Private cataract surgery in the UK costs from about £2,900 per eye for a monofocal lens, £3,796 per eye for an EDOF lens and £4,300 per eye for a multifocal lens in 2026, all-inclusive. The price covers your consultation, biometry scans, the day-case surgery and theatre fee, your chosen intraocular lens, post-op drops and follow-up reviews. See the full breakdown on our cataract surgery cost guide.
How much does private cataract surgery cost by lens?
Cataract surgery replaces the eye's clouded natural lens with a clear intraocular lens (IOL). What you pay depends mainly on the lens you choose. As a 2026 guide, per eye and all-inclusive:
Choosing a premium intraocular lens raises the lens element of the price but not the surgical fee. For a deeper look at specific premium lenses, see our EDOF lens cost and trifocal lens cost guides. For the procedure, recovery and lens detail, see our cataract surgery page.
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Get a personalised quoteWhat's included in the price?
A genuine all-inclusive cataract price should cover:
- Consultant assessment & biometry — the specialist appointment and the scans that measure your eye for the correct lens power.
- The day-case surgery & theatre fee — the operation itself, performed under local anaesthetic drops.
- Your chosen intraocular lens — monofocal, EDOF or multifocal, including toric if you have astigmatism.
- Post-op drops and follow-up reviews — typically at one week and four weeks.
A brief YAG laser capsulotomy, if the lens capsule clouds months or years later, is usually quoted separately — see YAG laser capsulotomy cost.
Is the price per eye or for both eyes?
Cataract prices are almost always quoted per eye, so both eyes are roughly double the single-eye figure. Many patients have both eyes treated within a week of each other, or on the same day where clinically suitable, and a reduced second-eye fee sometimes applies. Always check on your written quote whether it covers one eye or two, and whether your preferred premium lens is included. Comparing a clear-lens option instead? See refractive lens exchange cost.
Private cost vs the NHS
The NHS funds monofocal cataract surgery when a cataract affects your vision, but waiting times are long in many regions — see our NHS cataract waiting times guide. Paying privately buys faster treatment, a choice of premium lenses not offered on the NHS, continuity of consultant care and same-day bilateral surgery where suitable. For a fuller look at consultant-led pricing, read private cataract surgery cost, consultant-led.
How to be treated privately
You do not need a GP referral to pay privately — you can self-refer, choose your consultant and usually be assessed within days. Eye Surgery Clinic provides consultant-led private cataract care and clear written quotes across the South of England; find your nearest clinic location.