Lens replacement surgery in Turkey: two different operations
When laser eye surgery is not the right answer — because you are over about 45 and need reading glasses, because your prescription is very strong, or because your cornea is too thin — the correction is made with a lens inside the eye instead of by reshaping the cornea. Two operations are offered under this heading, and they suit different people:
- Refractive lens exchange (RLE), also called clear lens exchange: the eye's own lens is removed and replaced with an artificial one, in the same way as in cataract surgery. With a trifocal or other multifocal lens it can correct distance, intermediate and near vision at once. It mainly suits people over about 45–50.
- ICL (implantable collamer lens): a thin lens is placed inside the eye, behind the iris and in front of your own lens, which stays in place. Nothing is removed, and the lens can be taken out again. It mainly suits people aged about 21–45 with high short-sightedness.
For laser options — LASIK, SMILE and PRK — and the live hospital price for femto-LASIK, see our main guide to laser eye surgery in Turkey. This page covers the lens-based alternatives.
Trifocal Lens Replacement in Turkey: how it works
- 1Send your photos and questions
Free and without obligation: tell us what you want to change and send a few photos — by form or WhatsApp.
- 2Get a written plan and price
A surgeon reviews your case and you receive a personal plan with the price, usually within 24 hours. Compare hospitals; nothing is paid in advance.
- 3Travel, surgery and aftercare
Airport pick-up, examination, surgery and check-ups in Istanbul, then follow-up with your surgeon after you fly home.
- Within about 2 hours
A coordinator replies in your language by WhatsApp or e-mail.
- Within 24 hours
A surgeon reviews your photos and you receive a written plan with the surgeon's name and the price.
- You decide
Ask anything and take your time — nothing is paid in advance.
Why plan Trifocal Lens Replacement in Turkey with Treat Journey?
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A coordinator in your language answers within hours, arranges transfers and an interpreter, and stays in touch after you fly home.
Refractive lens exchange and trifocal lens replacement
In refractive lens exchange the surgeon makes a tiny incision of about 2–3 mm at the edge of the cornea, opens the thin capsule that holds the lens, breaks the lens up with ultrasound (phacoemulsification) and removes it, then unfolds the new lens inside the capsule. It takes about 15–20 minutes per eye under numbing drops, usually with light sedation, and the two eyes are normally treated on different days. Once the natural lens is replaced, a cataract cannot develop later, because the lens in which it would form is gone.
The choice of artificial lens (intraocular lens) decides what you see afterwards:
| Lens type | What it corrects | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| Monofocal | One distance, usually far; can correct astigmatism in its toric form | Reading glasses needed; fewest night-vision effects |
| Monofocal with monovision | One eye set for distance, the other for near | Some depth perception lost; trialled with contact lenses first |
| EDOF (extended depth of focus) | Distance and intermediate (computer), some near | Glasses often needed for small print; milder halos than trifocal |
| Trifocal / multifocal | Distance, intermediate and near | Halos and glare around lights at night, slightly lower contrast; the brain needs weeks to months to adapt |
Trifocal lens replacement gives the highest chance of not wearing glasses at all, but it is not for everyone: people who drive a lot at night, have other eye disease such as macular problems or glaucoma, or are very demanding about sharpness in dim light are often advised to choose an EDOF or monofocal lens instead. More on lens types is on our pages about intraocular lens implantation and cataract surgery with a multifocal lens.
ICL in Turkey: implantable lenses for high short-sightedness
An ICL is a soft, foldable lens made of a collagen-copolymer material. It is inserted through a 3 mm incision and placed in the space behind the iris, where it is not seen or felt. Toric versions also correct astigmatism. Newer designs have a tiny central opening that lets fluid flow through the lens, so the small laser hole in the iris that older models needed is usually no longer required.
ICL is typically considered for short-sightedness from about −6 to −18 dioptres (exact limits depend on the lens model and its approval in each country), when the cornea is too thin for laser, or when dry eye makes laser less advisable. It needs enough room inside the eye: the depth of the front chamber and the cell count of the inner layer of the cornea (the endothelium) are measured, and if they are below the manufacturer's limits, ICL is not offered.
ICL vs lens replacement vs laser
The main question in ICL vs lens replacement is age and whether your own lens still focuses for near work.
| ICL | Refractive lens exchange | Laser (LASIK / SMILE / PRK) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical age | About 21–45 | About 45 and over | 18 and over |
| Natural lens | Kept | Removed and replaced | Kept |
| Prescription range | High myopia, up to about −18 | High myopia or hyperopia, presbyopia | Low to moderate |
| Reading glasses later | Yes, from the mid-forties | Not with a trifocal lens, in most cases | Yes, from the mid-forties |
| Reversible | Yes, the lens can be removed | Lens can be exchanged, but the natural lens is gone | No |
| Cataract later | Possible, and ICL may make it earlier | Cannot develop | Possible |
| Stay in Turkey | 4–5 days | 5–7 days | 3–6 days |
Laser correction is also possible after lens surgery to fine-tune a small residual prescription, and lens replacement remains possible later in life after ICL, when the ICL is removed at the same time.
