Corneal Transplant (Keratoplasty) Cost Calculator

Corneal Transplant (Keratoplasty) Cost Calculator helps estimate Korea-related hospital procedure, surgery, recovery, complication reserve, and insurance scenarios in English.

Health cost scenario inputs

Enter Korea-related chronic care, eldercare, therapy, procedure, fertility, diagnostic, or medical tourism assumptions. Results are simplified planning estimates.

Procedure gross quote

₩2,500,000

Insurance or support amount

₩0

Estimated self-pay with reserve

₩3,000,000

Monthly reserve target

₩1,000,000

3 month plan

This English page explains Korea corneal transplant (keratoplasty) costs across four techniques: penetrating keratoplasty (PKP, full-thickness), deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK, stroma only, sparing the patient endothelium — favored for keratoconus), and endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK and the thinner DMEK, replacing only the inner endothelial layer for bullous keratopathy and Fuchs dystrophy, with faster recovery and less rejection). The key cost point is that the keratoplasty procedure is covered by Korean National Health Insurance, but the donor cornea itself — tissue procurement, screening, storage, and transport — is NON-COVERED and paid by the patient. A domestic donated cornea via KONOS/eye bank is cheap (tissue cost about KRW 800,000), but the domestic waiting list averages 7-9 years, so imported corneas are widely used at about KRW 3,300,000 each (exchange-rate linked, roughly 3-4x domestic); an imported-cornea transplant totals roughly KRW 5-6 million out of pocket versus about KRW 1.5-2 million for a domestic graft. Critically, corneal transplant itself is NOT a special-case (sanjeong-teukrye) condition — the underlying disease decides. Keratoconus (ICD H18.6, special mark V307) is a registered rare-disease special case, so its covered self-pay is 10% (MOHW notice No. 2026-101, Article 5), while bullous keratopathy (H18.1), corneal scars/opacity (H17), and most corneal dystrophies get ordinary benefit self-pay (20% inpatient; 30% clinic, 40% hospital, 50% general, 60% tertiary, per Enforcement Decree Annex 2). But the special case and the annual out-of-pocket ceiling (which refunds covered self-pay above the income-tier cap, about KRW 900,000-8,430,000 in 2026) apply ONLY to the covered part, not to the non-covered graft tissue, so even a rare-disease patient still pays the full imported-cornea price. Therapeutic corneal transplant is eligible for private indemnity insurance including the non-covered graft cost, but some policies exclude organ/tissue-transplant costs, so check the terms; a fixed corneal-transplant surgical-benefit rider may pay separately. Medical expenses of the taxpayer, those 65+, the disabled, or registered serious-illness patients have no KRW 7,000,000 cap on the medical-expense tax credit (Income Tax Act Article 59-4), and amounts reimbursed by the ceiling or private insurance must be excluded. After transplant, long-term steroid/immunosuppressant eye drops prevent rejection, PKP sutures stay in for a long time before staged removal, and rejection or endothelial failure may require re-transplant. Prices vary by hospital level, technique, graft source, and exchange rate; this is a planning estimate based on 2026 Korean rules, not medical advice or an insurer decision.

Related calculators

What is the corneal transplant cost calculator?

This calculator estimates the real out-of-pocket cost of a corneal transplant (keratoplasty) in Korea — penetrating keratoplasty (PKP), deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK), and endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK/DMEK).
Pick the technique, the graft source (domestic donor vs imported), and whether the underlying disease qualifies for a rare-disease special case, and it separates the covered benefit self-pay from the non-covered graft tissue cost, then works through the annual out-of-pocket ceiling, private indemnity insurance, and the medical-expense tax credit step by step.

Corneal transplant has a cost structure unlike other eye surgery.
The keratoplasty procedure itself is covered by Korean National Health Insurance, but the donor cornea (tissue procurement, screening, storage, and transport) is non-covered and paid by the patient — and an imported cornea alone runs about KRW 3,300,000, which dominates the total. So compare by the real burden including the graft cost, not by the sticker fee.

