Eye Care
Cataract Surgery
Phacoemulsification
The range below blends every method, city, and patient profile, so it can't tell you what you'll actually pay. The rest of this page narrows it down — which method fits, which hospitals serve foreign patients, how the trip works from your country.
Price Range in China
$2,065
≈ ¥14,000
Median across public to mid-tier private
vs. ~$3,500 – $7,000 in United States
Save up to 41%From a price range to your actual decision
We match hospitals to your specific case, deliver itemized English quotes, and outline your visa and trip plan — in one brief, in five working days.
Cataract surgery removes the clouded natural lens and replaces it with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL) to restore clear vision. The primary pricing factors are surgical technique — standard phacoemulsification is most common and affordable, while femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery offers greater precision at higher cost. IOL choice dramatically affects price: basic monofocal lenses are cheapest, while multifocal, extended depth-of-focus (EDOF), or toric IOLs for astigmatism correction cost significantly more. Pricing is per eye, and premium IOLs can add thousands to the base price. China performs more cataract surgeries than any other country, with experienced surgeons and premium IOL options at 50–70% less than US costs.
Methods Available
Prices vary mainly by hospital tier and implant brand. Here's what foreign patients typically pay at each tier:
Public tertiary
¥4,500 – ¥30,000
Monofocal · single distance (still need glasses for reading; cheapest, NHSA-covered) · Multifocal / trifocal (PanOptix / AT LISA tri / FineVision — full glasses-free, accept halos)
Standard phacoemulsification (manual capsulorhexis — proven, most common) · Femtosecond-laser-assisted (FLACS · LenSx/Catalys/Victus — laser capsulorhexis, +¥3-8k)
Lowest cost · longer waits · Chinese signage typical
Mid-tier private
Most common¥7,000 – ¥30,000
Monofocal · single distance (still need glasses for reading; cheapest, NHSA-covered) · Multifocal / trifocal (PanOptix / AT LISA tri / FineVision — full glasses-free, accept halos)
Standard phacoemulsification (manual capsulorhexis — proven, most common) · Femtosecond-laser-assisted (FLACS · LenSx/Catalys/Victus — laser capsulorhexis, +¥3-8k)
Same-day appointments · partial English staff · standard warranty
Premium / International
¥15,000 – ¥38,000
Multifocal / trifocal (PanOptix / AT LISA tri / FineVision — full glasses-free, accept halos) · Monofocal · single distance (still need glasses for reading; cheapest, NHSA-covered)
Femtosecond-laser-assisted (FLACS · LenSx/Catalys/Victus — laser capsulorhexis, +¥3-8k) · Standard phacoemulsification (manual capsulorhexis — proven, most common)
Full English · concierge service · extended warranty
Suitable for
- Visually significant cataract: best-corrected vision drops to ≤0.5 with daytime glare or night-driving difficulty
- Glasses-free goal at all distances → multifocal or trifocal IOL (accept dim-light halos)
- Pre-existing astigmatism ≥1.0D → toric IOL eliminates the need for cylinder glasses post-op
- Healthy retina + clear cornea: combined retinal disease may shift you to monofocal regardless of budget
- Diabetic retinopathy / advanced AMD / unstable glaucoma: surgeon may downgrade IOL type to preserve future treatment options
Visa Tip
Tourist visa (L) sufficient
Hospitals Offering Cataract Surgery(17)
¥4,000 – ¥31,200
(~$590 – $4,602)¥4,000 – ¥31,200
(~$590 – $4,602)¥4,000 – ¥24,000
(~$590 – $3,540)¥4,000 – ¥31,200
(~$590 – $4,602)¥5,000 – ¥12,000
(~$737 – $1,770)¥5,000 – ¥15,000
(~$737 – $2,212)¥5,000 – ¥15,000
(~$737 – $2,212)¥6,000 – ¥18,000
(~$885 – $2,655)¥6,000 – ¥18,000
(~$885 – $2,655)¥6,000 – ¥15,000
(~$885 – $2,212)¥6,000 – ¥30,000
(~$885 – $4,425)¥6,000 – ¥30,000
(~$885 – $4,425)¥6,000 – ¥30,000
(~$885 – $4,425)¥6,000 – ¥30,000
(~$885 – $4,425)¥7,500 – ¥40,000
(~$1,106 – $5,899)¥10,000 – ¥20,000
(~$1,475 – $2,950)¥10,000 – ¥20,000
(~$1,475 – $2,950)Cities offering this procedure
Related procedures
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