Cataracts are common causes of visual loss in later life. They may cause symptoms such as blurring, difficulty seeing in bright light conditions. The abnormality lies in the lens of your eye which becomes cloudy; this then either blocks the amount of light reaching the back of the eye, or causes light to scatter. During the surgery your lens is removed and replaced with a synthetic lens which is measured to suit you eye.
When is a cataract ready?
In the ‘old days’ cataract surgery was a major undertaking with numerous risks, so cataracts had to be advanced to justify taking the risk of surgery. The current advise is that cataract surgery is warranted when the loss of vision is interfering with your everyday activities such as driving, reading and handwork.
What is the down-time?
Cataract surgery is mostly performed under local anaesthetic and is a day- case procedure. You will need a driver on the day of surgery and for the day- one post-op visit in the rooms. We operate on a Wednesday and you are usually ready to return to work by the following week.
Is the surgery painful?
Most people are concerned that they will feel pain during the procedure. This is not the case. Your other eye will be covered so you will also not see anything during the procedure. There is minimal post-operative discomfort and you will need to be able to instil eye drops 4 times a day post-operatively. If you are having the second eye done, it is usually done 1-2 weeks later.