Korea-based estimate. This calculator is built on Korean National Health Insurance rules for 2026 (benefit self-pay rates, the rare-disease special case, the annual out-of-pocket ceiling, private indemnity insurance, and the medical-expense tax credit). Corneal transplant is covered, but the donor-cornea tissue cost is non-covered. Prices are 2026 figures from the KDCA national health information portal and hospital cases; actual costs vary by hospital level, technique, graft source, and exchange rate. It is an educational estimate, not medical advice, and does not replace diagnosis, a hospital quote, or an insurer/benefit decision.

Types of corneal transplant

Corneal transplants are grouped by which layer is replaced — full-thickness or partial (lamellar).
As selective lamellar techniques have advanced, more surgery now replaces only the diseased layer, giving faster recovery and less rejection.

Full-thickness and deep lamellar

  • • Penetrating keratoplasty (PKP): excises the full-thickness cornea and sutures a full-thickness donor graft. It has the widest indications (corneal opacity, scar, perforation) but keeps sutures in for a long time and, because it includes donor endothelium, carries a relatively higher rejection risk.
  • • Deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK): replaces only the diseased stroma while keeping the patient own endothelium. It suits cases with a healthy endothelium such as keratoconus, and because there is no endothelial rejection the graft lasts longer.

Endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK / DMEK)

  • • DSAEK: strips only the diseased endothelium and inserts donor endothelium with a thin stromal layer, held by an air bubble. It is the standard endothelial transplant for bullous keratopathy and Fuchs endothelial dystrophy.
  • • DMEK: transplants only the Descemet membrane and endothelium — the thinnest graft — for the fastest visual recovery and the lowest rejection, though the delicate tissue is technically demanding and may need re-bubbling.

PKP is the wide-indication standard but needs long recovery and staged suture removal.
Endothelial keratoplasty has a small incision, faster recovery, and less rejection, so replacing only the endothelium is preferred for endothelial failure.

The core cost: domestic vs imported cornea

The biggest variable in corneal transplant cost is not the technique but where the donor tissue comes from.
The procedure is covered, but the donor cornea (procurement, screening, storage, transport) is non-covered and fully paid by the patient.

Cost and wait by graft source

  • • Domestic donated cornea: low tissue cost, so the total out-of-pocket is roughly KRW 1.5-2 million. But domestic donation is scarce, and the KONOS allocation wait averages 7-9 years.
  • • Imported cornea: from an overseas eye bank at about KRW 3,300,000 (exchange-rate linked), 3-4x the domestic tissue cost. The wait is short — effectively immediate — so imported corneas are widely used in practice.
  • • Total example: a PKP with an imported cornea in a two-bed room runs roughly KRW 5-6 million out of pocket.

The key point is that the special case and the out-of-pocket ceiling apply only to the covered part.
The imported graft cost (non-covered) is not reduced by the 10% special case or the ceiling, so whether you can wait for a domestic cornea and whether your private insurance reimburses the tissue cost largely decide the real burden.

Keratoconus and the special case (10% self-pay)

Corneal transplant is not a special-case condition by itself; only the underlying disease that leads to the transplant, if it is on the rare-disease list, reduces the copay.
Keratoconus is the notable example on the rare-disease special-case list.

Keys to the special case

  • • Keratoconus (H18.6, special mark V307): designated a nationally managed rare disease in 2020 with the special case applied from 2021. Once registered, the covered self-pay drops to 10%.
  • • Legal basis: the MOHW notice “Criteria for Special Cases in Self-Payment” (No. 2026-101), Article 5, sets the rare-disease (Annex 4) self-pay at 10% of the total covered treatment cost.
  • • Not special-case: bullous keratopathy, corneal opacity/scar, post-infection haze, and most corneal dystrophies are not special-case conditions, so ordinary benefit self-pay (20% inpatient) applies.
  • • Non-covered excluded: the special case applies only to the covered part, not to the non-covered graft cost such as an imported cornea.

Whether corneal-dystrophy subtypes (Fuchs, granular, lattice, etc.) qualify varies, so confirm with your hospital and the NHIS.
This calculator treats only keratoconus as a confirmed 10% special case and applies ordinary benefit rates to other corneal diseases.

