After living in Spain for so many years, I’ve always worn glasses. They’d slide down my nose when I sweated in the summer and fog up the moment I stepped inside in the winter—it was incredibly annoying. I recently finally decided to tackle this ‘long-standing issue’ and want to share my entire experience with eye surgery in Spain. I hope it can be a useful reference for others looking to get rid of their glasses.
Initial Research and Choosing a Clinic
Once I made up my mind, I started doing my homework. The main types of refractive surgery in Spain are LASIK, SMILE, and ICL implants. Since I have a high prescription with some astigmatism and my corneas are on the thinner side, I was leaning towards ICL from the start. After a lot of online research and talking to friends who had the surgery, I narrowed it down to two major eye clinic chains: Clínica Baviera and Vissum. Both have branches in major Spanish cities and are known for their good reputation and reliable equipment.
I went to both for a pre-operative consultation. This exam is incredibly detailed; the [eye correction in Spain] check-up takes over an hour and they measure everything from your eye pressure and corneal thickness to the condition of your retina—a complete deep dive into your eye health. After the exam, the doctor recommends the most suitable surgical option based on your results. After comparing the doctors’ recommendations and the prices, I ultimately chose Clínica Baviera for the ICL implant surgery.
The Surgery Experience and Post-Op Recovery
I was a little nervous on the day of the surgery. The whole procedure was actually very quick, taking only about ten minutes from entering the operating room to leaving. They start by giving you anesthetic eye drops, so you don’t feel any pain throughout the process. You can just feel the doctor working and see some light and shadows moving in front of you. After one eye is done, they let you rest for a moment before doing the other. Afterwards, my eyes were a bit sensitive to light and felt like there was something in them, but I was able to walk out of the clinic on my own the same day. The doctor provides a post-op care kit, which includes several types of eye drops and protective eye shields.
The recovery period was so much faster than I expected
! At the follow-up appointment the day after surgery, my vision had already recovered to 20/20. The feeling of seeing the world with such clarity was instantly overwhelming, and the excitement is hard to describe. After that, it was just a matter of following the doctor’s orders: using the eye drops on schedule, avoiding getting dirty water in my eyes, and wearing sunglasses outdoors. The foreign body sensation in my eyes disappeared almost completely within about a week. It’s been almost half a year since the surgery, and my vision has remained stable. I haven’t experienced any side effects like dry eyes, and I feel fantastic.
About the Costs
What everyone is probably most curious about is the cost. Prices can vary quite a bit depending on the type of surgery and the clinic. The ICL implant I had is the most expensive option because it requires custom-made lenses from Switzerland. Below is a rough breakdown of my [cost of eye correction in Spain]
for this surgery, to give you an idea:
| Item | Cost |
|---|
| Detailed Pre-op Exam | Free or €50-100 |
| ICL Implant Surgery (both eyes) | Approx. €6000 - €7000 |
| Post-op Follow-ups | €0 |
| Post-op Eye Drops | Approx. €50 - €80 |
| Total | Approx. €6050 - €7080 |
If you opt for LASIK or SMILE, the price is significantly lower, typically between €2000 and €4000. Many clinics offer installment plans, which can ease the financial burden. All in all, it’s a significant investment for your vision, far beyond a routine [eye exams in Spain], but to get a clear world in return, I think it’s totally worth it super worth it! I hope my sharing has been helpful to you all!
