Types of laser eye surgery: start with the right technique
"Laser eye surgery" is not one operation. It is a family of treatments that reshape the cornea, the clear front window of the eye, so that light focuses on the retina without glasses or contact lenses. The three main types of laser eye surgery are LASIK (a thin flap is lifted and the laser works underneath), SMILE (a disc of tissue is removed through a small incision, with no flap) and surface treatments — PRK and LASEK — where the laser works on the surface after the outer skin cells are removed. All three can give good, stable vision to the right patient. Which one is right depends on your prescription, the thickness and shape of your cornea, your job and hobbies, and your age.
This page helps you understand that choice before you contact a clinic, and explains when laser is not suitable at all. If you already know you want LASIK, our full guide to LASIK and femto-LASIK in Turkey covers live hospital prices, the day-by-day trip, recovery and published risk figures in detail. Each technique also has its own page: SMILE, PRK, LASEK and, for eyes that are better treated without laser, lens replacement and ICL.
Types of laser eye surgery: LASIK vs SMILE vs PRK
The table compares the techniques you will see on Turkish clinic price lists. The ranges are typical; the exact limits depend on the laser platform and on your own measurements.
| LASIK / femto-LASIK | SMILE | PRK / LASEK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How the cornea is opened | A hinged flap, made with a femtosecond laser (or a blade in older microkeratome LASIK) | A 2–4 mm incision, no flap | Surface cells removed, no flap or incision |
| Prescriptions treated | Short-sight, long-sight, astigmatism | Mainly short-sight and astigmatism | Low to moderate prescriptions of all kinds |
| Corneal thickness needed | The most, because of the flap | Moderate | The least |
| Clear vision | Usually the next day | Within one to a few days | About a week; sharp after 2–4 weeks |
| Discomfort | Mild, a few hours | Mild, a few hours | Painful for 3–4 days |
| Contact sports, risk of eye injury | A flap can rarely be displaced by a blow | No flap | No flap |
| Days in Turkey | 3 | 3 | 5–6 |
| Price level | Middle | Highest | Lowest |
Two names often appear next to these. IntraLase is a brand of femtosecond laser used to cut the LASIK flap — "IntraLase LASIK" is femto-LASIK, not a separate operation. "Wavefront-guided", "topography-guided" or "contoura" describe how the laser pattern is planned from detailed measurements of your eye; they can be combined with LASIK or PRK and are most useful for irregular corneas or larger pupils. Ask the clinic which laser platform and which planning method it will use, and why.
Which laser eye surgery is best for you?
There is no single answer to "which laser eye surgery is best"; published comparisons in ophthalmology journals show similar final sharpness of vision for LASIK, SMILE and PRK in suitable short-sighted eyes. The differences are in recovery, comfort, the range of prescriptions and the tissue left behind. In practice the choice usually follows this pattern:
- Femto-LASIK is the default for most people with a moderate prescription and a cornea of normal thickness, including long-sightedness and astigmatism. Vision returns fastest and enhancements are simple, because the flap can be lifted again.
- SMILE suits short-sighted patients with a stable prescription who want to avoid a flap — for example people who box, play rugby or martial arts, or work in the police or the armed forces. Several reviews report somewhat less dry eye in the first months than after LASIK.
- PRK or LASEK suits thinner corneas, low prescriptions, people at higher risk of eye injury and some pilots and divers. It leaves the most corneal tissue untouched, at the cost of a painful first few days and slower recovery.
Your measurements, not your preference, should decide. If a clinic recommends a technique before it has seen your topography and corneal thickness, that is a reason to ask more questions. And if the honest answer is that no laser technique suits your eyes, the next section explains the alternatives.
When laser eye surgery is not suitable — and the alternatives
About the most useful thing an examination can tell you is that laser is not the right route. The usual reasons, and the alternatives to laser eye surgery that clinics in Turkey then discuss, are:
- Very high short-sightedness (roughly beyond −8 to −10 dioptres, depending on the cornea): removing enough tissue would leave the cornea too thin. An implantable contact lens (ICL), placed inside the eye in front of your own lens, is the usual alternative for people under about 45. See lens replacement and ICL.
