANTIKAD Scientist of the Year Award of 2009, Social Ethics Association Award of 2010, Işık University Medical Man of the Year Award of 2015, VTV Antalya's Brand Value Award of 2015.
Certificates:
Doctor of Medicine Degree Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine Ankara, General Surgeon Ministry of Health Turkey EKFMG (0-477-343-8), University of Miami School of Medicine Member of Multiple Organ Transplant, ASTS Multiorgan Transplant Scholarship. Lecturer at Kyoto University. Lecturer at University of Essen, Research assistant at the University of Cambridge .
Professional Members:
American Society of Transplant Surgeons, American Transplantation Society Nominated, Middle East and Southern Africa Council Transplantation Society 2007, International Liver Transplantation Association, Turkish Transplantation Association, Turkish Society of Surgery, Turkish Hepatobiliary Surgery Association.
Disclaimer:
Our website contents consist of articles approved by our Web and Medical Editorial Board with the contributions of our physicians. Our contents are prepared only for informational purposes for public benefit. Be sure to consult your doctor for diagnosis and treatment.