More foreigners receive eye surgery in Shanghai

2018-10-11

A patient from the United States receives an eye check at Shanghai Xinshijie Eye Hospital.

Cataract surgery is the most popular optical surgery foreigners received in Shanghai over the past three years, followed by surgeries for myopia and presbyopia, local eye hospitals said before the arrival of World Sight Day on Thursday.

World Sight Day, which falls on the second Thursday of October each year, is a global event that focuses on bringing awareness to blindness and vision impairment.

There are about 200,000 foreigners living in the city, and their requirements for optical service and treatment are rising. With the improvement of health services and capabilities in China, more foreigners are choosing to receive eye surgery in Shanghai.

“We received 982 foreign patients from some 30 countries in the past five years, including patients from the United States, South Korea and Japan which make up the majority,” said Dr Lian Jingcai, president of Shanghai Xinshijie Eye Hospital. “About 60 percent of these foreign patients go for myopia surgery, and 15 percent undergo presbyopia surgery. We saw an increase in both outpatients and surgery for foreign patients.”

The language ability of medical staff, clinical skills and coverage of commercial insurance are the top three concerns for foreign patients, officials said.

Source: SHINE

Editor: Cai Wenjun