Lens replacement surgery cost in Turkey compared with the UK, the US and Germany
The figures below are approximate totals for both eyes, confirmed in a written quote after your examination; they are not live prices. The make and type of lens is the largest single factor.
| Country | Lens replacement with trifocal lenses, both eyes | ICL, both eyes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | about €2,300–€5,000 | about €2,500–€4,500 | Toric (astigmatism) versions cost more; usually includes tests, surgery, lenses, drops and check-ups |
| United Kingdom | about £6,000–£9,000 | about £6,000–£9,000 | Private only; the NHS offers cataract surgery with a standard monofocal lens, not lens replacement for glasses |
| United States | about $8,000–$12,000 | about $8,000–$10,000 | Often quoted per eye |
| Germany | about €5,000–€8,000 | about €5,000–€8,000 | Insurance pays only a standard lens for a medical cataract |
What changes the lens replacement surgery cost in Turkey: the lens brand and type (monofocal, EDOF, trifocal, toric), whether the surgeon uses a femtosecond laser for some steps, the number of check-ups, and the hotel nights between the two eyes. If you have a cataract, say so: cataract surgery is a medical treatment and the plan may differ. Patients comparing with lens replacement surgery in the UK should check whether a UK price is per eye and which lens it includes.
Your trip and recovery
The general trip plan, the package and how to choose a hospital are explained on the main laser eye surgery page and on how it works. What differs for lens surgery:
- Examination: in addition to the laser tests, the length of the eye and the curvature of the cornea are measured to calculate the lens power; for ICL, the chamber depth and endothelial cells. Plan on two to three hours.
- Surgery: one eye first, the second usually one to two days later, after a check of the first.
- Stay: about 5–7 days for lens replacement and 4–5 days for ICL, ending with a check-up before you fly. Flying is generally allowed after that check-up; no gas is used in the eye, unlike in some retinal operations.
Most people see well enough for daily life within a few days. After a trifocal lens, near and intermediate vision keep improving for weeks to months while the brain adapts. Drops are used for about four weeks; avoid rubbing your eyes, swimming for about two weeks and heavy lifting for the first week. Driving is allowed once the surgeon confirms that you meet the legal standard. See our article on flying after surgery for the journey home.
Risks of lens replacement and ICL
Both are operations inside the eye, which carries risks that laser on the surface does not. The Royal College of Ophthalmologists' patient information on cataract surgery — the same operation as lens replacement — describes severe infection inside the eye (endophthalmitis) as rare, at around 1 in 1,000 operations. Other risks to know:
- Clouding behind the lens (posterior capsule opacification): common months or years after lens replacement; treated in a few minutes with a YAG laser.
- Retinal detachment: more likely after lens surgery in highly short-sighted eyes and in younger patients. Sudden flashes, floaters or a shadow in vision need urgent examination.
- Halos, glare and reduced contrast: especially with trifocal lenses; most people adapt, a small number have the lens exchanged.
- Wrong lens power or residual astigmatism: can be fine-tuned with laser or, less often, a lens exchange.
- ICL-specific: raised eye pressure, earlier cataract, loss of endothelial cells over the years (checked at follow-up) and, rarely, the lens needing repositioning or a change of size.
- Swelling and inflammation: usually mild and treated with drops.
Ask for written information about these risks and time to think before you agree, and read our article on how to choose a safe surgeon in Turkey.
Is lens replacement surgery in Turkey right for you? Questions to ask
Lens replacement surgery in Turkey uses the same lens brands and the same equipment as in the UK and the rest of Europe; the result depends on the measurements, the lens choice and the surgeon's experience. Before booking, ask:
- Which lens (brand and model) is proposed, why it suits your eyes and your work, and what the alternative would be.
- Whether you receive copies of the biometry, the lens power calculation and the lens card for each eye.
- How many days pass between the two eyes, and what happens if the first eye needs extra time.
- Who sees you at home for later check-ups, and how a YAG laser or lens adjustment would be arranged.
Send your current prescription, your age and any earlier eye reports. We can then tell you whether refractive lens exchange, ICL or laser is worth considering for your eyes, and the examination in Istanbul confirms it. For all eye treatments, start from the eye surgery overview.
Frequently asked questions
Lens replacement surgery, or refractive lens exchange, removes the eye's natural lens and replaces it with an artificial lens chosen to correct your prescription, in the same way as cataract surgery. With a trifocal lens it can correct distance, intermediate and near vision.
Lens replacement with trifocal lenses in Turkey usually costs about €2,300–€5,000 for both eyes, and ICL about €2,500–€4,500, depending on the lens and the hospital. These are approximate figures; your exact price is written in your quote after the examination.
Private lens replacement in the UK usually costs about £6,000–£9,000 for both eyes with trifocal lenses, often quoted per eye. The NHS offers cataract surgery with a standard lens but not lens replacement to correct glasses.
ICL adds a lens in front of your own lens, which is kept; it suits younger people with high short-sightedness and can be removed. Lens replacement removes your own lens; it suits people over about 45 and also corrects reading vision.
Most surgeons prefer refractive lens exchange from about 45–50, when the natural lens has lost its focusing ability. Younger patients with high prescriptions are usually offered ICL or laser instead, because their own lens still focuses for near.
Most people with trifocal lenses do not need glasses for most tasks, but some use them for very small print or in dim light. Monofocal and EDOF lenses more often need reading glasses.
Many people notice halos or rings around lights at night in the first months. They usually become less noticeable as the brain adapts; a small number of patients have the lens exchanged.
About 5–7 days for lens replacement, because the eyes are operated on different days, and 4–5 days for ICL, with a check-up before you fly.
No. A cataract forms in the natural lens, which is removed. Months or years later the capsule behind the new lens can become cloudy; this is treated quickly with a YAG laser.
It is one of the most common eye operations, but it is surgery inside the eye. Serious infection is rare — around 1 in 1,000 in UK cataract surgery information — and retinal detachment is more likely in highly short-sighted eyes. The examination identifies who is at higher risk.
Yes. An ICL can be removed or exchanged, for example when a cataract develops later and lens replacement is done.