Cataract Surgery in Antalya, Turkey: How It Works, How Safe It Is and How to Plan It

A cataract clouds the eye's natural lens so gradually that many people only realize how much it has dimmed their world once it has been removed. Cataract surgery is among the most frequently performed operations in medicine — the national audit for England and Wales alone recorded 481,530 eligible operations in one year — and one of the most effective. This guide explains cataract surgery in Antalya step by step, for patients and for the families helping them decide.

Prof. Dr. Elif Betül Türkoğlu is a Professor of Ophthalmology in Antalya who performs cataract and lens replacement surgery alongside her work in ocular oncology (eye tumors). Her specialty thesis examined cataract surgery in eyes that had undergone retinal surgery, and she has published and presented work on complex cataract cases and lens fixation techniques.

What is a cataract?

Behind the colored iris sits the eye's natural lens, which focuses light onto the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye. A cataract is a clouding of that lens: light is scattered instead of focused, so the world looks blurred, dim or glary. Most cataracts are part of aging and appear after the age of 65, although some people notice changes in their 40s or 50s. In the United States, more than half of people aged 80 or over have a cataract or have had one removed.

What causes cataracts, and what are the symptoms?

Age is the main factor. Others include diabetes, smoking, heavy drinking, a family history of cataract, eye injuries, previous eye surgery, radiation, a lot of sunlight and steroid medicines; glaucoma, uveitis (inflammation inside the eye) and high myopia also raise the risk. Early cataracts often cause no symptoms. Later, typical signs are blurry or misty vision, faded colors, glare and halos around lights, poor night vision, double vision in one eye and frequent changes of glasses prescription.

Drops, supplements and diet cannot reverse a cataract. Brighter lighting and updated glasses help at first, but surgery is the only way to remove it.

When should a cataract be operated on?

Surgery makes sense when reduced vision interferes with what you need or want to do — driving, reading, working, recognizing faces — and is expected to improve with the operation. It is not about reaching a particular line on the eye chart: UK national guidance (NICE) advises against restricting surgery on the basis of visual acuity alone. Nor is there any need to wait for a cataract to become "ripe"; very dense cataracts are harder to remove.

Occasionally surgery is advised for medical rather than visual reasons — for example, when a cloudy lens hides a retina that doctors need to examine or treat. This is familiar in ocular oncology, where a clear view of the back of the eye is needed to follow a tumor.

How is cataract surgery performed?

The standard modern technique is phacoemulsification, or "phaco": the cloudy lens is broken into fragments with an ultrasound probe and removed through a tiny incision, and a folded artificial lens — an intraocular lens (IOL) — is placed in the lens capsule. The operation usually takes about 20–45 minutes, and you go home the same day, though not driving yourself.

1. Preparation. Drops dilate the pupil and numb the eye; the eye is cleaned with povidone-iodine antiseptic and covered with a sterile drape.
2. Micro-incisions. A main incision of about 2.2–3.2 mm is made at the edge of the cornea, plus two small side openings.
3. Protective gel. A viscoelastic gel protects the cornea and holds space for the instruments.
4. Capsulorhexis. A round opening about 5–5.5 mm wide is made in the front of the lens capsule.
5. Hydrodissection. Fluid gently separates the lens from its capsule.
6. Phacoemulsification. Ultrasound breaks up and removes the hard center of the lens; the softer outer layers are vacuumed away, leaving the capsule as a pocket, the capsular bag.
7. Lens implantation. The folded IOL is injected into the capsular bag, where it unfolds.
8. Finishing. The gel is rinsed out, the incisions are sealed with fluid and an antibiotic is injected into the front of the eye. A shield is placed and, after a short rest, you go home.

Will I be awake?

Most adults are awake, with the eye numbed. European guidance (ESCRS) describes anesthetic drops as the most widely used technique, sometimes with anesthetic also placed inside the eye; UK guidance recommends drops or an injection under the membrane around the eye (sub-Tenon's), not deeper injections behind the eye. General anesthesia is reserved for people who cannot lie still, including young children. The operation is usually not painful, although the eye may feel gritty or ache for a few days.

