Ophthalmologic Surgery Quality — the article + the world, ranked

A fuller editorial guide to ophthalmologic surgery quality is coming soon. For now, the ranking below compares every country we have assessed on it — open a country's report for the cited detail behind its score.

The country comparison

Which countries are best for ophthalmologic surgery quality

The destinations ranked high→low under this lens — each with the reasoning behind its score, the cited evidence one click down, and its full report. The verdict is free; the report is the depth.

19 / 19 Countries ranked

Researched and assessed by the Epidaurus editorial pipeline against our published scale. A country below the rule is not yet assessed enough — never ranked last.

1 United States US 5.0/5 Good The United States represents the global gold standard for ophthalmologic surgery quality, meeting all major Score 5 criteria with world-leading infrastructure, cutting-edge technology, and exceptional outcomes. The co... Full report
The evidence behind this score 7 cited points
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute ranked #1 in Ophthalmology by U.S. News & World Report 24 times over 35 years; Wilmer Eye Institute serves 281,000+ patients annually with five core research centers publishing 700+ papers yearly
- LASIK outcomes: 90-98% achieve 20/20 or better uncorrected visual acuity; <1% complication rate; 95-99% patient satisfaction; 96% overall success rate
- Cataract surgery safety: 96.3% achieve within one diopter of target refraction (Mass Eye and Ear); 0.2% posterior capsule rupture rate; Cleveland Clinic 0.68% intraoperative complications; Moran Eye Center 98.86% complication-free rate
- Endophthalmitis rate 1.36 per 1000 surgeries (0.136%, 2011-2019) with documented declining trend; individual leading centers (Moran 0.02%, Cleveland Clinic single cases) achieve below-threshold performance
- Technology: FDA-approved Teneo 317 Model 2 excimer laser (fastest in U.S., approved November 2023); VisuMax 800 with SMILE pro (approved January 2024); modern vitrectomy systems with 3D and intraoperative OCT capabilities
- Training infrastructure: 116 ACGME-accredited ophthalmology residency programs; 40% of ophthalmologists complete subspecialty fellowships; all major subspecialties (cornea, glaucoma, retina, oculoplastics, pediatric) comprehensively available
- Safety and quality: FDA regulation of all LASIK equipment; digital recording and documentation of all surgeries at leading centers; comprehensive patient screening protocols; 24/7 emergency eye surgery capabilities at major institutions
Read the full United States report →
2 Germany DE 5.0/5 Good Germany demonstrates excellence across all Score 5 criteria: 30+ university eye clinics with JCI accreditation and ERN-EYE memberships; all major subspecialties with fellowship-trained surgeons; state-of-the-art techn... Full report
The evidence behind this score 6 cited points
- Infrastructure: 30+ university eye clinics with hundreds of private specialist clinics; multiple JCI-accredited facilities (Asklepios Barmbek, LMU Munich, Helios Emil von Behring); ERN-EYE full memberships at 5+ centers
- Surgical Outcomes: Cataract surgery success 98.6-99.8% at high-volume centers; LASIK 96-98% success; DMEK producing 93% probability of 6/12 Snellen vision within 5 years with 10% rejection rate at decade follow-up (best among keratoplasty techniques)
- Technology: Femtosecond LASIK in ~90% of refractive cases; Zeiss VisuMax systems; full premium IOL spectrum; 25/27-gauge vitrectomy; MIGS devices; widespread availability of ICL surgery
- Safety & Quality: Endophthalmitis rates well below 0.05% via ESCRS intracameral cefuroxime prophylaxis; OREGIS registry with 1.75M+ physician visits; DOG Keratoplasty Registry covering 89% of surgical departments; ISO 9001:2015 and KTQ certifications
- Subspecialties & Training: Facharzt training (5-6 years); fellowships available at Saarland, Hannover, Essen, Freiburg, LMU Munich; DOG membership 8,000+ specialists
- Emergency Capability: 24/7 retinal surgery at multiple centers (TUM Munich, Augenklinik Sulzbach) with guaranteed round-the-clock coverage by six licensed vitreoretinal surgeons
Read the full Germany report →
3 Spain ES 5.0/5 Good Spain operates one of Europe's most concentrated networks of world-class ophthalmic institutions, with more than a dozen JCI-accredited centers across Barcelona, Madrid, and Oviedo that collectively offer all major su... Full report
