Erbil, Iraq (Kurdistan Region)

ICRS in Erbil, with Dr. Ahmed Shaarawy

ICRS from $600 (from 600 USD) at our Erbil clinic. Surgeon with two surgical videos in the AAO video library, Devers Eye Institute fellowship, 20+ years in cornea and refractive surgery.

Why patients travel to our Erbil clinic for ICRS

Our Erbil clinic performs ICRS using the same instruments and protocols you'd find in London, Berlin, or Boston, at a fraction of the price. Patients travel from across Iraq (Kurdistan Region), the Gulf, and increasingly from Europe for the combination of senior-consultant care, transparent USD pricing, and a clinic that handles international logistics end-to-end.

ICRS pricing in Erbil

All prices in USD. Final cost confirmed after clinical examination.

Procedure	Indication	USD
Intacs	Early to moderate keratoconus	$600-$1,200
Keraring	Moderate to advanced keratoconus	$700-$1,100
MyoRing	Advanced keratoconus	$1,000-$1,800

Our Erbil clinic

Address

60m Street, PAR Private Hospital, 3rd floor, Erbil

Open in Google Maps →

Appointments

Next Erbil visitOctober 17 to 19

Contact

+964 770 475 5561

WhatsApp the team →

For international patients

Airport pickup and partner-hotel rates available. Mention your travel dates when you contact us and we'll include logistics in the reply.

What does cross-linking actually do?

Keratoconus with and without cross-linking

Two steps: pick a stage with the slider, then try a treatment to see what each one changes in the cornea.

What the patient sees

Sharp, single image

1. Pick a stage

2. Try a treatment:

Available at the advanced stage

Healthy cornea
The corneal surface is regular and its thickness is normal.
Early stage
Part of the cornea starts to thin and bulge, and the glasses prescription may change often.
- Glasses prescription keeps changing
- Rising astigmatism
- Frequent eye rubbing
- Light sensitivity
Moderate stage
The bulge grows and vision gets blurrier, even with glasses.
- Double vision in one eye
- Halos and glare around lights at night
- Hard to drive at night
- Glasses no longer correct well
Advanced stage
At the advanced stage the cornea is too thin for cross-linking. The answer is a lamellar transplant (DALK). Do not wait to get here.
- Heavy blur even with lenses
- Rigid lenses hard to tolerate
- Scar in the centre of the cornea
- Sudden swelling with a white cornea, sometimes

Without cross-linking, steepening and thinning can continue.

Cross-linking stops the cone at this stage. It does not return the cornea to its original shape.

Rings reshape the cone and reduce the bulge, so vision improves, but they do not stop progression. That is why they are usually combined with cross-linking.

Cross-linking is not the answer at the advanced stage: the cornea is too thin and scars do not reverse. The treatment here is a DALK transplant, so do not postpone cross-linking until this point.

DALK replaces the front layers with a healthy donor cornea and keeps your own inner layer, so the surface is regular again.

Book a corneal scan (Pentacam)Ask on WhatsApp

Illustration only. A corneal scan (Pentacam) decides the stage and the treatment.

Real patient story

A real patient's experience with ICRS

A patient of Dr. Ahmed Shaarawy on their own experience after icrs.

ICRS in Erbil, frequently asked

How long should I plan to be in Erbil for ICRS?

For most procedures, plan a minimum of 4 days in Erbil. Day 1 is full pre-operative evaluation, surgery is on day 2 (if you're a candidate), and follow-ups span the remaining days. We coordinate longer stays for transplant patients who need close early monitoring.

Is ICRS in Erbil the same standard as London or Berlin?

Yes, same surgical technique, same equipment manufacturers, same eye-bank tissue sources. Dr. Ahmed Shaarawy has two surgical videos in the AAO video library and trained at Devers Eye Institute, Portland, OR (a US cornea center). The cost difference reflects local operating costs in Egypt, not clinical standards.

What languages does the clinic team speak?

Arabic, English, and Kurdish are spoken at the front desk and in clinical care. Surgical consent forms, medical reports, and post-op instructions are issued in English on request.

Will my home insurance cover the procedure?

Many international private insurance plans cover at least part of the cost. We issue detailed clinical reports in English (procedure code, diagnosis code, surgical notes) suitable for insurance reimbursement claims after your trip.

How do I send my topography or OCT before traveling?

Email scans (PDF or JPG) to ask@cornea.clinic, or attach them via WhatsApp to +20 111 118 2081. Dr. Shaarawy reviews international cases personally and replies within 24 hours with a treatment plan and travel logistics.

Plan your ICRS trip to Erbil.

Send your topography, OCT, or symptoms. We respond within 24 hours with a treatment plan, an all-in price, and travel logistics.

Book a consultation Chat on WhatsApp

Two surgical videos in the AAO video library · Devers Eye Institute fellowship · 20+ years of experience

Looking for the Arabic version? حلقات القرنية (Intacs / Keraring) في أربيل ↗