- Age over about 45–50 with reading problems: laser corrects distance vision but does not stop presbyopia, the age-related loss of near focus. Refractive lens exchange with a multifocal or trifocal lens can treat both, and prevents cataract later. See trifocal lens replacement.
- Early cataract: if the natural lens is already clouding, cataract and lens surgery corrects the prescription at the same time.
- Thin or irregular cornea, or keratoconus: laser can weaken a cornea that is already unstable. Keratoconus is first stabilised with corneal cross-linking; vision is then improved with special contact lenses, sometimes with a limited surface treatment or a lens implant.
- A changing prescription, pregnancy or breastfeeding: wait until the prescription has been stable for at least a year and hormones have settled.
- Severe dry eye, uncontrolled diabetes, autoimmune disease or active eye disease: these are treated first; in some cases laser is not advised at all.
These are general limits used by refractive surgeons; the exact cut-offs differ between clinics and lasers. If you are in one of these groups, send your prescription before you plan a trip — it is better to learn that you need a lens-based treatment before you book flights than at the examination in Istanbul.
Laser eye surgery cost in Turkey compared with the UK
Laser eye surgery cost in Turkey is usually quoted for both eyes and includes the eligibility examination, the surgery, the drops and check-ups, often with transfers. Femto-LASIK at a hospital on our site starts from €1,260 for both eyes; the other figures below are approximate, confirmed in a written quote after your examination.
| Technique, both eyes | Turkey | United Kingdom (private) |
|---|---|---|
| Femto-LASIK | from €1,260 | about £3,000–£5,000 |
| SMILE / SMILE pro | about €1,400–€2,500 | about £4,000–£6,000 |
| PRK / LASEK | about €800–€1,600 | about £2,500–£4,500 |
| ICL (lens implant, not laser) | about €2,500–€4,500 | about £6,000–£9,000 |
| Refractive lens exchange, trifocal (not laser) | about €2,300–€5,000 | about £6,000–£9,000 |
Laser eye surgery cost in the UK is often advertised "per eye" and "from" a low price that applies only to small prescriptions; for an average prescription, femto-LASIK or SMILE at a private clinic usually comes to about £1,500–£3,000 per eye. The NHS does not offer laser eye surgery to correct vision, because glasses and contact lenses are considered adequate. When you compare, add your flights and three to six nights' accommodation to the Turkish price, and check whether follow-up visits and a possible enhancement are included on both sides.
What changes the price in Turkey: the technique and laser platform, whether astigmatism or a wavefront- or topography-guided plan is needed, the hospital's accreditation, and what the package includes. Ask for the total for both eyes in writing after the examination, not a "from" price per eye.
How the examination decides between LASIK, SMILE, PRK and lens surgery
Every technique starts with the same examination of about one and a half to two hours, usually on the day you arrive. It includes corneal topography and tomography (the shape of both corneal surfaces, to rule out keratoconus), corneal thickness, refraction with and without dilating drops, pupil size in dim light, tear tests, eye pressure and a check of the retina. The surgeon then calculates how much tissue each technique would remove and how much would be left.
Leave soft contact lenses out for one to two weeks before the examination and rigid lenses for longer, because lenses change the shape of the cornea and can distort the measurements. Ask for copies of your topography and the final plan; your optician at home will need them for the later check-ups.
Laser eye surgery in Istanbul: trip length by technique
Most laser eye surgery in Istanbul and other Turkish cities follows the same short plan: examination on day 1, surgery on day 2, check-up on day 3. For LASIK and SMILE most patients fly home on day 3 or 4. PRK and LASEK need five to six days, because the protective contact lens is removed by the surgeon after the surface has healed. ICL and lens replacement usually treat one eye at a time, a day or more apart, so allow about five days. The general trip plan, package contents and transfers are explained on how it works and on the LASIK page; tips for the journey home are in flying after surgery.