How is infection prevented?

Infection inside the eye (endophthalmitis) is rare. Surgery starts with antiseptic cleaning, and European guidance gives its highest evidence grade to injecting an antibiotic into the eye at the end of the operation. In recent national data, infection followed about 2 in 10,000 operations in the UK National Health Service (2022–23) and about 4 in 10,000 in the US IRIS Registry (2013–2017).

Which lens will be implanted?

The artificial lens is designed to stay in the eye for life. Lens types differ in how they share focus between distance, intermediate (computer) and near (reading) vision:

• Monofocal — one sharp focus, usually for distance, so reading glasses are needed. Fewest optical side effects; the standard lens in public health systems.
• Monovision (blended vision) — one eye set for distance, the other slightly for near; few halos, but not everyone adapts.
• EDOF (extended depth of focus) — extends focus into the intermediate range, with significantly fewer halos than multifocal lenses.
• Trifocal and multifocal — near, intermediate and distance focus; the highest chance of managing without glasses, with more halos and glare at night.
• Toric versions correct regular astigmatism; European guidance suggests considering them from 1.0 diopter of corneal astigmatism.

The right lens depends on the health of each eye — some premium designs are unsuitable when the macula, optic nerve or cornea is affected — and on how you weigh glasses against night-time halos. See the lens replacement overview and the guide to choosing a lens, which compares trifocal, EDOF and other lens types in detail.

What tests are done before cataract surgery?

The result depends as much on the measurements as on the operation. In line with European guidance, a full assessment typically includes:

• refraction and a dilated examination of the cornea, lens supports, retina and optic nerve, plus eye pressure;
• optical biometry, which measures the length of the eye and the curvature of the cornea — the method UK guidance recommends;
• corneal topography or tomography when astigmatism is present, before toric or multifocal lenses and after laser eye surgery;
• OCT scans of the retina when macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy or other retinal disease is present or suspected;
• an endothelial cell count if the cornea may be fragile, as in Fuchs dystrophy;
• a tear film check, because untreated dry eye can distort the measurements.

Formulas then turn these measurements into a lens power. UK guidance matches the formula to the eye's length — for example Hoffer Q or Haigis for short eyes, Barrett Universal II for average eyes, and Haigis or SRK/T for long eyes — and European guidance recommends newer-generation formulas for very long or short eyes. After LASIK, PRK or radial keratotomy, standard measurements misjudge the reshaped cornea, so special methods are used and the result is less predictable; bring any old records you have (see complex cataract surgery).

Both eyes on the same day, or on separate days?

Immediately sequential bilateral cataract surgery (ISBCS) — both eyes in one session, each treated as a separate operation — is an established alternative to operating on the eyes weeks apart, and it matters to people who travel for surgery.

A 2022 Cochrane review found no evidence of more infections with same-day surgery: 1 case in 14,076 with same-day surgery, compared with 55 in 556,246 with surgery on separate days. Refractive results and patients' ratings of their vision were similar and total costs lower, although the certainty of the evidence ranged from moderate to very low. European guidance considers same-day surgery effective and safe for people without eye conditions that raise the risk of complications; if anything unexpected happens in the first eye, the second is postponed.

Not being able to fine-tune the second lens matters most with premium lenses, and eyes with additional risk factors are generally operated on separately. For travel plans under each option, see recovery and flying home.

How safe is cataract surgery?

No operation is free of risk, but serious problems after cataract surgery are uncommon. The figures below come from national audits and registries; they include all patients, and numbers from different countries are not directly comparable.

The UK capsule-tear rate has fallen by 58% since 2010, and the 91.8% figure includes eyes with other conditions, such as macular degeneration, that limit vision whatever the operation. Retinal detachment risk varies: in the Swedish data it reached 9.5% in men under 60 with long, short-sighted eyes (axial length over 25 mm) — a reason for a personal risk discussion if you are young and highly myopic.

