Eye surgery in India: cataract, LASIK and retina treatment

Commonly treated: Cataract, refractive error, retinal detachment, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma
Cataract surgery: About 15 minutes, awake, usually day care, one eye at a time
LASIK: Both eyes in one session, most people see well the next day
Urgent, do not travel for: Sudden loss of vision, curtain across vision, flashes and floaters
Cost: Not on our partner price list, so we publish no figure. Written estimate instead
First step: An ophthalmologist reviews your reports and scans on video, free

What should not wait for a flight

Go to an eye department where you are, today, if you have any of these: sudden loss of vision in one eye; a curtain or shadow moving across your vision; a sudden shower of new floaters or flashes of light; severe eye pain with a red eye and haloes around lights; or sudden double vision. Retinal detachment and acute glaucoma are measured in hours and days, not weeks. Vision lost to a delayed detachment does not come back, and no hospital anywhere can restore it later. Arrange the emergency locally first, then talk to us about what follows.

Everything else on this page is planned surgery, where taking time to get a good opinion costs you nothing.

Cataract surgery

A cataract is the eye's natural lens becoming cloudy with age. The operation removes it and puts a clear artificial lens in its place, through an incision small enough not to need stitches. It takes roughly fifteen minutes, you are awake with the eye numbed, and most people go home the same day and notice a difference within a day or two.

The decision that costs money is the lens, not the surgery. There are three broad choices, and the marketing around them is heavy.

Monofocal. Focuses at one distance, usually far. You wear reading glasses afterwards. It gives the crispest, most reliable image and it is the least expensive.
Multifocal or trifocal. Aims to give distance and near vision without glasses. It works well for many people, and a minority notice haloes and glare around lights at night, which matters if you drive after dark.
Toric. Corrects astigmatism, and can be combined with either of the above.

Ask the surgeon which lens they would choose for themselves given your eyes and what you do all day, and ask specifically about night driving before agreeing to a multifocal. A premium lens is a genuine benefit for some people and an expensive source of glare for others.

LASIK and laser vision correction

Laser correction reshapes the cornea so that light focuses correctly without glasses. Both eyes are usually treated in one session lasting a few minutes, and most people see well enough to function the following day.

Not everyone is a candidate, and the screening matters more than the laser. Corneas that are too thin, a prescription that is still changing, dry eye, or an irregular corneal shape can all rule it out or point towards a different technique such as surface ablation or a lens implant. A clinic that screens you properly and then declines to operate has done you a service.

Realistic expectations: most people achieve driving-standard vision without glasses. Dry eye for some months afterwards is common. Reading glasses will still arrive with age, because laser correction does not stop the lens stiffening in your forties and fifties.

Retina and diabetic eye disease

The retina is the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye, and its problems are the ones that carry the real risk of permanent sight loss.

Retinal detachment needs surgery urgently. The longer the retina is detached, and particularly once the central vision is involved, the less sight is recovered.
Diabetic retinopathy damages the retina's blood vessels over years of diabetes. It is treated with laser, with injections into the eye, or with surgery in advanced cases. Crucially, it causes no symptoms until it is advanced, which is why anyone with diabetes needs a dilated retinal examination every year whether or not their vision seems fine.
Macular degeneration affects central vision with age, and the wet form is treated with a course of injections that must continue on schedule to work.

If you have diabetes and have never had your retinas examined, that examination is worth more than any surgery on this page. See diabetes and endocrine care for the wider picture.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma damages the optic nerve, usually through raised pressure inside the eye, and it takes peripheral vision first, so quietly that most people do not notice until a great deal is gone. Vision already lost cannot be restored; treatment protects what remains. That is the whole logic of treating it, and it is why drops, laser or surgery are worth continuing even when nothing feels wrong.

Why there is no price table on this page. This treatment is not on the partner-hospital price list we publish from, and we will not put an invented figure on a medical page to fill the gap. Ask at the consultation and you will be given a written estimate for your own case instead. Everything we do publish comes from that list and is dated.

When you get an estimate for cataract surgery, ask for it per eye and ask which lens the figure assumes, because the lens is the largest variable and a quote for a basic monofocal is not comparable to one for a trifocal.

Questions patients ask

How much does cataract surgery cost in India?

We do not publish a figure, because eye surgery is not on the partner-hospital price list this site quotes from and we will not invent one. You will get a written estimate after a consultation. Ask for it per eye and check which type of lens it assumes, since the lens is the biggest variable in the total.

How long does cataract surgery take?

The operation itself takes roughly fifteen minutes per eye. You are awake with the eye numbed by drops or an injection, and most people go home the same day. Vision usually improves within a day or two, with the final result settling over a few weeks.

Which lens should I choose for cataract surgery?

A monofocal lens gives the crispest, most reliable vision at one distance and you wear reading glasses afterwards. Multifocal and trifocal lenses reduce dependence on glasses but a minority of people see haloes and glare at night. If you drive after dark, raise that specifically. Toric lenses correct astigmatism and combine with either.

Am I suitable for LASIK?

Not everyone is. Corneas that are too thin, a prescription still changing, significant dry eye or an irregular corneal shape can rule it out or point to a different technique. The screening matters more than the laser, and a clinic that declines to operate after screening you properly is doing the right thing.

Will I still need glasses after laser eye surgery?

Most people reach driving-standard distance vision without glasses. Reading glasses still arrive with age, because laser correction reshapes the cornea and does not prevent the eye's lens stiffening in your forties and fifties. Anyone promising you will never need glasses again is overselling.

I have diabetes. How often should my eyes be checked?

At least once a year, with the pupils dilated, whether or not your vision seems fine. Diabetic retinopathy causes no symptoms until it is advanced, and treatment works far better before symptoms appear than after. This is the single most valuable eye appointment most people with diabetes can make.

My vision suddenly went dark on one side. Should I book a flight to India?

No. Go to an eye department where you are, today. A curtain or shadow across your vision can mean a retinal detachment, which is measured in hours and days. Sight lost to a delayed detachment does not come back. Deal with the emergency locally, then talk to us about what comes next.