--- title: "Eye surgery abroad: LASIK from £1,100, cataract and lens" description: "Eye surgery abroad costs 50–70% less than UK private clinics — LASIK from £1,100 vs £4,000. Independent UK guide to laser, cataract and lens replacement…" canonical: "https://www.cliniccheck.co.uk/treatments/eye-surgery" format: "text/markdown alternate of the HTML page at canonical" updated: "2026-05" publisher: "cliniccheck — independent UK guide to treatment abroad; not a clinic, takes no bookings" sources: - "https://www.rcophth.ac.uk/" - "https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/laser-eye-surgery-and-lens-surgery/" - "https://www.nice.org.uk/" - "https://www.gmc-uk.org/" - "https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice" --- # Eye Surgery (LASIK & Cataract) abroad Laser vision correction and cataract surgery — short procedures, but equipment, surgeon volume and follow-up vary. UK from £4,000 · abroad from £1,100 · typical saving 65% · stay 2–4 days ## Key facts - LASIK or SMILE in Turkey or Czechia from **£1,100** versus from **£4,000** per eye in UK — saving of 60–65%. - Surgery itself is short (10–20 minutes per eye). The trip is short. The pre-op assessment is what separates good clinics. - Mainstream laser platforms: Zeiss VisuMax (SMILE), Wavelight EX500, Schwind Amaris. Ask which is used. - Surgeons should perform **≥1,000 refractive cases per year**. Refractive surgery is volume-sensitive. - Reputable clinics turn patients away. Thin corneas, high myopia and keratoconus are absolute or relative contraindications; a clinic that accepts everyone is signalling poor patient selection. ## Why people travel for it Refractive eye surgery in the UK is straightforward but expensive — partly because UK private prices include long-term aftercare and replatform guarantees. Treatment in Turkey, Czechia and India can deliver the same surgical outcome at a fraction of the cost, especially at clinics using current-generation laser platforms and surgeons with high-volume experience. Cataract surgery is increasingly travelled-for as NHS waiting lists have grown. The trip is short (2–4 days total) and the procedure is genuinely minor for healthy candidates. ## How it works LASIK creates a thin corneal flap with a femtosecond laser, then reshapes the underlying stroma with an excimer laser. SMILE (Small Incision Lenticule Extraction) avoids the flap entirely, removing a lenticule through a 2–4 mm incision; it suits patients with thinner corneas or dry-eye concerns. PRK / LASEK remove the corneal epithelium and reshape directly — used where LASIK is contraindicated, with a longer recovery. Cataract surgery removes the clouded natural lens and replaces it with an intraocular lens (IOL); monofocal, multifocal and toric IOL options have different visual outcomes. ## Indicative costs | Country | From | Includes | Excludes | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | United Kingdom (private) | £4,000 | Surgeon, laser, pre-op imaging, aftercare drops, 12-month re-treatment if needed | Travel, premium IOL upgrades for cataract | | Turkey (Istanbul) | £1,100 | Surgery, pre-op assessment, drops, hotel partnership | Flights, premium IOL upgrades | | Czechia (Prague) | £1,400 | Surgery, EU-level pre-op assessment, drops, follow-up scheduling | Travel, premium platform upgrades | | India | £1,300 | JCI hospital, surgeon, drops, multi-day stay | Long-haul flights, premium IOL | ## What to verify - The laser platform is named (Zeiss VisuMax, Wavelight EX500, Schwind Amaris are mainstream). - A full pre-op assessment is performed: topography, pachymetry, dry-eye work-up. 20-minute "screenings" are not adequate. - The surgeon performs ≥1,000 cases per year and is on the local medical register. - Realistic candidacy assessment — if you are told you are a candidate without thorough testing, that is the warning sign. - Antibiotic and steroid drops are prescribed in writing with a clear taper schedule. - Follow-up appointments scheduled at day 1, week 1, month 1, month 3 (online review is acceptable for later visits). - A clear policy on re-treatment if outcomes are below target — what is covered, for how long. ## Recovery LASIK and SMILE have rapid recovery; useful vision returns within 24 hours, full visual stability over 4–6 weeks. PRK / LASEK take 4–7 days for epithelium to heal and longer for visual stabilisation. Cataract surgery recovery is similar to LASIK; vision sharpens over 2–4 weeks. No flying within 24 hours, no swimming for 2 weeks, sleep with eye shields for the first week. Dry-eye symptoms are the most common short-term complaint and resolve over 3–6 months. ## UK specifics The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) publishes refractive surgery standards for UK practice. GMC regulates UK ophthalmologists; refractive surgeons abroad sit outside this. NHS will treat post-operative emergencies (infection, retinal detachment) but not elective re-treatment. UK private health insurance typically excludes elective refractive surgery and complications from it. ## Frequently asked questions **Q: How much does eye surgery abroad cost compared to the UK?