Inflammation, swelling of the central retina (macular edema) and raised eye pressure are usually treatable. Capsule clouding, known as secondary cataract, is cleared with a quick laser treatment, and the page on risks and side effects covers these topics in depth.

What is recovery like?

Vision is often blurred for a few hours and improves over the following days. Most people resume light activities within 2–3 days, use drops for about 4 weeks and are fully recovered in 4–6 weeks, when new glasses can be prescribed. Until then, avoid rubbing the eye, swimming, eye make-up and heavy lifting. When you can fly depends on how the operation went and which guidance you follow — the recovery and flying guide gives the timeline and example schedules for visitors.

When is cataract surgery more complex?

Some eyes need extra planning, specific instruments or a different lens:

• after retinal surgery (vitrectomy) — the subject of Prof. Türkoğlu's specialty thesis;
• after radiotherapy for an eye tumor, or with a tumor in the eye — where her work in ocular oncology and cataract surgery meet;
• weak lens supports, as in pseudoexfoliation or after an injury;
• small pupils, including the "floppy iris" linked to tamsulosin and similar prostate medicines;
• very dense cataracts, high myopia, uveitis, diabetes and previous laser eye surgery;
• children, who need prompt treatment and years of follow-up to prevent amblyopia (lazy eye).

Each situation is explained on the page on complex cataract surgery.

Is laser cataract surgery better?

In femtosecond laser-assisted surgery, a laser performs some steps that are otherwise done by hand. European guidance describes both conventional and laser-assisted surgery as safe and effective; what the large trials found is summarized on the page on laser cataract surgery.

• Cataract surgeryLaser cataract surgeryWhat a femtosecond laser adds to cataract surgery, what large trials found compared with standard phaco, and when it may be worth discussing.Read more
• Cataract surgeryComplex cataractCataract after retinal surgery or eye tumor treatment, weak lens support, small pupils, uveitis, diabetes and children: how complex cases are planned.Read more
• Cataract surgery · RecoveryRecovery & flying homeDay-by-day recovery, eye drops, what to avoid, when you can fly and how long to plan your stay in Antalya after cataract surgery.Read more
• Cataract surgerySecondary cataractWhy vision can cloud again months or years after cataract surgery, and how a quick YAG laser capsulotomy restores clarity.Read more

How much does cataract surgery cost in Turkey?

The price depends mainly on the lens, whether one or both eyes are treated, the tests, any extra devices a complex eye needs and the aftercare included. A clear quote names the lens model for each eye, lists what is included — tests, fees, drops and follow-up — and states who pays if a secondary cataract or an extra procedure needs treatment.

For comparison, in September 2026 a large UK private provider listed £2,995 per eye with a monofocal lens and £4,195 per eye with a multifocal lens, including tests, one year of aftercare and laser treatment for secondary cataract within that year. In the UK National Health Service, surgery with a monofocal lens is free, while multifocal lenses are not offered. Prices listed by clinics in Turkey vary widely; you can request a personalized quote once your records have been reviewed, and the cost guide summarizes published comparisons.

Planning cataract surgery in Antalya as a visitor

If you are considering cataract surgery abroad, keep the medical steps in the right order:

1. Send your records. Include a recent glasses prescription, eye reports and scans, a list of medicines (mention tamsulosin or other prostate medicines) and details of any previous eye surgery, so that Prof. Türkoğlu can review them before you travel.
2. Examination and measurements in Antalya, with the lens choice confirmed.
3. Surgery and a post-operative check — book your return flight for after the check.
4. Follow-up at home, with details of the operation, the lens and your drops to share with your local eye doctor, who can prescribe glasses after 4–6 weeks.

The practice is in Muratpaşa, about 20–30 minutes by car from Antalya Airport. Before booking surgery abroad, UK government travel advice suggests discussing your plans with a doctor at home, not relying only on information from agencies, and arranging travel insurance, because EHIC and GHIC cards are not valid in Türkiye.