--- title: "Laser eye surgery in Turkey: LASIK, SMILE and PRK costs" description: "LASIK in Turkey costs £600–£1,000 per eye versus £1,500–£3,000 in the UK. A complete guide to laser eye surgery abroad — which procedure, which clinics, and…" canonical: "https://www.cliniccheck.co.uk/blog/laser-eye-surgery-turkey-uk-guide" format: "text/markdown alternate of the HTML page at canonical" category: "Eye Surgery" published: "2026-05-19" updated: "2026-05-19" author: "cliniccheck editorial team" publisher: "cliniccheck — independent UK guide to treatment abroad; not a clinic, takes no bookings" sources: - "https://www.rcophth.ac.uk/" - "https://www.escrs.org/" - "https://www.zeiss.com/meditec/" --- # Laser eye surgery in Turkey: LASIK, SMILE and PRK costs for UK patients (2026) LASIK in Turkey costs £600–£1,000 per eye versus £1,500–£3,000 in the UK. A complete guide to laser eye surgery abroad — which procedure, which clinics, and what the risks actually are. ## Key facts - LASIK in Turkey costs £600–£1,000 per eye vs £1,500–£2,500 in the UK — saving of £1,800–£4,000 for both eyes. - SMILE requires a Zeiss VisuMax laser; verify the exact machine before booking. - The pre-op assessment should take 90–120 minutes and include topography, pachymetry, and dry-eye work-up. - Most patients can fly home 24–48 hours after LASIK; PRK recovery requires 5–7 days in-country. Laser eye surgery is one of the safest and most effective elective procedures available, with more than 40 million procedures performed worldwide. For UK patients, Turkey offers the same laser platforms, the same procedure quality, and significant price savings. This guide explains what you need to know. ### Laser eye surgery costs in Turkey vs UK LASIK (Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis) costs between **£600 and £1,000 per eye** at reputable Turkish eye clinics. SMILE (Small Incision Lenticule Extraction) costs **£800–£1,200 per eye**. PRK/LASEK (surface treatments) cost **£500–£900 per eye**. Compare that to UK private practice: LASIK at **£1,500–£2,500 per eye**, SMILE at **£2,000–£3,000 per eye**. For both eyes, the typical Turkey saving is **£2,000–£4,000** after travel costs. ### Which procedure is right for you? **LASIK** is the most widely performed refractive surgery worldwide. A flap is created in the cornea (with a femtosecond laser), the underlying stroma is reshaped with an excimer laser, and the flap is repositioned. Recovery is fast — most patients see well within 24 hours. Not suitable for thin corneas or patients with certain corneal irregularities. **SMILE** (VisuMax, Zeiss) is a newer, flapless technique. A small lenticule of corneal tissue is created and removed through a 2–3mm incision. No flap = less dry eye risk, faster biomechanical recovery, suitable for contact sport athletes. Currently approved for myopia and astigmatism only (not hyperopia). Recovery is slightly slower than LASIK in the first 2 weeks. **PRK/LASEK/TransPRK** is a surface treatment without a flap or incision. Longer recovery (3–4 weeks until useful vision), more discomfort, but suitable for thin corneas and high-contact professions. Long-term outcomes equivalent to LASIK. **PRESBYOND (laser blended vision)** is for patients over 40 who want freedom from reading glasses as well as distance correction. Available at specialist centres in Turkey. ### Laser platforms used in Turkey The laser platform used is central to outcomes. Ask your clinic explicitly what machines they use: - **Zeiss VisuMax** + **Zeiss MEL 90**: used for SMILE; the VisuMax is the only platform licensed for SMILE globally. A clinic offering "SMILE" without a Zeiss VisuMax is not performing genuine SMILE. - **Alcon WaveLight EX500 / FS200**: the fastest excimer laser; widely used for LASIK in Turkey. One of the gold-standard LASIK platforms. - **Schwind Amaris 1050RS**: German excimer platform; excellent outcomes data, fast. - **Abbott (J&J) iDesign / iFS**: US platform, used in some Istanbul centres. Older excimer platforms (VISX Star from 2010 or earlier) still produce good results but ask why the clinic has not upgraded. ### The pre-operative assessment This is the most important part of the process. A proper pre-operative assessment should include: - Corneal topography and tomography (Pentacam, Orbscan or equivalent) — maps the corneal surface and thickness. - Pachymetry (corneal thickness measurement) — determines candidacy and treatment depth. - Dry-eye work-up: Schirmer's test, OSDI questionnaire, tear-film assessment. - Pupil size under dim lighting (relevant to LASIK night-vision outcomes). - Full