The evidence behind this score 7 cited points
- More than a dozen JCI-accredited ophthalmology centers including IMO (8 surgical theatres, first ophthalmic center in Barcelona with JCI), Barraquer (16,000 surgeries/year, 150,000 consultations/year), ICR (341,332 annual consultations, 9.13/10 patient satisfaction), Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Quirónsalud hospitals, and Fernández-Vega (10,000+ surgeries/year since 1886)
- All major subspecialties with fellowship-trained surgeons: retina (Dr. Nadal >16,000 procedures), cornea (Barraquer 300 transplants/year), glaucoma, oculoplastics, pediatric ophthalmology, and neuro-ophthalmology at all major institutions
- State-of-the-art technology including femtosecond lasers, topography-guided LASIK (Contoura Vision), SMILE, FLACS, trifocal/toric premium IOLs, 25/27-gauge MIVS, intraoperative OCT, and DMEK keratoplasty across dedicated retinal and corneal centers
- Cataract surgery efficacy ~98%, endophthalmitis rates <0.1%, and LASIK complications <1% consistent with Western European benchmarks; EUREQUO registry participation; 4,000+ annual corneal transplants; Catalonia averaging 1,182/year (190/million population) with successful transition to modern lamellar techniques
- 24/7 emergency eye surgery available at IMO, ICR, Barraquer, and major Quirónsalud campuses for retinal detachments, ocular trauma, and acute angle-closure glaucoma
- Robust medical tourism infrastructure via Spaincares (official Spanish health tourism platform with 20+ accredited ophthalmology centers), dedicated international departments at ICR (English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, German, Russian), Oftalvist Barcelona (personal accompaniment, English/Arabic support), and Miranza (international insurance agreements)
- Triple-layer quality oversight: JCI accreditation with triennial comprehensive audits, EUREQUO pan-European registry participation, and Spain's world-leading ONT (National Transplant Organization) regulatory oversight of eye bank quality and donor tissue traceability
Read the full Spain report →
4 Singapore SG 5.0/5 Good Singapore demonstrates exceptional ophthalmologic surgery capabilities across all scored dimensions. The country operates 10+ internationally accredited centers including SNEC (JCI-accredited since 2009) and multiple ... Full report
The evidence behind this score 5 cited points
- SNEC JCI-accredited (2009, re-accredited 2012 and 2016); 4+ additional JCI-accredited private hospitals; 5 Singapore hospitals ranked in Newsweek's Asia Top 30 for refractive surgery
- Cataract surgery 99% success rate; retinal detachment >98% anatomical success; DMEK 94% success; endophthalmitis 0.04% (below 0.05% threshold)
- State-of-the-art technology: VISUMAX 800 with SMILE Pro, femtosecond lasers, intraoperative OCT-guided surgery, DMEK, Paul Glaucoma Implant (Singapore-designed)
- SERI ranked #1 globally among non-academic ophthalmology institutes (ScholarGPS December 2025); 5,942 published papers; Singapore produces highest eye publications per capita worldwide
- Strong medical tourism infrastructure: 646,000 international patients in 2024; dedicated International Patient Service Centres at hospitals; multilingual support; English as official medical language
Read the full Singapore report →
5 Israel IL 4.5/5 Good Israel demonstrates excellent ophthalmologic surgical quality with 5+ JCI-accredited centers offering all major subspecialties, state-of-the-art technology (femtosecond lasers, intraoperative OCT, advanced vitrectomy)... Full report
The evidence behind this score 6 cited points
- Endophthalmitis rate of 0.034% at Sheba and Rabin after intracameral cefuroxime prophylaxis (well below the international <0.05% benchmark and Score 5 threshold)
- Five major facilities with high-volume, subspecialty-complete departments (Goldschleger at Sheba, Ichilov, Hadassah, Rambam, Rabin); multiple JCI-accredited; Sheba ranked top-10 globally by Newsweek
- All major subspecialties available with fellowship-trained surgeons; 90.6 ophthalmologists per million population (exceeding US and UK levels)
- State-of-the-art technology: femtosecond lasers, CATALYS cataract system, premium IOLs, intraoperative OCT-guided DMEK (only system in Israel at Hadassah), 25/27-gauge vitrectomy