Risks of laser eye surgery: what the published sources say
All laser techniques share the same main risks: dry eye, halos and glare at night, under- or over-correction needing an enhancement, and, rarely, infection or corneal ectasia (a weakening and bulging of the cornea). In the US Food and Drug Administration's PROWL studies of LASIK, up to about 28 in 100 people without dry eye symptoms before surgery reported them three months afterwards, and up to about 45 in 100 reported at least one new visual symptom such as halos; most were mild and improved over time. Technique-specific risks — flap problems after LASIK, slow healing and haze after PRK, lenticule removal problems after SMILE, and the risks of surgery inside the eye after ICL or lens exchange — are explained on each technique's page.
The Royal College of Ophthalmologists advises that refractive surgery is elective, that you should receive written information on its risks and that you should have time to think before agreeing. That standard is worth asking for in Turkey as well.
Choosing a clinic for laser eye surgery in Turkey
Safety depends on correct selection of patients, the laser platforms and the surgeon's experience with the technique proposed, not on the country. Before you book laser eye surgery in Turkey, ask which technique and which laser will be used and why; whether the clinic also offers PRK, SMILE, ICL and lens replacement (a clinic that only has one technique tends to recommend it); what happens if the examination shows you are not suitable; whether an enhancement within one to two years is included; and who your contact is after you fly home. Our article on how to choose a safe surgeon in Turkey lists the documents and red flags that apply to every treatment, and the eye surgery overview lists all eye treatments.
Send us your current glasses or contact lens prescription, and earlier ones if you have them. From these we can tell you whether laser is likely to suit you and which techniques are worth discussing, before you book flights; the examination in Turkey then confirms it.
Hospitals with Eye Surgery in Turkey
Frequently asked questions
The main types are LASIK or femto-LASIK (the laser works under a thin flap), SMILE (a disc of tissue is removed through a small incision, with no flap) and surface treatments, PRK and LASEK (the laser works on the surface after the outer cells are removed). ICL and lens replacement are not laser treatments but are the usual alternatives when laser is not suitable.
None is best for everyone. Final vision is similar for suitable eyes. Femto-LASIK gives the fastest recovery and treats the widest range of prescriptions, SMILE avoids a flap, and PRK or LASEK leaves the most corneal tissue and suits thinner corneas. Your measurements decide which one suits you.
Femto-LASIK for both eyes starts from about [[price:lasik|1255]] at hospitals on our site. SMILE is usually about €1,400–€2,500 and PRK or LASEK about €800–€1,600 for both eyes; these are approximate and confirmed in a written quote after the examination.
Usually yes. Private clinics in the UK typically charge about £3,000–£5,000 for femto-LASIK on both eyes, against a lower price for both eyes in Turkey. Add flights and three to six nights' accommodation, and check what follow-up is included, before comparing.
No, not to correct normal short- or long-sightedness or astigmatism. The NHS considers glasses and contact lenses an adequate treatment, so laser eye surgery in the UK is private.
Depending on the reason, the alternatives are an implantable contact lens (ICL) for very high short-sightedness, refractive lens exchange for people over about 45 with reading problems, cataract surgery when the lens is clouding, or cross-linking first for keratoconus.
PRK or LASEK is usually preferred, because no flap is made and more of the cornea is left untouched. If the cornea is too thin even for surface treatment, a lens-based treatment such as ICL is considered.
Laser can still correct distance vision, but it does not prevent the need for reading glasses. Many people over about 45–50 are offered refractive lens exchange instead, which can treat distance and near vision and prevents cataract later.
About three days for LASIK or SMILE, five to six days for PRK or LASEK, and about five days for ICL or lens replacement, which usually treat one eye at a time.
The same laser platforms are used as in the UK and the rest of Europe. Safety depends on a full examination, correct choice of technique and follow-up. Ask which laser will be used, for copies of your measurements and who checks your eyes after you return home.