Lowering the burden: ceiling, insurance, and tax credit

Corneal transplant cost is reduced by three programs in sequence.
But you must separate what applies to the covered part from what applies to the non-covered graft cost to predict the real burden.

Three programs — key points

  • • Out-of-pocket ceiling: if annual covered self-pay exceeds the income-tier cap (about KRW 900,000-8,430,000 in 2026), the excess is refunded. The non-covered graft cost is excluded.
  • • Private indemnity insurance: therapeutic corneal transplant reimburses covered self-pay and the non-covered graft cost by policy generation, but some policies exclude organ/tissue-transplant costs — check the terms.
  • • Corneal-transplant surgical rider: a fixed-benefit rider (grouped with major organ transplants) pays separately from indemnity insurance.
  • • Medical-expense tax credit: 15% of medical spending above 3% of gross salary. Expenses of the taxpayer, those 65+, the disabled, and registered serious-illness patients have no KRW 7,000,000 cap (Income Tax Act Article 59-4).

Amounts refunded by the ceiling and reimbursed by private insurance must be excluded from the tax credit to avoid double-counting.
The imported graft cost is non-covered but, being therapeutic, still counts for private insurance and the tax credit.

How to use this calculator

Step 1: Choose surgery and graft

Pick the technique (PKP, DALK, DSAEK, DMEK) to auto-fill typical inpatient days and the covered total cost.
Then choose the graft source (domestic vs imported) and whether the underlying disease qualifies for the rare-disease special case.

Step 2: Copay conditions

Set the care setting (self-pay rate), inpatient days, immunosuppressant eye-drop cost, other non-covered items, income tier, and the out-of-pocket ceiling.
Selecting the keratoconus special case applies a 10% covered rate regardless of the care setting.

Step 3: Insurance and tax credit

Enter your private indemnity insurance generation and gross annual salary, and select whether the patient is the taxpayer, 65+, disabled, or a registered serious-illness patient for the uncapped tax credit.

Step 4: Review results

See total self-pay, domestic vs imported cornea, special case vs ordinary rate, the ceiling refund, private-insurance reimbursement, the tax credit, and the final real burden at a glance.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Q. Is corneal transplant covered by insurance?

A. Yes, the keratoplasty procedure itself is covered by Korean National Health Insurance.
But the donor cornea (procurement, screening, storage, transport) is non-covered and paid by the patient, and this tissue cost dominates the total.

Q. How much does keratoconus cut the cost through the special case?

A. Keratoconus (H18.6, V307) is a rare-disease special case, so the covered self-pay drops to 10%.
But the special case applies only to the covered part, so the imported graft cost (non-covered) is unchanged — the saving is smaller when the tissue cost is large.

Q. How do domestic and imported corneas differ?

A. A domestic donated cornea is cheaper but the allocation wait averages 7-9 years.
An imported cornea costs about KRW 3,300,000 but is available quickly, so imported tissue is commonly used.

Q. Can private insurance reimburse the imported cornea cost?

A. The imported cornea is non-covered but a legitimate medical cost, so it is in principle reimbursable.
However, some insurers exclude “organ/tissue-transplant related costs,” so check your policy terms.

Q. Are there ongoing costs after the transplant?

A. Yes. Long-term steroid/immunosuppressant eye drops prevent rejection, and PKP keeps sutures in for a long time before staged removal.
Rejection or endothelial failure may require re-transplant, adding cost.

Important notes

  • Reference estimate: cost varies with hospital level, technique, graft source, exchange rate, and inpatient days; this calculator uses 2026 public prices and statistics.
  • Graft tissue is non-covered: the keratoplasty procedure is covered, but the donor-cornea cost is non-covered and outside the special case and the ceiling.
  • Special case is individual: only keratoconus is a confirmed 10% case; whether corneal-dystrophy subtypes qualify must be confirmed with your hospital and the NHIS.
  • Rules change: fee schedules, self-pay rates, the ceiling, policy terms, and exchange rates change yearly — check the latest rules and a hospital quote.

Estimate your corneal transplant cost now

Enter the technique, graft source, and special-case status to see the real burden of domestic vs imported cornea and special case vs ordinary rate.

Compare the out-of-pocket ceiling refund and private-insurance and tax-credit relief in one place.