- 98% LASIK efficacy for target refraction; Israeli Defense Forces study of 5,231 recruits over 14 years showing 1.68% dropout rate post-surgery vs. 6.14% in non-operated controls—evidence of excellent long-term safety
- Absence of formal national outcomes registry: voluntary questionnaire system since 1990, but no mandatory centralized registry with real-time surveillance comparable to US IRIS Registry or Swedish National Cataract Register
Read the full Israel report →
6 United Arab Emirates AE 4.5/5 Good The UAE demonstrates nearly exceptional ophthalmologic surgery capabilities with 15+ JCI-accredited and specialty facilities, all major subspecialties with fellowship-trained surgeons, state-of-the-art technology (fem... Full report
The evidence behind this score 6 cited points
- Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai holds JCI and ACHSI dual accreditation and became the first ophthalmology Centre of Excellence in the Middle East in 2025
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute Abu Dhabi (ranked #1 in US for 24 consecutive years) opened first-ever international facility in November 2025 with 31 examination rooms and three operating theatres
- Published outcome data: 95% LASIK success rate, 91.8% achieving 6/12 uncorrected visual acuity, 94.1% patient satisfaction
- All major subspecialties available (retina, cornea, glaucoma, oculoplastics, pediatric ophthalmology, neuro-ophthalmology, ocular oncology, uveitis)
- State-of-the-art technology: femtosecond lasers, SMILE Pro, ICL implantation, DMEK/DSAEK/DALK corneal transplants, 25/27-gauge microincision vitrectomy, MIGS
- UAE lacks a publicly available national outcomes registry, unlike Sweden and UK national systems
Read the full United Arab Emirates report →
7 Brazil BR 4.5/5 Good Brazil operates world-class ophthalmologic surgery facilities at the top tier that exceed Score 4 requirements across facility count (25 JCI-accredited hospitals), subspecialty coverage, cutting-edge technology, and d... Full report
The evidence behind this score 8 cited points
- Brazil has 25 JCI-accredited hospitals—the highest in Latin America—with Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein ranked #1 for refractive eye surgery and #2 for cataract surgery in Latin America per Newsweek/Statista 2025
- High-volume São Paulo center achieved post-cataract endophthalmitis rate of 0.0177% with intracameral antibiotic prophylaxis, exceeding the <0.05% international benchmark
- All major subspecialties (retina, cornea, glaucoma, oculoplastics, pediatric, neuro-ophthalmology) available with fellowship training; Fundação Altino Ventura alone trained 600+ Brazilian and international ophthalmologists
- State-of-the-art technology deployed at major centers including femtosecond lasers, wavefront/topography-guided LASIK, premium IOLs, 25/27-gauge vitrectomy, intraoperative OCT with 3D visualization, and MIGS procedures
- Dedicated international patient centers at Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein and Hospital Sírio-Libanês offer multilingual coordination, visa support, and continuity of care documentation
- 24/7 emergency eye surgery available at multiple major urban centers (São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba, Porto Alegre, Belo Horizonte)
- Brazil lacks a national outcome registry equivalent to IRIS or UK National Ophthalmology Database, limiting systematic cross-institutional quality benchmarking as required for Score 5
- Documented 2023 endophthalmitis outbreak at northern Brazil public facility with only 27.12% antibiotic use and 8+ day average treatment delay, reflecting quality disparities requiring careful provider selection by medical tourists
Read the full Brazil report →
8 United Kingdom GB 4.5/5 Good The United Kingdom demonstrates exceptional ophthalmologic surgery quality and infrastructure, exceeding Score 4 thresholds across all dimensions: more than 10 major hospital systems with dedicated ophthalmology depar... Full report
The evidence behind this score 5 cited points
- Moorfields Eye Hospital is the world's largest dedicated eye hospital and top-ranked institution for ophthalmic research by Scimago Institution Rankings, treating 671,486 patients annually across 20+ locations
- National Ophthalmology Database (NOD) is the world's most comprehensive multi-centre outcome registry, with ~200 contributing centers tracking 680,000+ cataract surgeries annually, demonstrating 0.69% posterior capsule rupture rate (halved since 2014) and 0.02% post-operative endophthalmitis rate
- All major subspecialties (retinal, corneal, glaucoma, oculoplastics, paediatric) available with fellowship-trained surgeons at multiple centers; 7-year GMC-regulated Ophthalmic Specialist Training with active fellowships
- State-of-the-art technology widely available: femtosecond lasers, SMILE Pro, wavefront-guided LASIK, premium IOL options, 25/27-gauge vitrectomy systems, intraoperative OCT, and AI-guided surgical planning via Moorfields/Google DeepMind partnership
- London Vision Clinic reports 96% of LASIK patients achieve 20/20 vision; Optimax has performed 430,000+ procedures with documented outcomes audits; CQC regulation ensures safety checklists and adverse event reporting in private sector
Read the full United Kingdom report →
9 Hungary HU 4.5/5 Good Hungary demonstrates world-class ophthalmologic surgical capabilities with state-of-the-art technology, all major subspecialties represented by fellowship-trained surgeons, and excellent published outcomes (85.2% BCVA... Full report
The evidence behind this score 7 cited points
- Infrastructure: 92 cataract surgical units + 4 university ophthalmology departments (Budapest, Debrecen, Szeged, Pécs) + specialized private clinics (Buda Eye Center, Eagle Eye Clinic with 140,000+ surgeries, PALLAS Szemészet)
- All major subspecialties available with fellowship training and ERN-EYE (European Reference Network for Rare Eye Diseases) affiliation
- State-of-the-art technology: SCHWIND AMARIS 1050RS 7D excimer laser, Ziemer FEMTO Z8 NEO femtosecond laser, ICL, SMILE, corneal cross-linking, intraoperative OCT-guided surgery
- Published outcomes: 85.2% best-corrected visual acuity at one month post-cataract surgery, 90% cataract surgical coverage, >98% normal uncorrected visual acuity for LASIK myopia ≤-6.00 D, zero endophthalmitis cases in RAAB study
- Quality assurance: National Keratoplasty Register at Debrecen (operating since 1992), NEAK national accountability system, performance-based incentive programs (39-day average cataract wait time)
- Emergency eye surgery available 24/7 but limited to Semmelweis University Hospital, Budapest's primary public center, not at multiple facilities
- Strong medical tourism infrastructure: 50-70% cost savings vs. Western Europe, fast-track 3-day programs, English/German-speaking staff, Medi Tours Hungary coordination
Read the full Hungary report →
10 Japan JP 4.5/5 Good Japan demonstrates elite ophthalmologic surgery capabilities exceeding most Score 5 criteria, including 7+ internationally recognized facilities, all major subspecialties with fellowship-trained surgeons, state-of-the... Full report
The evidence behind this score 6 cited points
- Endophthalmitis rates of 0.052% overall and 0.040% for surgeons performing >300 cataract cases annually, well below the 0.05% Score 5 benchmark
- Elite facility recognition: Keio University Hospital ranked #5 in Asia for cataract surgery, Inouye Eye Hospital #25, St. Luke's International Hospital #18 for refractive surgery; multiple JCI-accredited and JMIP-certified facilities
- State-of-the-art surgical technology including EVO ICL (70% of refractive procedures), SMILE pro VisuMax 800 approved 2024, femtosecond LASIK, premium IOLs (trifocal, EDOF, Light Adjustable Lenses), and 27-gauge microincision vitrectomy systems
- Published outcomes exceeding international benchmarks: LASIK achieves 90% of eyes within ±0.25 D and 100% within ±0.50 D at 12 months; cataract multifocal IOL patients report 8.8/10 satisfaction; retinal detachment vitrectomy achieves 93–94% anatomical success rate
- Comprehensive national quality registries: Japan Ocular Imaging Registry (22 university hospitals, 486,000+ images), Japan-Retinal Detachment Registry (128 surgeons, 26 institutions, 2,533 cases), JSCRS annual surveys, and National Claims Database covering >95% of surgical procedures
- All major ophthalmologic subspecialties available with fellowship-trained surgeons: retinal, glaucoma, corneal, oculoplastic, and pediatric ophthalmology services at major academic centers
Read the full Japan report →
11 South Korea KR 4.5/5 Good South Korea demonstrates excellent ophthalmologic surgery capabilities across nearly all Score 5 criteria, with 10+ JCI-accredited major facilities offering comprehensive subspecialties, state-of-the-art technology in... Full report
