Prof. Dr. Mahmut Kaşkaloğlu

Prof. Dr. Mahmut Kaşkaloğlu

Ophthalmologist | Cataract & Refractive Surgery Pioneer | Founder of Kaşkaloğlu Eye Hospital

He is internationally recognized for his work in therapeutic and cosmetic keratopigmentation (eye color change surgery) and serves on the Scientific Committee of the KOLOR International Congress.”

Prof. Dr. Mahmut Kaşkaloğlu is a globally respected ophthalmologist with over 40 years of academic, surgical, and international medical experience. As the founder of the first private eye hospital in İzmir, he has been at the forefront of ophthalmic innovation, particularly in cataract, refractive, and keratopigmentation surgery.

Prof. Dr. Mahmut Kaşkaloğlu

Ophthalmologist | Pioneer in Cataract, Lens Replacement & Refractive Surgery | Keratopigmentation Surgeon | Founder of Kaşkaloğlu Eye Hospital

Prof. Dr. Mahmut Kaşkaloğlu is one of Turkey’s most experienced ophthalmic surgeons, with more than 40 years of clinical and surgical experience and over 30,000 eye surgeries performed throughout his career.

His principal areas of expertise include cataract surgery, lens replacement surgery, refractive lens exchange (RLE), premium intraocular lens implantation, LASIK and other refractive procedures, anterior segment surgery, and keratopigmentation.

Pioneer in Cataract & Lens Replacement Surgery in Turkey

Cataract and intraocular lens surgery have been at the core of Prof. Dr. Kaşkaloğlu’s surgical career for more than four decades.

He performed İzmir’s first intraocular lens implantation in 1984 and was among the early pioneers of modern phacoemulsification cataract surgery in Turkey, introducing the technique to İzmir in 1994.

Over the following decades, he accumulated extensive experience in cataract surgery and lens-based vision correction, including:

• Modern phacoemulsification cataract surgery
• Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE)
• Trifocal and multifocal intraocular lenses
• EDOF (Extended Depth of Focus) lenses
• Toric lenses for astigmatism
• Premium intraocular lens implantation
• Complex cataract and anterior segment surgery
• Lens selection and IOL power calculation

Having performed more than 30,000 ophthalmic surgical procedures, Prof. Dr. Kaşkaloğlu has extensive experience in both routine and complex cataract and lens surgery.

His approach is based not simply on performing surgery, but on selecting the most appropriate procedure and intraocular lens for each individual patient according to their eye anatomy, visual requirements, age, occupation and lifestyle.

Pioneer in Refractive Surgery

Prof. Dr. Kaşkaloğlu has also been closely involved with the development of refractive surgery since its early years.

He founded İzmir’s first laser eye center in 1992 and has extensive experience with successive generations of refractive surgery, from early excimer laser procedures to modern LASIK, Femto-LASIK, PRK, SMILE and SMILE Pro techniques.

This combination of experience in corneal refractive surgery and intraocular lens surgery allows him to evaluate patients from a broader perspective and determine whether laser vision correction, ICL, lens replacement or cataract surgery is the most appropriate option.

Expertise in Keratopigmentation & Eye Color Change Surgery

In addition to his long-standing work in cataract, lens and refractive surgery, Prof. Dr. Kaşkaloğlu has developed particular expertise in therapeutic and cosmetic keratopigmentation.

His experience began with therapeutic procedures for patients with corneal scars, iris defects, traumatic eye injuries and heterochromia, and later expanded to cosmetic eye color change surgery.

Today, he performs FLAAK Pro (Femto Laser Assisted Annular Keratopigmentation) using modern femtosecond laser technology and medical-grade pigments.

He also serves on the Scientific Committee of the KOLOR International Congress, contributing to scientific discussion and education in this highly specialized field.

A Career Extending Far Beyond a Single Procedure

Although Prof. Dr. Kaşkaloğlu is internationally recognized today for his work in keratopigmentation, eye color change surgery represents only one part of a surgical career spanning more than four decades.

His extensive background in cataract surgery, lens replacement, refractive surgery and anterior segment surgery, together with more than 30,000 surgical procedures, forms the foundation of his current ophthalmic practice.

🎓 Academic Excellence & Early Recognition

• Ranked first in İzmir College entrance exams and won a national academic competition in 1967.
• Studied in the U.S. with an AFS scholarship, graduated from İzmir College in 1970, and earned his medical degree from Ege University in 1976.
• Became an associate professor in 1986 and a full professor in 1998.

👁 Pioneer in Ophthalmology

• Introduced modern cataract surgery (phacoemulsification) to İzmir in 1994.
• Performed İzmir’s first intraocular lens implantation (1984) and first vitrectomy surgeries (1988).
• Founded İzmir’s first laser eye center in 1992.
• Authored two influential surgical video atlases in 1990 and 1994.
• Pioneered keratopigmentation surgery for both aesthetic and therapeutic purposes.

🌍 Global Surgical Educator & Innovator

• Invited speaker in the U.S., Japan, Egypt, India, and across Europe.
• Performed live training surgeries in over 10 countries, including Greece, Georgia, and Bosnia.
• Organized the first post-war ophthalmology congress in Sarajevo (1998) and conducted the city’s first modern cataract surgery.
• Led educational sessions at ESCRS and ASCRS annual congresses.

🏆 Awards & International Recognition

• “Best Paper” at ASCRS (2001), “Best of the Show” at AAO (2002).
• Honorary memberships and gold medals from prestigious ophthalmological societies in Bulgaria, India, and Albania.

🌐 Medical Leadership

• Co-founder and current President of the Black Sea Ophthalmological Society (BSOS).
• Founding member and former President of the Southeast European Ophthalmological Society (SEEOS).

🏥 Current Work

Prof. Kaşkaloğlu continues to lead Kaşkaloğlu Eye Hospital alongside his wife, Op. Dr. Selma Kaşkaloğlu, providing world-class care and contributing to international medical tourism — especially from Europe.