From Canada · Cataract surgery · Poland
Cataract surgery in Poland from Canada: what the trip costs against the wait at home
Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
For Canadians, cataract surgery in Poland costs C$1,250–C$1,430 at the clinics we checked, or about C$3,010 once an example return flight and 4 hotel nights are added.
- Clinic price
- C$1,250–C$1,4303 providers, one eye, standard
- Example trip
- C$3,010clinic C$1,250 + flight C$1,200 + 4 hotel nights C$560
- Pay privately in Canada
- Not verified
- Wait in Canada
- Median 66 days; 1 in 10 waited over 222 days (2025)
- Time there
- 3 to 5 days: assessment, the operation, and a check-up the next day before you fly
- Rank from Canada
- 1 of 5 countries by total trip cost
Figure 1Where the money goes, in CAD
Trip total C$3,010
Figure 2Cataract surgery: cheapest trip from Canada, by country
Published cataract surgery prices in Poland
Each row is a price the provider publishes itself, in its own currency, with what it includes. The converted amounts use a fixed European Central Bank rate.
| Provider | Published price | What the price is for | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instytut OkaWarsaw | 3,750 PLNabout £714 · €853 · C$1,340 · $955 | Cataract surgery with a spherical monofocal lensQualification visit 450 PLN extra. Trifocal lens 8,900 PLN. The list does not say whether follow-up visits are included. | Instytut Okaread 26 October 2026 |
| Centrum Operacji ZaćmyWarsaw | 3,500 PLNabout £667 · €796 · C$1,250 · $891 | Cataract surgery with an aspheric monofocal lensA qualification visit (including the anaesthetist’s consultation) is required: 250 PLN extra. Multifocal lens 6,500 PLN. | Centrum Operacji Zaćmyread 26 October 2026 |
| Visum ClinicRzeszów | From 4,000 PLNabout £762 · €910 · C$1,430 · $1,020 | Cataract surgery with a spherical monofocal lens, per eyeCheck-ups for one month included. Qualification consultation 400 PLN extra. Aspheric lens from 5,000 PLN. | Visum Clinicread 26 October 2026 |
Prices are copied as published, in the provider's currency. Conversions use the European Central Bank reference rates of 23 October 2026 and are rounded. A provider can change a price at any time: ask for a written quote.
Poznań's MSWiA hospital is a public hospital that also sells services to paying patients; its list is dated 1 January 2026. Private clinics in Warsaw publish similar or higher prices. Polish eye clinics charge a separate qualification visit before cataract surgery.
Against waiting or paying in Canada
Canada (national), 2025: Median 66 days; 1 in 10 waited over 222 days. Days from the decision to operate to cataract surgery: median and 90th percentile; 69.7% were treated within the national benchmark. Waits and prices for cataract surgery in Canada.
Can your provincial plan pay?
Ask your provincial health plan before you book. We have not reviewed provincial rules for planned care abroad yet, and they differ by province.
Planning the trip from Canada
- Get a written quoteSend the clinic your referral or reason for cataract surgery and ask for an itemised price in writing, with the date and what happens if the result needs follow-up.
- Before you goAsk your optician or eye doctor for your latest prescription and any eye reports.
- Before you goPlan for the clinic's rules on flying after surgery, and bring someone with you if you can.
- Entry rulesCheck the official advice before booking: Canadian citizens (travel.gc.ca).
- LanguagePolish; private clinics in big cities often have English-speaking staff, public hospitals less often.
- After you returnYou will use eye drops for several weeks. Tell your optician you had surgery abroad and bring the operation note with the lens details.
- After you returnSudden pain, worsening vision or flashing lights after surgery need urgent care at home.
Add your flight and hotel
Put in your real fare from Canada and your hotel to see the total for Poland next to every other country.
Related pages
Cataract surgery in Poland from Canada: questions
How much is cataract surgery in Poland for Canadians?
The published prices we found work out at C$1,250–C$1,430 at the clinic, from Instytut Oka, Centrum Operacji Zaćmy and Visum Clinic. With an example return flight of C$1,200 and 4 hotel nights at C$140, the trip comes to about C$3,010. Your own fares and dates will change the total.
Is it cheaper than paying privately in Canada?
We have not verified a self-pay price in Canada for this, so compare the trip total with a written quote from a provider at home.
How long is the wait for cataract surgery in Canada?
Canada (national): Median 66 days; 1 in 10 waited over 222 days (2025). Days from the decision to operate to cataract surgery: median and 90th percentile; 69.7% were treated within the national benchmark.
How many days do I need in Poland?
3 to 5 days: assessment, the operation, and a check-up the next day before you fly. That is our planning estimate, not medical advice; ask the clinic for its schedule in writing.
Will my provincial plan pay for it?
Ask your provincial health plan before booking; we have not reviewed provincial rules for planned care abroad.
Sources
- Operacja zaćmy (cataract surgery). Instytut Oka, Warsaw. Read 26 October 2026.
- Cennik (price list). Centrum Operacji Zaćmy, Warsaw. Read 26 October 2026.
- Cennik: zabiegi zaćmy (price list: cataract). Visum Clinic, Rzeszów. Read 26 October 2026.
- Wait times for priority procedures in Canada, 2008 to 2025: data tables. Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), 25 June 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- Cennik usług medycznych obowiązujący od 1.01.2026 (price list valid from 1 January 2026). Szpital MSWiA w Poznaniu (Ministry of Interior hospital, Poznań), 1 January 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.