The evidence behind this score 6 cited points
- Multiple JCI and KAHF-accredited facilities including HanGil Eye Hospital, Bright Eye Clinic, Kim's Eye Hospital, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, and SNU Eye Clinic offering comprehensive ophthalmology services
- LASIK efficacy rate of 95% for vision correction and laser eye surgeries achieving 98% efficacy, exceeding international benchmarks
- State-of-the-art technology including femtosecond lasers, SMILE Pro (reducing surgery time to under 10 seconds), wavefront-guided LASIK, advanced vitrectomy systems (7500rpm), and MIGS as a pioneering adopter
- Endophthalmitis rate of 0.063% (63 cases per 100,000 cataract surgeries) under normal conditions, and demonstrated robust surveillance systems that rapidly identified and managed the 2020 fungal outbreak
- Exceptional surgical volumes with Bright Eye Clinic performing 100,000 SMILE LASIK surgeries by 2022, Seoul St. Mary's 5,500 corneal transplants, and 3,816+ annual vitrectomy procedures, indicating high expertise
- Strong medical tourism infrastructure with services for patients from 40+ countries, English-speaking staff, comprehensive packages, and 5-7 day total procedure time
Read the full South Korea report →
12 Mexico MX 4.5/5 Good Mexico demonstrates exceptional ophthalmologic surgery capabilities with 8+ JCI-accredited hospitals plus multiple world-class specialty centers (APEC, CODET, Instituto Conde de Valenciana, Tijuana Eye Center) offerin... Full report
The evidence behind this score 5 cited points
- 8 JCI-accredited hospitals with ophthalmology services plus major specialty centers: APEC (17,494 surgeries/year, 13 fellowship subspecialties), CODET (80,000+ total procedures, UABC-accredited 6-subspecialty fellowship), Instituto Conde de Valenciana (8 sites, AAO-recognized training programs), Tijuana Eye Center (200,000+ patients, 47+ years operating history)
- State-of-the-art technology: ZEISS ARTEVO 850 and MICOR 700 approved by COFEPRIS May 2026; SMILE/CLEAR, FemtoLASIK, ICL implantation, femtosecond cataract surgery, 3D vitrectomy systems with OCT-guided navigation available at multiple major centers
- Published outcomes: LASIK complication rates <0.8% at leading clinics; Mexican Endophthalmitis Study Group 2024 multicentric prospective trial; Revista Mexicana de Oftalmología peer-reviewed journal with 60% rejection rate; APEC CONACYT-designated National Vision Optics Laboratory producing more publications than any other Mexican eye institute
- International recognition and training: APEC listed in AAO global training directory with 13 subspecializations and Bascom Palmer exchange; CODET fellowship has trained 120+ ophthalmologists internationally since 1994; Instituto Conde de Valenciana AAO-recognized fellowships; CMO mandatory board certification and Consejo de Salubridad General accreditation establish quality standards
- Medical tourism infrastructure: Mature ecosystem in Tijuana/Mexicali with English-speaking staff, telemedicine pre-assessments, 50-70% cost savings vs. US, Mexico–US bilateral vision health symposium formalizing cross-border cooperation, Baja Health Cluster coordinating network for cross-border patients
Read the full Mexico report →
13 Malaysia MY 4.5/5 Good Malaysia operates 10+ internationally accredited eye surgery centers with comprehensive subspecialty coverage (retina, cornea, glaucoma, oculoplastics), state-of-the-art technology (ZEISS SMILE PRO, advanced vitrectom... Full report
The evidence behind this score 7 cited points
- Multiple JCI-accredited facilities including ISEC (first in Southeast Asia/Far East, 7 locations), Sunway Medical Centre (triple accreditation: JCI, ACHS, MSQH), plus Optimax (24 centers) and other accredited hospitals
- MOH Cataract Surgery Registry with 163,000+ documented cases showing 92.9% patients achieving BCVA >6/18 (97.1% excluding comorbidities); peer-reviewed publications in PLOS One
- Sunway Medical Centre ranked 2nd in Asia for cataract surgery and 3rd in Asia for refractive eye surgery by Newsweek/Statista 2025 peer-voted survey
- Comprehensive subspecialty coverage at multiple centers: Hospital Kuala Lumpur maintains six subspecialty divisions since 1997; ISEC and Sunway Eye Centre offer full tertiary coverage
- State-of-the-art technology: ZEISS SMILE PRO 2.0, VisuMax femtosecond lasers, Constellation vitrectomy systems, premium toric/multifocal IOLs, FLACS, OCT-guided diagnostics available at major centers
