Cataract and vision correction surgery in China
Cataract surgery with premium lenses at a Chinese hospital, after national lens price cuts
For people in the US, UK, Canada and Australia weighing a cataract operation, a premium lens or laser vision correction. China’s 2023 national lens procurement cut the average price of an intraocular lens by 60%: one trifocal lens fell from about CNY 23,000 (≈ USD 3,450) to CNY 8,900 (≈ USD 1,350) or more, and one EDOF lens from about CNY 11,000 (≈ USD 1,650) to CNY 3,500 (≈ USD 520) or more. In Beijing, the insurance payment standard for one eye of cataract surgery at a tertiary hospital is CNY 5,150 (≈ USD 770), but that figure applies to insured residents with a standard lens. Foreign patients pay the full price without Chinese insurance, so every quote is individual.
- 60%
- Average intraocular lens price cut in China’s 2023 national procurement (People’s Daily, 2023)
- from CNY 8,900 (≈ USD 1,350)
- One trifocal lens after the 2023 procurement, per lens (was about CNY 23,000; Chinese financial media, 2023)
- 3,000+
- Cataract operations per million people in China, end of 2020; the 2030 target is over 4,000 (national health plan)
- GBP 2,839
- UK private cataract surgery, average package price per eye, Liverpool (PHIN, 2025)
Cataract surgery, published prices per eye (sources: official data, insurer, clinic and broker pages, 2023–26; China: insurance payment standard 2020 and Chinese media 2023–26)
| Where | Price per eye | What it covers (source type, year) |
|---|---|---|
| USA, self-pay | USD 3,500–5,000 monofocal; USD 6,000–10,000 multifocal or EDOF | Typical advertised ranges by lens type (price guide, 2026) |
| USA, Medicare | Standard lens covered | Patient pays the difference for toric or multifocal lenses and the extra tests (guide, 2026) |
| UK private | GBP 2,635–3,295 (average GBP 2,839) | Package prices in Liverpool; first consultation GBP 100–300 extra (PHIN, 2025) |
| UK private, lens surgery list price | GBP 2,995 monofocal; GBP 3,450 multifocal | Includes consultation and aftercare until discharge (clinic price list, 2026) |
| Canada private | CAD 3,000–5,000 standard; CAD 4,000–6,000 laser or advanced lens | No public cover; with public cover, premium lenses cost CAD 1,500–4,000 extra (guides, 2025–26) |
| Australia, self-funded | AUD 4,000–6,000 | Estimates from the government cost finder and two insurers; public patients pay nothing (comparison site, 2026) |
| Thailand (Bangkok) | THB 69,000 monofocal; THB 119,000 multifocal | Regular package prices excluding screening and follow-up; promotions are for residents (hospital page, 2026) |
| India | INR 15,000–60,000 monofocal | Premium lenses add INR 30,000–100,000 (clinic page, 2025) |
| Turkey (Istanbul) | USD 2,200–3,800 with a multifocal lens | Advertised range (broker, 2025–26) |
| South Korea | USD 3,404–4,770 with a multifocal lens | Advertised average range (broker, 2025) |
| China, Beijing insurance payment standard | CNY 5,150 (≈ USD 770) | Whole episode with a standard lens at a tertiary hospital, for insured residents only; not a price for foreign patients (Beijing Healthcare Security Bureau, 2020) |
| China, premium lens | CNY 12,000–40,000 (≈ USD 1,800–5,950) per lens | Trifocal, EDOF or toric lens, self-pay even for local patients, on top of a surgery fee of about CNY 2,500–4,000 (≈ USD 370–600) (Chinese media, 2026) |
| China, foreign patients | Quoted individually | Full price without Chinese insurance; international departments charge more |
United States
The standard lens is covered, the premium lens is not
Medicare covers cataract surgery with a standard monofocal lens. If you choose a toric or multifocal lens, you pay the difference and the extra tests yourself. Self-pay prices in US guides run from about USD 3,500–5,000 per eye with a monofocal lens to USD 6,000–10,000 with a multifocal or EDOF lens (2026).
United Kingdom
A monofocal lens on the NHS, or about GBP 2,800 an eye privately
Cataract surgery is a standard NHS treatment, and in practice NHS operations use monofocal lenses; funding for multifocal lenses is decided locally. Privately, PHIN lists package prices of GBP 2,635–3,295 per eye in Liverpool, with an average of GBP 2,839 (2025).
Canada & Australia
Premium lenses are paid out of pocket
Provincial plans in Canada cover medically necessary surgery with a standard lens, while premium lenses and laser-assisted surgery cost CAD 1,500–4,000 extra per eye. In Australia, public patients pay nothing, and self-funded surgery costs about AUD 4,000–6,000 per eye (2026).
Why China
National procurement cut the price of the lens itself
China’s fourth national procurement of high-value medical consumables opened on 30 November 2023 and cut the average price of an intraocular lens by 60%, with reduced prices reaching patients from May–June 2024. Reported examples: one trifocal lens from about CNY 23,000 (≈ USD 3,450) to CNY 8,900 (≈ USD 1,350) or more, one EDOF lens from about CNY 11,000 (≈ USD 1,650) to CNY 3,500 (≈ USD 520) or more, and a domestic monofocal lens from about CNY 2,500 (≈ USD 370) to about CNY 800 (≈ USD 120) (Chinese financial media, 2023). Hospitals add the surgery fee and tests, and as a foreign patient you pay the full price, so we get an individual quote for your case.
