Private cataract surgery for Croydon patients costs from £2,900 per eye with a monofocal lens, £3,400 with a toric lens, £3,796 with an EDOF lens and £4,300 with a multifocal lens in 2026. Each price is all-inclusive: consultant assessment, optical biometry, the operation, theatre and hospital fees, your chosen intraocular lens, post-operative drops and both follow-up reviews. Croydon patients are often quoted noticeably more in central London for identical lenses, so it is worth comparing on a like-for-like basis rather than on the headline figure.
Cataract surgery prices for Croydon patients in 2026
Cataract surgery is priced per eye. The surgical technique does not change with the price — it is phacoemulsification through a self-sealing 2.2–2.8mm incision, under anaesthetic drops, in around 15 to 25 minutes. What you are paying more or less for is the intraocular lens (IOL) that replaces your clouded natural lens, and how much of your focusing range it gives back.
- Monofocal IOL — £2,900 per eye. A single focal point, usually set for distance. Sharp far vision; reading glasses still required.
- Toric IOL — from £3,400 per eye. Neutralises corneal astigmatism during the same operation, which monofocal lenses cannot do.
- EDOF IOL — £3,796 per eye. Extended depth of focus — one elongated range of clear vision covering distance and intermediate, well suited to driving and screen work.
- Multifocal / trifocal IOL — £4,300 per eye. Separate near, intermediate and distance focal points and the best prospect of doing without glasses altogether.
If both eyes need treating, the cost is simply two procedures at your chosen lens price. Our both-eyes cataract surgery cost guide covers how the two operations are staged, and the second eye cost guide explains what changes the second time around. For a direct comparison with central London quoting, see private cataract surgery cost in London.
Comparing quotes across South London? Bring them to your consultation. We will tell you plainly what each one does and does not include, and whether the lens being offered is right for your eye.
Book a cataract assessmentWhat the price includes — and what to check
An all-inclusive quote should leave nothing further to pay for routine care. Ours covers:
- Consultant ophthalmologist assessment and slit-lamp examination
- Optical biometry to calculate your intraocular lens power
- The surgery, theatre, anaesthetic and hospital fees
- Your chosen IOL, including premium lenses
- Post-operative anti-inflammatory and antibiotic drops
- One-week and four-week review appointments with your surgeon
Unbundled pricing is the single biggest reason two quotes that look similar end up hundreds of pounds apart. Some London providers advertise a low per-eye figure and then charge separately for the initial consultation, the biometry scans, the drops, or reviews with anyone other than an optometrist. Ask for the total cost of your care in writing. The one item that genuinely falls outside most packages is YAG laser capsulotomy — a two-minute outpatient laser for posterior capsule opacification, which affects roughly one in five patients within five years and costs about £550 for one eye or £700 for both.
Choosing your lens
The intraocular lens stays in your eye for life, so it is the decision worth slowing down for. Your consultant will weigh three things: the anatomy and health of your eye (including the macula and cornea), your current prescription and astigmatism, and the way you actually use your vision — commuting, reading, screens, sport, night driving.
To understand how each lens family behaves in real life, read monofocal vs multifocal cataract lenses and trifocal vs EDOF — which is better? Whether the premium upgrade is money well spent is addressed honestly in are premium cataract lenses worth the extra cost?
NHS waits in South London vs private treatment
Cataract surgery is available on the NHS in Croydon and across South London, and it is a good service. The NHS funds monofocal lenses, which restore excellent distance vision at no cost, and for plenty of patients that is the sensible choice. What you are buying privately is time, lens choice and continuity.
NHS England works to an 18-week referral-to-treatment standard, but cataract pathways in many areas have been running longer, and local referral criteria typically require your measured vision to fall below a defined threshold before you are listed at all. That is why patients are frequently told their cataract is "not bad enough yet" even though it is already interfering with driving or reading. Going private removes the threshold and the queue: no GP referral needed, and typically one to six weeks from assessment to surgery.
You also keep one named consultant from first assessment through to final review, and you get access to EDOF, multifocal and toric lenses that are not routinely NHS-funded. Whether that is worth the money is a personal judgement — we set out both sides in is private cataract surgery worth it? If cost is the sticking point, it is also worth checking whether the NHS right to choose gets you a shorter wait without paying at all.
Where driving is the trigger — glare on the A23 at night, or a licence renewal coming up — our guide to cataract surgery and DVLA eyesight requirements explains the legal standard and when surgery is the answer.
Insurance and 0% finance
Most major UK insurers recognise private cataract surgery where it is clinically indicated, including Bupa, AXA Health, Aviva, Vitality, Cigna and WPA. Cover for premium lenses varies — many policies fund the procedure with a standard monofocal lens and ask you to pay only the difference if you upgrade to EDOF or multifocal. We handle pre-authorisation on your behalf; see insured patients, plus Vitality and Aviva cataract cover for policy-specific detail.
For self-paying patients, 0% finance over 12 months brings a monofocal procedure to roughly £242 per month per eye, or a multifocal to around £358 per month. Longer terms are available. Representative examples are on our finance page.