- Endophthalmitis rate 0.08% (MOH registry 2008-2014, declining to 0.06%) slightly above Score 5 threshold of <0.05%; LASIK complication rate ~2% exceeds Score 5 threshold of <1%
- Strong medical tourism infrastructure: MHTC coordination, 1.6 million medical tourists (2025), ISEC multilingual services, cross-branch follow-up care coordination
Read the full Malaysia report →
14 Colombia CO 4.0/5 Good Colombia operates 5-9 high-quality eye surgery facilities including JCI-accredited hospitals, offers all major ophthalmologic subspecialties with fellowship-trained surgeons, and deploys state-of-the-art technology (f... Full report
The evidence behind this score 6 cited points
- Five to nine high-quality eye surgery facilities confirmed: Clínica Barraquer, Carriazo, Clinicaofta, Santa Lucía, plus JCI-accredited hospitals (Pablo Tobón Uribe, Imbanaco, Fundación Santa Fe, Valle del Lili)
- All major subspecialties available with fellowship-trained surgeons: cornea, retina, glaucoma, oculoplastics, neuro-ophthalmology, pediatric ophthalmology, strabismus
- State-of-the-art surgical technology: FEMTO Z8 femtosecond laser, Alcon/VISX/Zeiss excimer platforms, SMILE, ICL implantation, Boston Keratoprosthesis, corneal cross-linking
- Published LASIK outcomes: 96% achieving 20/20 vision or better, complication rates below 0.8%, patient satisfaction exceeding 98%; Clínica de Oftalmología de Cali reports 85,000+ successful surgeries over 35 years
- Strong medical tourism infrastructure with bilingual teams, all-inclusive surgical packages (LASIK USD $1,000-$1,500 per eye), airport transfers, telemedicine follow-up, and cost savings of 40-70% vs. United States
- Critical limitation: No national ophthalmological surgery outcomes registry and no published endophthalmitis incidence data, preventing direct international safety comparison; geographic disparity with high-quality infrastructure concentrated in Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, and Barranquilla
Read the full Colombia report →
15 Poland PL 4.0/5 Good Poland demonstrates comprehensive ophthalmologic surgery infrastructure with state-of-the-art technology and strong published outcomes for refractive and cataract procedures. Multiple high-quality surgical centers ser... Full report
The evidence behind this score 4 cited points
- Multiple high-quality surgical centers (Okolaser, OCHO Medical Group, Optegra, SwissLaser, RetinaPL) with international manufacturer reference designations and ISO 9001 certification serving as LASIK and refractive surgery landmarks
- All major ophthalmologic subspecialties available (retina, cornea, glaucoma, oculoplastics, pediatric/strabismus) with fellowship-trained surgeons; five-year residency with EBO diploma equivalent to European standards
- Comprehensive published outcomes: refractive surgery effectiveness indices ≥0.94 (LASIK/PRK/SMILE at 180 days), endophthalmitis post-cataract declining from 0.125% (2010) to 0.066% (2015), national registry study of 71,073 retinal detachment cases and 1,218,777 cataract procedures (2010-2015)
- Strong medical tourism value with 50-70% cost savings versus Western Europe, multilingual support standard at major centers, and procedure warranties (e.g., SwissLaser 10-year guarantee); however, no JCI-accredited dedicated eye hospitals and unmet corneal transplant demand (3:1 shortage, 32 per million keratoplasty rate) represent limitations
Read the full Poland report →
16 Jordan JO 4.0/5 Good Jordan demonstrates strong ophthalmologic surgery infrastructure with 8+ dedicated eye care facilities, state-of-the-art refractive technology (SMILE PRO, SCHWIND AMARIS 1050 RS, femtosecond lasers), and comprehensive... Full report
The evidence behind this score 6 cited points
- 8+ dedicated eye surgery facilities/departments with multiple JCI-accredited hospitals offering comprehensive ophthalmology units
- State-of-the-art technology including SMILE PRO, SCHWIND AMARIS 1050 RS with 7D tracking, femtosecond lasers, and OCT at multiple centers
- Published outcome data: Jordan University Hospital phacoemulsification study (n=1,370, 2019-2021) showing 48.4% achieving VA ≥0.8 and mean visual improvement of 0.33
- No published national complication rate data or national ophthalmologic outcome registry (explicit Score 5 requirement documented as absent in report)