** A: LASIK or LASEK for both eyes runs £700-£1,400 in Turkey, Czechia, Hungary or Poland against £2,000-£4,000 in the UK. Cataract surgery with a monofocal lens costs £1,000-£1,800 per eye abroad against £2,400-£3,500 privately in the UK, and lens replacement surgery £1,800-£3,200 per eye against £3,000-£5,000. **Q: Where is the best place in Europe for eye surgery?** A: Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Turkey all have established refractive and cataract sectors using the same laser platforms and intraocular lenses as UK clinics. For UK patients the deciding factor is usually follow-up rather than price: refractive surgery needs review at one day, one week and one month, so a two-hour flight is worth more than a small price difference. **Q: Is affordable eye surgery abroad any good?** A: Price is a weak signal on its own. Refractive and cataract surgery are high-volume standardised procedures, and equipment is globally sourced. What separates a good clinic from a poor one is candidate selection - whether they will decline you for thin corneas, keratoconus or unstable refraction - and whether they publish enhancement rates. Ask both questions directly. **Q: How much is laser eye surgery abroad including everything?** A: Budget the procedure fee plus flights, two to four nights of accommodation, the pre-operative assessment if it is charged separately, post-operative drops, and a UK private review at one month. A £900 procedure typically becomes £1,400-£1,800 all in, still well below UK private pricing. **Q: Can I have lens replacement surgery abroad?** A: Yes. Refractive lens exchange and cataract surgery use the same technique, so the same clinics perform both. The decision that matters most is the intraocular lens: monofocal, multifocal, extended depth of focus or toric. Ask exactly which lens model is included in the quote and what the upgrade costs, because this is where quotes most often diverge. **Q: What happens if something goes wrong after I fly home?** A: Identify a UK optometrist or ophthalmologist willing to review you before you travel. The NHS will treat emergencies such as infection or retinal detachment but will not fund elective enhancement or routine post-operative review of surgery arranged privately abroad. **Q: Is laser eye surgery abroad safe?** A: With a current-generation laser platform, a high-volume surgeon, and a thorough pre-op assessment, refractive surgery has excellent safety. The complication rate at well-run clinics is comparable to UK private practice. The risk is concentrated in patients who are poor candidates (thin corneas, keratoconus, high myopia) being accepted for surgery anyway. **Q: Can I have cataract surgery abroad?** A: Yes. With NHS waiting lists for cataract surgery often 12+ months, many UK patients travel. The procedure is standardised; the key question is the IOL (intraocular lens) choice. Monofocal IOLs are the NHS default; multifocal and toric IOLs (for astigmatism) offer wider visual ranges but cost more. Ask which IOLs are included in the quote. **Q: What is the difference between LASIK and SMILE?** A: LASIK creates a corneal flap and reshapes underneath; SMILE removes a small lenticule through a tiny incision without a flap. SMILE may be preferred for thinner corneas, dry-eye-prone patients, or active lifestyles where flap displacement risk matters (e.g. contact sports). Both deliver similar visual outcomes for suitable candidates. **Q: What if my vision is not as expected?** A: Refractive outcomes are predicted, not guaranteed. Most reputable clinics offer free re-treatment within 12 months if measured refraction is significantly off target. Get the re-treatment policy in writing, including who pays for the return flight. A small percentage of patients require glasses for specific tasks (driving at night, reading fine print) even after successful surgery. **Q: Will the NHS treat complications?** A: Yes for emergencies — infection, retinal detachment, severe persistent inflammation. No for elective re-treatment or refractive enhancement. NHS will not fund cataract surgery if you had refractive surgery first that affected the measurement. **Q: Do I need travel insurance?** A: Standard travel insurance does not cover complications from elective eye surgery. Specialist medical-tourism cover is available but excludes "elective" classifications. Read the small print. ## Sources - [Royal College of Ophthalmologists](https://www.rcophth.ac.uk/) - [NHS — Laser eye surgery](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/laser-eye-surgery-and-lens-surgery/) - [NICE — Refractive surgery guidance](https://www.nice.org.uk/) - [General Medical Council](https://www.gmc-uk.org/) - [FCDO travel advice](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice)