Prof. Banu Coşar, MD

Prof. Banu Coşar, MD is an ophthalmologist at Acibadem Maslak Hospital in İstanbul, where she practises in the Ophthalmology unit. She sees both adults and children, and her areas of expertise cover adult and paediatric eye diseases, cataract, presbyopia, myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, keratoconus, corneal transplantation, smart lens procedures, laser eye applications and blepharoplasty. She has more than 43 years in medicine and consults in Turkish and English.

Dr. Coşar studied at Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine between 1990 and 1996 and completed her ophthalmology training at Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital in 2000. In 2001 she undertook Cornea Service Advanced Specialty Training at Jefferson University Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, USA. From 2001 to 2007 she served as Chief Assistant at Haydarpaşa Numune Training and Research Hospital, and from 2003 to 2007 she worked at Acıbadem Eye Center. She is a member of the Türk Oftalmoloji Association Kornea Birimi, the Turkish Ophthalmological Association Cataract and Refractive Surgery Unit, the Türk Oftalmoloji Association Kontak Lens Birimi, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons and the Europen Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons. Her published work includes studies on corneal biomechanics, intraocular pressure after laser in situ keratomileusis for myopia, keratoplasty techniques and the treatment of mixed astigmatism with excimer lasers.

Clinical focus

Much of Dr. Coşar’s work concerns the cornea and the lens of the eye. She evaluates and treats refractive errors, including myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism, and offers laser eye applications where these are appropriate for the individual patient. For age-related loss of near focus, she assesses presbyopia and discusses options that may include smart lens procedures. She also performs cataract surgery.

Her corneal practice includes the diagnosis and management of keratoconus and corneal transplantation. In addition, she performs blepharoplasty, an eyelid procedure that may be considered for functional or aesthetic reasons. Paediatric eye diseases form a further part of her practice, and children are examined and managed according to their age and clinical findings. The choice of any procedure depends on the examination results, and not every option is suitable for every patient.

How Dr. Coşar works with international patients

Dr. Coşar consults in Turkish and English, and interpreters can be arranged for other languages. Before a visit, the Acibadem international patient team coordinates the collection of prior reports and imaging, arranges appointments and organises the hospital visit. A first consultation typically covers the patient’s history and symptoms, a review of existing imaging and previous treatments, a clinical examination and a discussion of the options. Video consultation is available for international patients who wish to discuss their case with Dr. Coşar before deciding whether to travel.