In China, eye care is shaped by three defining realities: sheer scale, diverse patient needs and a markedly higher demand for spectacle independence after surgery. According to the National Health Commission, more than 700 million people live with refractive error, 220 million with cataracts, and 20 million with glaucoma. Delivering care at this scale that is consistent, high-quality and personalized is no small task.

Yet that standard is increasingly within reach. The latest ophthalmic technologies now enter (and often debut) clinical use early in China and extend well beyond major cities to county-level hospitals and underserved communities. Alcon, a global leader in eye care, has helped drive that shift through long-term partnerships with leading clinical networks like AIER.

From technology adoption to system building

The Alcon–AIER relationship has grown from one-off procurement into something more durable: a long-term strategic partnership built around translating innovation into system-wide capability.

To address the needs of an aging population, the partnership began with early adoption of cataract surgical platforms: AIER’s first Alcon U2 phacoemulsification system in 2002. Femtosecond laser technology, introduced in 2013, has since spread across the network, bringing advanced cataract care to far more patients. For myopia patients, Alcon and AIER have advanced personalized refractive care in 2012 and next-generation customized solutions in 2023, as AIER grew into one of the leading ophthalmology groups by refractive procedure volume.

That evolution rests on three pillars: faster innovation adoption, network-wide deployment, and surgeon capability-building.

Accelerating innovation into clinical practice

Through responsible introduction of advanced technologies, Alcon has accelerated the transition of these technologies into clinical use in China. In refractive surgery, Wavelight plus debuted at the China International Import Expo in 2023, with the world’s first system entering clinical use at AIER Guangzhou. In cataract care, a steady cadence of premium intraocular lens introductions followed: PanOptix in 2020, PanOptix Toric in 2022, and Vivity and Vivity Toric in 2023, giving patients more options for clear vision after surgery, with AIER surgeons among the first globally certified to apply each.

Wavelight plus showcased at the China International Import Expo (CIIE)

For patients, early adoption translates directly into tangible benefits: access to technologies designed to improve visual outcomes, often well before those options are widely available elsewhere.

From centers to communities

Innovation matters most when it travels beyond flagship centers to reach a much broader patient population. Across refractive, retinal and cataract care, the deployment has been substantial – more than 120 Wavelight plus systems in refractive surgery alone, with AIER also reaching the highest procedure volumes in femtosecond cataract surgery across China. Collectively, millions of patients have improved their vision or visual quality.

Li Li, Global President of AIER Eye Hospital Group (center) with Rick Kozloski, President of Alcon China (right), and Zhang Jian, Vice President of Surgical Business, Alcon China (left), at the Alcon WaveLight Users Meeting in China

Building the capability to deliver

Technology delivers lasting value only when clinicians have the capability to use it, making professional development central to the partnership. Since 2008, the Phaco Development program has trained nearly 3,000 physicians – equating to roughly one in three surgeons who regularly perform cataract procedures in China, helping to raise the standard of care for more than 4 million patients.

From the first joint training center in the city of Changsha in 2013 to expansion across more than 10 provinces and a new AIER headquarters training center, the capability-building system has grown alongside the network it serves. The result: surgeons who once had limited exposure to advanced platforms have built the consistency and confidence to deliver high-quality outcomes, extending that standard to patients well beyond major medical centers.

Hands-on practice at the AIER Changsha Training Center

The next chapter

For Alcon and AIER, the priorities ahead are clear: clinically meaningful innovation, disciplined deployment and stronger professional development and evidence-generation systems.

Few markets demand more of a partnership than China – both in the diversity of patient need, and in the expectation that advanced care reaches beyond major cities. Alcon and AIER have spent two decades building a response to that demand, by combining technology adoption with system-wide capability building. Looking ahead, Alcon’s support is expected to continue as AIER enters its next phase of development, including a growing presence beyond China.

The work continues.

Strategic Partnership Plaque Presentation at AIER’s 20th Anniversary Celebration