Dr. Ahmed Shaarawy, cornea & refractive surgery: world-class care, in Cairo.
Dr. Ahmed Shaarawy was the first to introduce S-DMEK (a stitch-free transplant of the cornea's inner layer) in Egypt. He completed a fellowship at Devers Eye Institute (USA) and a joint doctorate from the Research Institute of Ophthalmology (Egypt) and Devers Eye Institute.
The consultation is 1,500 EGP (about $30) and takes about 30 minutes.
Start from what you notice
What is happening with your eye?
Pick the description closest to what you see, and you will land on a page that explains the common causes and treatments.
- Blurred or ghosted letters, and a glasses prescription that keeps changingKeratoconus
- A white spot or haze on the clear front of the eyeCorneal scars
- Haze or weaker vision in a transplanted corneaCorneal transplant
- Vision getting cloudier with age, glare from lights at nightCataract
- Burning, redness or a sandy feeling in the eyeDry eye
- A fleshy growth creeping onto the corneaPterygium
- I want to stop wearing glasses or contactsLaser vision correction
- Not sure? Book an exam and we will tell you
These pages are for information. A diagnosis needs an exam and a corneal scan.
Academic & professional affiliations
Academic and professional credentials
Real, verifiable credentials: click a logo to see the source.
Fellow · Video libraryTwo surgical videos in the AAO video library, one an Editors' Choice, plus an AAO 2014 poster.
Clinical Fellow · Joint Doctorate
Joint clinical-and-research fellowship and doctorate under Prof. Mark A. Terry, co-developer of modern DMEK and DSAEK (sutureless endothelial corneal transplantation), and Dr. Michael Straiko, at one of the most respected cornea-surgery institutes in the U.S. 🇺🇸
Why patients travel to us
International standard.
Regional access.
Precision endothelial grafting (S-DMEK)
S-DMEK replaces only the damaged inner layer of the cornea, using very thin donor tissue placed without sutures. Vision recovery is usually faster than with older, thicker graft techniques.
International protocols
Same surgical instruments (Katena, Storz), same equipment (Zeiss, Schwind), same eye-bank tissue (VisionGift, Saving Sight), same protocols used in the USA, London or Berlin.
Services
Sub-specialty cornea care under one roof.
Corneal Transplant
When the cornea loses its clarity from a scar, swelling or advanced keratoconus
LASIK & Femto SMILE
To stop relying on glasses or contacts, after an exam picks the right method
SMILE Pro
Corrects short sight and astigmatism through a small opening, with no corneal flap
ICL Implantation
A lens inside the eye for high short-sight or a thin cornea
Cataract Surgery
Vision getting cloudier with age, glare from lights at night
Presbyopia
Near vision after 40
Keratoconus & Ring Implantation
Blurred or ghosted letters and a glasses prescription that keeps changing
DMEK
Replaces only the inner layer when the cornea swells, with no stitches
DSAEK
Inner-layer transplant for eyes with previous surgery or complex cases
Dry Eye Treatment
Burning, redness or a sandy feeling in the eye
Your next step
Book a consultation with Dr. Shaarawy.
⭐ 4.9/5 from 120+ reviews across Google, Meta, Vezeeta and Endorsal · August 2026Patients from 25+ countries.
International trust built on real outcomes: patients travel from across the Arab region and beyond for surgery with Dr. Ahmed Shaarawy, and he also operates directly in multiple countries.
Clinics and surgeries
- EgyptMain clinics
- IraqErbil clinic + surgeries
- LibyaMinistry of Health
Tripoli, March 2022
Libya's national corneal transplant programme
Visiting surgeon for the programme the Libyan Ministry of Health launched at Tripoli University Hospital: about 20 corneal transplants in one week, restarting the surgery there after a pause of nearly eight years.
The full story and sourcesNorth Africa
- Sudan
- Morocco
- Algeria
Middle East
- Yemen
- Palestine
- Jordan
The Gulf
- Saudi Arabia
- UAE
- Kuwait
- Qatar
- Bahrain
Europe
- Russia
- United Kingdom
- France
- Germany
- Austria
- Malta
North America
- USA
- Canada
Africa and Oceania
- Nigeria
- Chad
- Eritrea
- New Zealand
By the numbers
Real experience, in numbers.
S-DMEK technique
The thinnest surgical tissue in the body: most demanding surgery, fastest recovery.
Replaces only the inner endothelial layer with no sutures, faster recovery, sharper vision.
Peer-reviewed keratoconus research (2024)
Peer-reviewed keratoconus research (2024).
Academic and research institute
Lecturer at the Eye Research Institute, ongoing teaching and clinical research in Cairo.
Internationally peer-reviewed research
Techniques presented at ASCRS · ISRS · AAO, used by surgeons worldwide.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Ahmed Shaarawy · Last reviewed: August 2026
Transparent pricing · USD
Same techniques. Transparent pricing.
Same surgical techniques, same equipment manufacturers. The price differential reflects operating cost, not clinical compromise.
| Procedure | Cairo 🇪🇬 | Riyadh 🇸🇦 | Dubai 🇦🇪 | London 🇬🇧 | Berlin 🇩🇪 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Femto LASIK (per eye) | $600 | $1,500 | $1,800 | $3,500 | $2,900 |
EVO Visian ICL (per eye) | $1,200 | $2,500 | $3,000 | $4,500 | $4,000 |
DMEK corneal transplant | $3,000 | $8,000 | $9,500 | $14,000 | $12,000 |
Cataract + Premium IOL | $1,400 | $3,500 | $4,200 | $5,500 | $4,800 |
Want your exact cost for this?
Where we operate
One main clinic.
Two visiting clinics.
Cairo
Egypt
Erbil
Iraq (KRG)
Next Erbil visitOctober 17 to 19
Travel logistics
Coming from abroad for treatment?
We handle airport pickup, partner-hotel rates, and English-speaking aftercare end-to-end. Most international patients spend less than a week in Cairo for routine procedures.
How much does it cost compared to my home country?
Every procedure has a published all-in price, with the same platforms used in the UK, Germany, and the Gulf. Exact pricing is in USD on every service page; insurance reports issued in English on request.
How long do I need to be in Cairo?
LASIK: 4 days minimum. ICL and cataract: 7 days, and you may leave after day 3 on one condition, that an ophthalmologist in your home country examines you on day 7 after surgery. DMEK / DSAEK / DALK: 7-10 days. Follow-up can shift to your local ophthalmologist with our protocol.
What about post-op follow-up at home?
We provide detailed surgical reports, medication schedules, and complication red-flags in English. Many international patients only return for the 1, 3, 6, 12-month checks.
Send your case file.
Get a treatment plan in 24 hours.
Recent topography, OCT, or just your symptoms are enough to start. We respond in English with the right approach, the all-in cost, and travel logistics.
