L V Prasad Eye Institute

L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) is one of the world's foremost eye care institutions and the largest eye-care network globally, headquartered at the Kallam Anji Reddy Campus in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, Telangana. Established in 1987, LVPEI was co-founded by Dr. Gullapalli Nageswara Rao, a visionary ophthalmologist, with support from renowned Telugu film director Akkineni Lakshmivara Prasad, after whom the institute is named, who donated a portion of the profits from his blockbuster film Ek Duuje Ke Liye along with five acres of land.

LVPEI is designated a WHO Collaborating Centre for the Prevention of Blindness and is an affiliate hospital of Harvard Medical School — one of the very few institutions in India to hold both distinctions. The institute's mission is to provide competent, compassionate, and affordable eye care to all sections of society, with a specific focus on eliminating avoidable blindness. Since its founding, LVPEI has built a network of over 275 eye care centres across India — the largest such network in the world — and has provided outpatient care to over 4 million people, with approximately half of all clinical services delivered free or at deeply subsidized rates to patients who cannot afford to pay.

LVPEI provides the most comprehensive range of ophthalmic subspecialties available anywhere in India. Core clinical departments include the Cornea and Anterior Segment Disease department — one of the busiest corneal transplant programmes in Asia — as well as Refractive and Laser Surgery (LASIK, SMILE, PRK), Neuro-ophthalmology, Glaucoma, Vitreoretinal Surgery, Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery and Orbital Diseases, Ocular Oncology, Contact Lens Services, Vision Rehabilitation, Ocular Prosthesis, and Aesthetic Facial Plastic Surgery.

The institute is particularly celebrated for its corneal transplantation programme, its management of diabetic retinopathy (including laser treatment and intravitreal injections), its expertise in ocular cancers, and its paediatric eye care work including retinopathy of prematurity screening and treatment. LVPEI's clinical training and education division has trained over 10,000 eye care workers across India and internationally, contributing to a significant expansion of ophthalmic human resources in low- and middle-income regions.

LVPEI's Hyderabad campus is equipped with the most advanced ophthalmic diagnostic and surgical technology available globally. Diagnostic capabilities include anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT), Scheimpflug corneal topography, specular microscopy, electrophysiology (ERG, VEP), perimetry and visual field testing, fundus photography, fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography, and low vision assessment suites.

Surgical infrastructure comprises multiple dedicated laminar-airflow operation theatres equipped for high-volume cataract surgery (phacoemulsification), corneal transplantation (DMEK, DSAEK, penetrating keratoplasty), complex vitreoretinal surgeries, glaucoma filtration procedures, and orbital and oculoplastic surgeries. The institute maintains a cornea and eye bank that supports its transplant programme. LVPEI also manages quality assurance and outcome monitoring at over 80 Rotary-supported cataract hospitals across India. Research laboratories on campus support translational research in genetics, regenerative medicine, and optics, in collaboration with national and international academic partners.

L V Prasad Eye Institute attracts patients from across South Asia, South-East Asia, the Middle East, East Africa, and beyond who seek expert eye care that may be unavailable or prohibitively expensive in their home countries. Complex procedures including corneal transplants (DMEK, DSAEK), vitreoretinal surgeries for retinal detachment or macular disease, ocular tumour surgeries, and advanced glaucoma management are available at costs significantly lower than Western countries or even Gulf hospitals.

International patients can contact LVPEI through its appointment email at appointment@lvpei.org or call +91 40 3061 2345. The Banjara Hills campus is approximately 35 km from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. English is the primary language of clinical communication, with Telugu and Hindi also supported. The institute's international patient team assists with appointment scheduling, pre-travel medical record review, treatment cost estimates, and guidance on accommodation in Hyderabad's Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills areas. A telemedicine consultation option allows overseas patients to share records and receive a preliminary clinical opinion before travelling.

L V Prasad Eye Institute was the first eye hospital in India to receive NABH (National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers) accreditation, achieved in 2011, affirming its adherence to national standards in patient safety, clinical quality, and hospital management. LVPEI is also designated a WHO Collaborating Centre for Prevention of Blindness, one of the most significant global recognitions for an eye care institution, reflecting its contributions to reducing avoidable blindness in India and beyond.

Additionally, LVPEI is an affiliate hospital of Harvard Medical School, making it one of a very small number of Indian hospitals with this academic distinction. The institute is governed by the Hyderabad Eye Institute (HEI) and the Hyderabad Eye Research Foundation (HERF), which oversee its non-profit mission and ensure transparency in its operations. LVPEI receives recognition from international ophthalmic bodies including the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) and participates in global research networks in corneal disease, glaucoma, and retinal diseases.