Eye surgery + checkup + TCM
One trip to China: your eye surgery, a full health checkup and a TCM consultation
Eye surgery itself is quick, but you stay for the checks: usually the day after surgery and about a week later for a cataract, and about a week after ICL. A full checkup and a TCM consultation in the same hospital system fit into those days, in the same plan and the same quote.
- CNY 12,000–40,000 (≈ USD 1,800–5,950)
- Premium cataract lens in China, per lens, self-pay (Chinese media, 2026)
- CNY 18,000–21,000 (≈ USD 2,700–3,150)
- SMILE on both eyes, Shanghai public tertiary hospitals (Chinese media, 2026)
- CNY 1,500 (≈ USD 220)
- Full health checkup, median of what patients in China report paying (Chinese patient reports, 2025–26)
- CNY 50–100 (≈ USD 7–15)
- TCM outpatient consultation, Beijing public tertiary hospital, by physician grade
1 · Your eye surgery
Cataract surgery or vision correction
Quoted individually from your reports, because there is no official price for foreign patients. For reference, a premium cataract lens costs about CNY 12,000–40,000 (≈ USD 1,800–5,950) per lens in China on top of the surgery fee (Chinese media, 2026), and Shanghai public tertiary hospitals charge CNY 18,000–21,000 (≈ USD 2,700–3,150) for SMILE on both eyes (Chinese media, 2026). Foreign patients pay the full price.
2 · Health checkup
A full checkup in the same trip
Patients in China report paying a median of about CNY 1,500 (≈ USD 220) for a full checkup, mostly CNY 530–4,000 (≈ USD 79–600), and about CNY 4,000 (≈ USD 600) for a high-end or VIP package (Chinese patient reports, 2025–26). It usually takes one morning, and the timing is agreed with your eye surgeon so it does not clash with your checks.
3 · TCM consultation
A TCM consultation alongside your eye care
In China, TCM is part of hospital care and is used alongside medical treatment. A TCM physician reads your tongue and pulse, describes your constitution and may suggest changes to diet, sleep and daily routine. A consultation costs about CNY 50–100 (≈ USD 7–15) depending on the physician’s grade. It is supporting care: it does not replace your eye drops or your surgeon’s instructions, anything near the eyes is agreed with your eye surgeon first, and people respond differently.
Why one trip
You will be waiting between checks anyway
After cataract surgery we plan about 7–10 days for one eye, our estimate from the usual day-1 and week-1 checks, and ICL patients are advised to stay about a week. If the second cataract eye is done 1–2 weeks after the first, the stay is longer. Those days can hold a checkup and a TCM visit, booked in the same hospital system under one plan and one quote.
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 your package quote works
- 1
1. Tell us about your eyes
Describe your diagnosis or prescription and your history. You can send eye reports when we follow up.
- 2
2. Choose your extras
Pick a checkup tier and whether to add a TCM consultation. Not sure? We suggest one.
- 3
3. Get one quote
Your eye surgery itemised, the checkup tier, the TCM visit, and a timeline built around your checks after surgery.
- 4
4. Decide at your own pace
Nothing is charged now. If we can’t help with your case, we’ll tell you.
Common questions
Which eye surgery is right for my prescription?
That is decided by an eye surgeon after tests of your eyes, not by the prescription alone. Laser procedures such as SMILE and LASIK reshape the cornea, while ICL places a lens inside the eye, and the measurements before surgery show which options suit you. Send your current prescription and any eye reports, and a Chinese ophthalmologist will say which procedures they would consider before you plan any travel.
At what age should cataract surgery be considered?
Age alone does not settle it. Whether and when to operate depends on how the cataract affects your sight and on the health of your eyes and your body, which the surgeon assesses before surgery. That is one reason this package includes a full checkup. Send your reports and a Chinese ophthalmologist will tell you whether surgery suits you before you book anything.
What is the recovery like after eye surgery?
It depends on the procedure. After cataract surgery, surgeons usually check the eye the day after and about a week later, and the NHS says drops are used for about 4 weeks. After LASIK or SMILE, most people are fit to fly from 24 hours after treatment, once the day-1 check is done, with Chinese clinics usually scheduling checks at week 1, month 1 and month 3. After ICL, clinics advise staying about a week. Later checks can usually be done by an optometrist or ophthalmologist at home, using the records we translate for you.
USD amounts converted at about CNY 6.70 per USD (2026-10-07), for reference only. Foreign patients pay the full listed price.