- 224,740+ international medical patients in 2024 with strong corporate patient programs and English-speaking staff
- 24/7 emergency eye services with specialized staff and ICU at Eye Specialty Hospital
Read the full Jordan report →
17 India IN 4.0/5 Good India demonstrates strong ophthalmologic surgical capabilities at major JCI-accredited centers with excellent published outcomes (96-98% LASIK success, 91.7-94% cataract surgery good visual outcomes) and comprehensive... Full report
The evidence behind this score 3 cited points
- Multiple JCI-accredited eye hospitals (Shroff Eye, Grewal Eye Institute, Ahalia, National Institute of Ophthalmology) with published outcomes of 96-98% LASIK success and 91.7-94% cataract surgery achieving good visual outcomes, with endophthalmitis rates of 0.07-0.13% comparable to international benchmarks
- Severe ophthalmologist shortage of only 15 per million population versus 76.2 in high-income countries, with only 52.9% of practicing ophthalmologists having completed subspecialty fellowship training, and documented gaps in residency training particularly in advanced procedures
- Significant quality variability nationally with effective cataract surgical coverage of only 36.7% versus nominal coverage of 57.3% (36% relative quality gap across districts), and only 40.5% of eye care institutes offering 24-hour emergency services
Read the full India report →
18 Thailand TH 4.0/5 Good Thailand demonstrates excellent ophthalmologic surgery infrastructure with 60+ JCI-accredited hospitals, all major subspecialties, and state-of-the-art technology producing outcomes comparable to international standar... Full report
The evidence behind this score 5 cited points
- Over 60 JCI-accredited hospitals with multiple dedicated eye surgery centers (Rutnin, TRSC, Bumrungrad, Piyavate, Bangkok Hospital, MedPark) providing comprehensive subspecialty coverage in retina, cornea, glaucoma, and oculoplastics with fellowship-trained surgeons
- State-of-the-art technology including Zeiss VisuMax femtosecond lasers, Alcon EX500 excimer lasers, advanced vitrectomy systems, and OCT-guided surgery at major centers
- Excellent clinical outcomes: LASIK 96% achieving desired vision correction with 95.1% achieving 20/20 vision; cataract and retinal surgery success rates consistently exceeding 95%; DMEK corneal transplants with 90% 5-year success rate
- Absence of comprehensive national outcome registries with outcome data reported as primarily self-reported by individual hospitals rather than independently verified
- Strong medical tourism infrastructure serving 3 million international patients annually with dedicated international departments, multilingual staff (English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic), and integrated insurance coordination; 50-70% cost savings compared to Western facilities
Read the full Thailand report →
19 Turkey TR 4.0/5 Good Turkey demonstrates strong ophthalmologic surgery quality with 50+ JCI-accredited facilities, comprehensive subspecialty coverage, state-of-the-art technology, and excellent documented outcomes (96-99% LASIK success, ... Full report
The evidence behind this score 8 cited points
- 50+ JCI-accredited hospitals with dedicated ophthalmology departments, far exceeding the 5-9 facilities required for Score 4
- All major subspecialties available with fellowship-trained surgeons confirmed; Dünyagöz offers 240+ different treatment methods
- State-of-the-art technology confirmed: femtosecond lasers, VISX STAR S4 IR Excimer Laser, 25/27-gauge vitrectomy systems, premium toric and multifocal IOLs
- Excellent published outcomes: LASIK 96-99% efficacy with <1% complication rates (matching global standards), cataract surgery with IOL replacement 98% efficacy, corneal transplants 95% success
- LASIK complication rates <1% confirmed, though specific endophthalmitis rates for Turkey not independently reported in research
- JCI accreditation and Ministry of Health certification ensure quality monitoring, but national outcome registries not mentioned
- Strong medical tourism infrastructure with 40,000+ international patients annually and 95%+ satisfaction rates; however, red flags note language barriers and post-op follow-up challenges
- Emergency eye surgery capabilities available 24/7 at major centers (Dünyagöz) primarily in major urban areas
Read the full Turkey report →

See the full ranking, the 1–5 rubric and the reports →