Scale
Cataract and laser eye surgery at very large volume
China performed over 3,000 cataract operations per million people by the end of 2020, double the 2015 rate, and its 2026–2030 eye-health plan targets over 4,000. For vision correction, Chinese financial media reported over 3 million myopia operations in 2024, and the maker of the SMILE laser said in 2023 that China accounts for more than half of all SMILE procedures worldwide. These are reports citing industry, not official statistics.
Plan for the recovery
A short stay, with checks before you fly
The American Academy of Ophthalmology says there is generally no restriction on air travel after cataract surgery, and UK aviation guidance accepts fitness to fly from 24 hours after cataract or corneal laser surgery in uncomplicated cases. Surgeons usually want to see you the day after surgery and about a week later, so we plan about 7–10 days in China for one cataract eye. That is our estimate, not a published figure, and your surgeon sets the date.
We handle the China part
An English-speaking coordinator from airport to aftercare
We book the hospital, meet you at the airport, arrange a hotel near the hospital, put an interpreter beside you at every appointment, help with WeChat and Alipay payment, translate your reports into English and stay in touch for follow-up after you fly home.
How an eye surgery trip to China works
- 1
1. Tell us about your eyes from home
Send your diagnosis, your current prescription, any recent eye reports and a list of your conditions and medicines. A Chinese ophthalmologist reviews them, and we send you an individual quote with what it includes.
- 2
2. Pre-operative tests in China
Eye measurements and a consultation confirm that surgery suits you and settle the procedure and, for cataract, the lens. In China, cataract surgery is usually done as a day case: tests as an outpatient, then admission and discharge within 24 hours.
- 3
3. Surgery and the first checks
Expect a check the day after surgery and another about a week later. Chinese hospitals usually schedule later cataract follow-ups at 1 month and 3 months.
- 4
4. Fly home with your records
Once your surgeon is happy, you fly home with your records in English, including the lens details or treatment data your own optometrist or ophthalmologist will need for later checks.
Common questions
Can you choose which lens you get in cataract surgery?
Yes, you can discuss it, and the surgeon recommends a lens after measuring your eye. The main types are a monofocal lens, which gives clear vision at one distance, usually far, so most people still use glasses for reading; a toric lens, which also corrects astigmatism; and multifocal (including trifocal) or EDOF lenses, which are designed to cover more than one distance. Whether a premium lens suits you depends on the health of your eye and how you use your vision, so ask the surgeon why they recommend one over another. Price differs a lot: in China, a trifocal, EDOF or toric lens costs about CNY 12,000–40,000 (≈ USD 1,800–5,950) per lens and is self-pay even for local patients, although the 2023 national procurement brought some named lenses down sharply, for example one trifocal lens from about CNY 23,000 (≈ USD 3,450) to CNY 8,900 (≈ USD 1,350) or more.
How much does cataract surgery cost per eye?
It depends on the country and the lens. Published examples per eye: USD 3,500–5,000 self-pay in the US with a monofocal lens and USD 6,000–10,000 with a multifocal or EDOF lens (guide, 2026); an average package price of GBP 2,839 in Liverpool (PHIN, 2025); CAD 3,000–5,000 privately in Canada; and about AUD 4,000–6,000 self-funded in Australia. In China, the Beijing insurance payment standard for one eye at a tertiary hospital is CNY 5,150 (≈ USD 770), but that applies to insured residents with a standard lens. Foreign patients pay the full price, and a premium lens adds about CNY 12,000–40,000 (≈ USD 1,800–5,950), so we quote each case individually. Always ask whether tests, the lens and follow-up visits are included.
Will you still need reading glasses after cataract surgery?
It depends mainly on the lens and on how it is set. A monofocal lens is usually set for distance, so most people still need glasses for reading. Some people who are used to being short-sighted ask for a setting that keeps them able to read without glasses. Multifocal and EDOF lenses are designed to reduce the need for glasses at more than one distance, but they cost more and do not suit every eye. Your surgeon explains what to expect for your eyes; nobody can promise a result before the measurements.
What are the risks and complications of cataract surgery?
Like any operation, cataract surgery has risks, and the surgeon who examines you is the right person to explain them for your eyes, including any other eye condition you have. What you can check before you travel is the plan around the operation: who operates, which lens is used, when the checks are (usually the day after surgery and about a week later) and how long you will use eye drops, which in the NHS is about 4 weeks. You leave China with your records in English, so a doctor at home can see exactly what was done.
Are there long-term side effects of laser vision correction?
Every laser or lens procedure for vision correction has risks and side effects, and whether you are a suitable candidate is decided by tests of your eyes before surgery. Ask the surgeon which procedure they recommend for your prescription and why, what the follow-up schedule is (in Chinese clinics usually day 1, week 1, month 1 and month 3) and what happens if you need further treatment. Keep your records: the American Academy of Ophthalmology advises keeping your refraction and corneal measurements from before and after laser surgery, because they help calculate a lens if you need cataract surgery later in life.
Complete package
Make the trip count: eye surgery + health checkup + TCM
You stay in China for the checks after eye surgery anyway. The same days can include a full health checkup and a TCM consultation, at public-hospital prices. We plan and quote all three together.
- Your cataract or vision correction surgery, quoted individually
- Health checkup about CNY 1,500 (≈ USD 220)
- TCM consultation from CNY 50 (≈ USD 7)
USD amounts converted at about CNY 6.70 per USD (2026-10-07), for reference only. Foreign patients pay the full listed price.