Canadian Medical Travel Coordination
Last updated: June 2026
Why Canadians consider eye care abroad
According to data published by CIHI in 2025, only 69% of cataract patients received their surgery within the recommended 112 days (16 weeks) in 2024. In practice, this means roughly one in three patients waited longer than the recommended time.
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Canada performed 11% more cataract surgeries in 2024 than in 2019, while demand for these procedures continued to rise. Treatment at an accredited hospital abroad is one option for earlier care. It applies to planned, elective procedures that can be arranged in advance, not to emergencies.
How eye care abroad works for Canadians
Eye care abroad for Canadians follows a clear path: you share your medical file, we match you with an accredited hospital and surgeon, you meet the operating surgeon in a free online consultation, and then we coordinate the hospital, travel, accommodation, and follow-up after you return.
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Maple Med Global is a coordination service; the medical care is provided by the accredited hospital and its physicians, who hold clinical responsibility for your treatment.
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Treatment abroad is private and paid directly by you. The quote sets out what is and is not included. If you prefer not to pay all at once, instalment financing is available through third-party providers, with payment made to us or the hospital and repaid over time.
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Share your medical file and imaging
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We match you with an accredited hospital suited to your case
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If your case is accepted, a free online consultation with the operating surgeon
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A clear quote showing what is included
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Coordination of hospital, flights, and accommodation
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Follow-up support after you return to Canada
Eye care procedures we coordinate
The main eye procedures we coordinate at accredited hospitals are listed below. The specific technique and recovery plan for your case are recommended by the surgeon in a free online consultation before any commitment.
Cataract surgery
We coordinate cataract surgery to remove a clouded lens and replace it with an artificial intraocular lens, with monofocal or premium (multifocal or toric) lens options discussed with your surgeon.
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Refractive lens exchange
For presbyopia or higher refractive errors, the eye's natural lens is replaced with an artificial lens. This is often an option for patients who are not suited to laser vision correction or who have early lens changes.
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LASIK and laser vision correction
For suitable candidates, we coordinate LASIK, PRK, or SMILE to correct myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism.
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Retinal treatment
We coordinate vitrectomy and related vitreoretinal surgery for conditions such as retinal detachment, macular hole, diabetic retinopathy, and vitreous hemorrhage.
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Glaucoma
We coordinate laser treatment, minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS), and trabeculectomy to lower the pressure inside the eye.
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Corneal
We coordinate corneal transplant (keratoplasty) and corneal cross-linking for keratoconus.
Who is suited to travel for eye care
Whether to travel for treatment is a clinical matter for qualified physicians, and we encourage you to discuss any plan with your own physician in Canada.
The specialist who would treat you abroad reviews your file to confirm whether your case can be treated at that centre. When you share your records, we relay the specialist's view on whether suitable options exist; some cases are better treated closer to home.
How we choose your hospital and surgeon
We select the hospital on three criteria in every case: the hospital's volume in the relevant eye surgery, the surgeon's experience with your specific procedure, and an international patient department with English-language support.
We share the hospital we recommend, with the surgeon's name and professional background, before any commitment.The international hospitals we work with hold Joint Commission International (JCI), Accreditation Canada, or equivalent accreditation. If you want to compare, you can ask for more than one option.
Where Canadians can have Eye Care abroad
We coordinate eye care for Canadian patients at established international centres across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The right destination depends on both your case and your priorities, such as expertise, language, timing, and travel preference.
Region
Countries
Noted for
Americas
Shorter flights and minimal time difference, which can make recovery and follow-up easier. The United States offers access to top-ranked eye centres for complex retinal and corneal cases.
Europe
Asia
Spain and Germany have long-established ophthalmology traditions and rigorous surgical standards. Turkey is known for high-volume eye centres with advanced cataract and refractive technology.
India has very high-volume cataract and refractive programmes. South Korea is known for advanced laser vision correction. Singapore has an internationally accredited specialist eye centre. Thailand has established eye hospitals serving international patients.
If you have already decided on a destination, we will factor that in. All the countries we work with are listed on our Destinations page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Plan Your ENT Surgery with Maple Med Global
As a Canada-based coordination team, Maple Med Global manages every step of the process, from choosing the right hospital and surgeon to flights, accommodation, and follow-up after you return. To begin, share your diagnosis and your situation with us, together with any test results. We review your case and present suitable hospitals with a clear treatment plan and quote.
This page provides general information, not medical advice. Clinical decisions are made by the treating physician(s).