manifest and cycloplegic refraction. A "free screening" that takes 15 minutes is not adequate. A proper assessment takes 90–120 minutes. If a Turkish clinic offers same-day assessment and surgery, ensure the assessment was thorough — not a checkbox exercise. ### Choosing a laser eye surgery clinic in Turkey Istanbul has several world-class refractive surgery centres. Look for: - An ophthalmologist specialising in refractive surgery, not a general ophthalmologist doing occasional LASIK. - Surgeon volume: ideally 500+ refractive cases per year. At this volume, the surgeon's pattern recognition for rare complications is significantly better. - Technology: femtosecond laser for flap creation (not a microkeratome blade) for LASIK; genuine VisuMax for SMILE. - Clear candidacy criteria: a good clinic will turn you away if you are not a candidate. A clinic that never turns anyone away is not being honest. - Written exclusion criteria and realistic discussion of expected outcome range. ### Recovery and flying home LASIK: most patients can fly home 24–48 hours after surgery. Vision is functional the same day; driving is typically allowed after the 1-day check. SMILE: fly home after the 1-day check; some visual fluctuation for 1–2 weeks. PRK: fly home after 5–7 days; recovery is longer. Carry prescription eye drops in hand luggage. Avoid swimming for 2 weeks (LASIK) or 4 weeks (PRK). No contact sport for 4 weeks (LASIK) or 1 week (SMILE). ### Is Turkey safe for laser eye surgery? At a specialist centre with a qualified refractive surgeon and modern equipment, yes. Laser eye surgery has one of the highest safety profiles of any elective procedure — the published serious complication rate at specialist centres is under 1%. The risks in Turkey are the same as in the UK, calibrated by surgeon experience and equipment quality. Do your assessment, ask about the equipment, and check the surgeon is a specialist. ### Red flags - Same-day assessment and surgery with no separate consultation. - "SMILE" offered without a Zeiss VisuMax laser. - Price per eye without a per-eye breakdown (sometimes clinics quote per-pair only to obscure monocular pricing). - Surgeon doing general ophthalmology and refractive surgery without specialisation. - "Lifetime guarantee" — ask what this actually covers. Re-treatment for regression is standard; it does not cover complications. ## Frequently asked questions **Q: How much does laser eye surgery cost in Turkey?** A: LASIK is £600–£1,000 per eye, SMILE £800–£1,200 and PRK/LASEK £500–£900. UK private practice charges £1,500–£2,500 for LASIK and £2,000–£3,000 for SMILE. For both eyes the typical saving after travel is £2,000–£4,000. **Q: Which laser procedure is right for me?** A: LASIK is the most widely performed and recovers fastest, with most patients seeing well within 24 hours, but it is unsuitable for thin corneas. SMILE is flapless, carries less dry-eye risk and suits contact-sport athletes, though it is approved for myopia and astigmatism only. PRK/LASEK avoids a flap entirely and suits thin corneas and high-contact professions, at the cost of 3–4 weeks to useful vision. PRESBYOND targets over-40s who also want freedom from reading glasses. **Q: How do I know a clinic is really performing SMILE?** A: The Zeiss VisuMax is the only platform licensed for SMILE anywhere in the world. A clinic advertising SMILE without a VisuMax is not performing genuine SMILE. For LASIK, ask which excimer platform they use — Alcon WaveLight EX500/FS200 and Schwind Amaris 1050RS are current gold standards, and a clinic still on a pre-2010 VISX Star should be asked why it has not upgraded. **Q: What should a proper pre-operative assessment include?** A: Corneal topography and tomography, pachymetry, a dry-eye work-up including Schirmer's test and tear-film assessment, pupil size under dim lighting, and full manifest and cycloplegic refraction. It should take 90–120 minutes. A 15-minute "free screening" is not an adequate assessment, and a clinic that never turns anyone away is not being honest about candidacy. **Q: How soon can I fly home after laser eye surgery?** A: Most LASIK patients can fly 24–48 hours afterwards. PRK is slower and needs 5–7 days in country, because surface treatments take 3–4 weeks to reach useful vision and the early days are the uncomfortable ones. ## Sources - [Royal College of Ophthalmologists — refractive surgery guidance](https://www.rcophth.ac.uk/) - [European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons](https://www.escrs.org/) - [Zeiss VisuMax SMILE platform data](https://www.zeiss.com/meditec/)