Traveling abroad for eye treatment is easier when you understand the treatment timeline, how much time takes the preparation, the operation, and postoperative recovery before you can travel again.
In reality, your specific timeline will be clear once your diagnosis, treatment goal, and records have been reviewed. Once we have the entire picture we will help you create your individual visit schedule.
In the meantime you can find below approximate timelines that work for many of our patients.
Timeline planning
The exact number of days will always depend on your condition, and your treatment. But the overall process is usually far more manageable than patients first imagine. With the right planning, you can travel to Zurich knowing not only why you are coming, but also what the likely timeline will be and what each step is.
For laser eye surgery, we usually recommend that you arrive in Zurich over the weekend. We then typically arrange your full preoperative examination for Monday morning. If everything looks as expected, the treatment can often be performed later the same day, on Monday afternoon. Both eyes can usually be treated in the same session.
After the procedure, you would usually stay in Zurich for a few more days so we can see you for short follow-up checks (daily during the first 4 days after surgery). You can typically plan your return trip for the following weekend.
In simple terms, most patients should think of laser eye surgery as roughly a one-week stay in Zurich.
| Saturday–Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday–Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday–SundayArrival to Zurich | MondayPreoperative examination. Laser treatment. |
TuesdayFollow-up. | WednesdayFollow-up. | ThursdayFollow-up. | FridayFollow-up. | Saturday–SundayTravel back home |
For corneal cross-linking, we also usually suggest arriving over the weekend. Your main examination is then typically scheduled for Monday morning. If the examination confirms the diagnosis and the treatment plan, the procedure can often be done on Monday afternoon.
After that you will have daily follow-up visits during the first 4 days after surgery.
The total length of stay depends on the type of cross-linking:
If you are having unilateral epi-off cross-linking, usually travel home on Friday, which is the fourth day after surgery.
If you are having bilateral epi-off cross-linking, both eyes can be treated in one session, but you should expect to stay about one week longer, with departure usually on the following Monday morning.
If you are having unilateral or bilateral epi-on cross-linking, the stay is usually shorter, and often you may leave on Thursday, about 3 days after surgery.
| Saturday–Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday–SundayArrival to Zurich | MondayPreoperative examination. Epi-on operation. |
TuesdayFollow-up. | WednesdayFollow-up. | ThursdayTravel back home. |
For cataract surgery, the timeline is a little different because it depends on whether you are having surgery in one eye or both eyes, and whether the case is straightforward or more complex.
The preoperative examination is typically arranged for Monday, so patients often travel to Zurich over the weekend.
For a simple cataract case, if the examination confirms the diagnosis and treatment plan, surgery for the first eye can usually be done on Tuesday or Wednesday. After that, there are short daily follow-up visits during the first 2 days after surgery.
If only one eye is being treated, you should generally expect a stay of about 4 to 5 days in total. If both eyes are being treated, the second eye is usually operated one week later, so the total stay is usually about 10 to 12 days.
A simple way to explain it to patients is:
| Saturday–Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday–SundayArrival to Zurich | MondayPreoperative examination. | TuesdayOperation, one eye. | WednesdayFollow-up. | ThursdayFollow-up. | FridayTravel back home, or stay for the second eye |
Get in touch
Send us a message and one of our international patient coordinators will be in touch within 24 hours. You can also reach us directly by phone or email.
Address
ELZA Institute AG
Weinbergstrasse 16
8001 Zurich, Switzerland
+41 44 741 81 81
international@elza-institute.com
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