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Dr Jayant V Iyer, Dr Jason Lee and Dr Audrey Pang at the reception of The Straits Eye Centre.

Cataract Surgery in Singapore

Affordable and reliable cataract surgery, by senior consultant eye surgeons at The Straits Eye Centre.

  • Over 10,000 cataract surgeries
  • Over 50+ combined years of experience
  • MediSave and insurance claimable
Book on WhatsApp Call 9295 2595

Camden (Orchard)Joo ChiatClementiBedokToa Payoh

  • Over 98% success rate and generally safe

    Under 1% have major complications based on studies. Talk to our friendly cataract surgeons to understand more.

  • MediSave & insurance claimable

    MediSave, Corporate and Personal Insurance can be used towards eligible surgery.

  • Minimal waiting time for treatment or surgery

    Vision loss can worsen with delay and may be irreversible. Poor vision also raises the risk of falls and fractures.

Book now

Medically reviewed by Dr Jayant V Iyer MBBS · GDFM · MMed (Ophth) · FRCOphth · FAMS

Last updated

What cataract surgery is

Cataract surgery removes the eye’s clouded natural lens and replaces it with a clear artificial one, called an intraocular lens. It is done as day surgery under local anaesthesia, takes about 20 to 30 minutes for one eye, and does not require an overnight stay.

Dr Jayant V Iyer and Dr Jason Lee on what cataract surgery is, how the clouded lens is removed and what to expect afterwards.

Watch it on YouTube 2:42 · over 2 million views

  • Dr Jayant V Iyer
  • Dr Jason Lee
  • Dr Audrey Pang

Concerned about cataracts or vision loss? Talk to our friendly staff for a same-day appointment (subject to availability).

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When surgery is recommended

A cataract does not have to be removed the moment it appears. It is worth operating when the clouding has begun to interfere with what you actually do, or when it is making another eye condition harder to monitor or treat.

Everyday things that you may find harder:

  • Reading fine print
  • Driving at night
  • Recognising faces
  • Working
  • A driver’s view through a windscreen at night: a man and three children crossing at a zebra crossing ahead, in sharp focus under street lighting.

    Normal vision

  • The same view, blurred and washed out, the street lights spread into haloes and the man and children barely separable from the road behind them.

    With a cataract

There is no fixed threshold and no need to “wait until it is ripe”, which is older advice from an era of different surgical technique. The judgement is made from your vision, your examination and what you need your eyes to do.

What it does not treat

Cataract surgery addresses the lens, and nothing else. If sight is also limited by glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic changes at the back of the eye or an optic nerve problem, removing the cataract will not undo that damage — though it often makes the other condition easier to see and to follow. This is why the eye examination before surgery covers the whole eye rather than the lens alone.

Not sure whether you have one?

  • Blurred or clouded vision
  • Glare and haloes around headlights at night
  • Colours looking washed out
  • A spectacle prescription that keeps changing

Light reaches the back of the eye through the lens. A clear one brings it to a point; a clouded one scatters it, which is what blurs the picture and throws haloes around bright lights. A clouding lens also yellows, so colours wash out.

  • Clear lens

  • Clouded lens — a cataract

These are the usual first signs. Only an examination by an eye specialist in Singapore can tell a cataract from the other conditions that cause them. Message us on WhatsApp and we will arrange an examination.

Who performs it

Cataract surgery at The Straits Eye Centre is performed by our senior consultant eye surgeons. Between them they have completed over 10,000 cataract operations across more than 50 years in ophthalmology. Talk to us for a quick appointment.

What happens on the day

One eye at a time, as day surgery. Nothing here is a promise about the result — it is the sequence, so you know what you are agreeing to.

  1. Before the day

    Measurements of the eye decide the lens power. You will be told which drops to start and whether to pause any medication.

  2. Arriving

    Come with someone who can take you home. Dilating and anaesthetic drops are given over about an hour.

  3. Anaesthesia

    The eye is numbed with drops or a small injection around it. You stay awake; the eye itself feels pressure rather than pain.

  4. Removing the cataract

    Through an incision of about 2.5mm, the clouded lens is broken up by ultrasound and drawn out. The lens capsule is left in place.

  5. The new lens

    A folded intraocular lens is placed inside that capsule and opens into position. The incision usually seals without stitches.

  6. Going home

    You rest briefly, leave with a shield over the eye, and are seen again the next day. Most people are home within half a day.

What you will decide

Our friendly eye surgeons will discuss which lens, whether laser is used, what it will cost, and what recovery involves during your consultation.

Which lens

Monofocal, toric, extended depth of focus or multifocal — and what each means for glasses afterwards.

Bladeless or standard

What femtosecond laser assistance changes, what it does not, and who it actually suits.

Cost and MediSave

What it costs across Singapore, what MediSave covers per eye, and how insurance fits.

Recovery and aftercare

Drops, the eye shield, medical leave, and what to avoid in the first six weeks.

Risks worth knowing

Cataract surgery is one of the world’s most common operations and serious complications are uncommon. Our friendly doctor will discuss these with you.

Some symptoms include:

  • Infection inside the eye.
  • Bleeding.
  • Swelling of the retina.
  • A tear in the lens capsule during the operation.
  • Retinal detachment.
  • Raised pressure inside the eye.
  • A refractive result away from the target, leaving you still needing glasses.

Which matter for you depends on your own eyes. Share your concerns with our friendly cataract surgeons and we will go through the ones that apply to you before you decide.

  • Dr Jayant V Iyer
  • Dr Jason Lee
  • Dr Audrey Pang

I have a question about cataract surgery

Send us a message about where you are with it, and we will arrange the right next step.

Is my cataract “ripe” yet? I want a cataract cost estimate I would like a second opinion I want cataract surgery arranged quickly

Common questions

Is cataract surgery painful?

It should not be. The eye is numbed with anaesthetic drops, or with a small injection around it, so most people describe pressure and moving lights rather than pain. You are awake but the eye itself is not felt. Some grittiness and mild ache afterwards is usual and settles within a few days.

How long does cataract surgery take?

The operation itself usually takes about 20 to 30 minutes for one eye. Allow half a day at the clinic, because the dilating drops take around an hour to work and there is a short rest afterwards.

Can I use MediSave for cataract surgery?

Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents can use MediSave towards cataract surgery at approved centres, within the Ministry of Health’s claim limits and per eye. Insurance may cover part of the remainder, depending on your own plan. Bring your insurer details when you come.

Is cataract surgery safe?

It is one of the most commonly performed operations in the world and serious complications are uncommon, but it is surgery and it carries real risks — infection, bleeding, swelling at the back of the eye, a torn capsule, retinal detachment, and a refractive result that differs from the target. Your surgeon will go through the ones that apply to your eyes before you agree to anything.

Can a cataract come back after surgery?

No. The natural lens is removed and an artificial lens cannot become cloudy. What can happen, months or years later, is that the capsule holding the lens thickens and vision dulls again. This is called posterior capsule opacification and is treated with a short laser procedure in clinic, without further surgery.

How long is the recovery?

Most people notice their vision clearing over the first few days and are back to desk work within a week. Full settling takes about four to six weeks, during which drops continue and swimming, heavy lifting and rubbing the eye are avoided.

Do both eyes get done at the same time?

Usually not. When both eyes need surgery they are normally done on separate days, a week or more apart, so the first eye is healing and its result is known before the second is planned.

Where we see you

Consultations and follow-up at six clinics islandwide. Surgery is arranged at a licensed day surgery centre and confirmed with you when it is booked. See all six.

The Straits Eye and Myopia Clinic @ Camden

Camden Medical Centre
1 Orchard Boulevard, #12-04
Singapore 248649

Nearest MRT
Orchard Boulevard (TE13)
Directions
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Talk to us about your cataracts

Send us a message with what you are noticing and a time that suits, and we will arrange an examination. Fees are discussed at your consultation, once the lens and technique are settled.

The clinical and support team of The Straits Eye Centre gathered in the clinic.
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