Private Cataract Surgery Ascot

Cataracts can affect more than simply the sharpness of your eyesight. You may find bright conditions increasingly uncomfortable, night-time driving more demanding or tasks that once felt effortless beginning to require greater concentration. If changes to your sight are affecting your day-to-day confidence, a cataract assessment can establish the cause and whether surgery is appropriate. Patients from Ascot can travel to Sapphire Eye Care at The Forbury Clinic in Reading for consultant-led assessment and treatment, with recommendations informed by detailed examination of your eyes alongside your prescription and individual vision requirements.

To explore whether private cataract surgery may be right for you, book a Free Online Consultation with us.

The visual changes caused by cataracts can differ considerably between patients. Some people notice a general loss of sharpness, while others become particularly troubled by glare, halos around lights or poorer vision after dark. Colours may appear washed out and you may need stronger lighting for reading or detailed tasks. An eye examination can confirm whether these symptoms are being caused by cataracts or another eye condition.

Cataract surgery replaces the natural lens inside your eye once it has become cloudy. Your consultant ophthalmic surgeon removes the affected lens and implants a clear artificial intraocular lens (IOL) in its place. Surgery is generally performed under local anaesthetic using modern microsurgical techniques and, as it is usually a day-case procedure, you would normally leave the clinic later that day.

The surgical procedure commonly takes around 20–30 minutes per eye, but this represents only part of your appointment. At The Forbury Clinic, time is also allocated for admission, preparation and your immediate post-operative recovery. Before you leave, the team will make sure you understand your eye-drop schedule, recovery instructions and arrangements for subsequent care.

Your consultant will discuss the lens technologies that are clinically appropriate for your eyes rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach. Your prescription and ocular health are important, but so are practical considerations such as whether you regularly drive, read, play sport, work at a computer or would particularly value reducing your use of spectacles. Depending on suitability, choices can include monofocal, multifocal, trifocal and Extended Depth of Focus (EDOF) intraocular lenses.

Your treatment cost will reflect your individual clinical requirements and the type of intraocular lens used for surgery. Following your consultation and diagnostic investigations, you’ll be given a clear treatment recommendation together with a quotation detailing the relevant costs before deciding whether to proceed.

This is possible for many patients, but the outcome depends considerably on the lens implanted and the characteristics of your eyes. Some premium IOLs are designed to provide vision at several ranges, which may mean spectacles are required less frequently for activities such as reading, screen use or seeing at distance. Your consultant will discuss the likely benefits and limitations of each suitable option so you have realistic expectations before treatment.

Patients from Ascot can travel to Sapphire Eye Care at The Forbury Clinic in Reading for cataract care delivered under the supervision of a consultant ophthalmic surgeon. Alongside detailed diagnostic testing, patients can discuss different intraocular lens technologies and how each could affect their vision following surgery. This allows the treatment decision to consider not only the cataract itself but also how you would ideally like to use your eyesight afterwards.

Yes. Free on-site patient parking is provided at The Forbury Clinic, 23 Craven Road, Reading. This gives patients driving from Ascot a convenient option when attending their initial assessment, subsequent appointments or cataract procedure.

You should arrange for another person to take you home after your operation because your vision may be temporarily blurred or unsettled. A friend, relative or companion should therefore accompany or collect you. The clinical team will also provide instructions covering your prescribed eye drops, protection of the treated eye and precautions to follow during the early recovery period.

There isn’t a single recovery timetable that applies to everyone. Your vision may improve quite quickly, but you must wait until it satisfies the legal driving requirements and you’ve been advised that returning to driving is safe. Other routine activities can usually be introduced progressively as your eye heals, following the specific aftercare advice provided to you.

If you live in Ascot, you can usually arrange a private cataract consultation at Sapphire Eye Care at The Forbury Clinic in Reading without a lengthy delay. The appointment gives your consultant ophthalmic surgeon an opportunity to examine your eyes, investigate the extent of your cataracts and understand how your eyesight is affecting your daily activities. Suitable lens technologies and treatment choices can then be discussed before an individual recommendation is made.

• After surgery you may experience some pain. Simple paracetamol is usually enough to control this.
• The eyelids will be a bruised and swollen. Bruising will take approximately 2 weeks to settle. Swelling is greatly reduced after 2 weeks but may not completely resolve for several months.
• Some people report not feeling ‘back to normal’ for up to 6 months after surgery.
• Initially it may feel difficult for you to close your eyelids and this will be managed with eye ointments.
• It is important not to have surgery too close to important events, in case you have not fully recovered in time.

• Dermatochalasis is excess of eyelid skin. It can present as an extra fold of skin, which may overhang the upper eyelashes.
• It is caused by the skin loosing its elasticity, usually due to age but is also seen in some medical conditions such as Thyroid related.
• It may be associated with prolapse of orbital fat causing the eyelid to bulge (eye bags). This may occur in the upper or lower eyelid.
• The lower lid may be lax or loose, which may cause it to sag or hang lower than in youth.

• A blepharoplasty is an operation to rejuvenate the eyelids and in some cases can improve vision where excess skin is obscuring it.
• It usually involves removal of excess eyelid skin.
• Depending on an individual, muscle or fat underlying the skin may also be removed, repositioned or tightened surgically.
• The procedure can be carried out in the upper or lower eyelid

Upper eyelid blepharoplasty:

• At the beginning of the operation the amount of skin to be removed will be carefully assessed. Marks will be drawn on the eyelid with a sterile marking pen to assist the surgeon during the procedure.
• The incision is based in the skin crease of the upper lid, which helps to minimise any sign that you have had upper lid surgery.
• After this, local anaesthetic will be injected under the skin of the eyelid and excess skin is then removed.
• Depending on your particular needs, the muscle beneath the skin may be preserved or partially removed.
• If there is fat prolapse, this may be treated with partial fat removal or repositioning.
• Sutures are placed to reform the natural skin crease in the eyelid.
• The skin edges are sutured together with either a continuous suture that is removed one week later or absorbable sutures that will naturally fall out after 2-3 weeks.
• It may be performed alone or in conjunction with other procedures such as lower eyelid surgery, ptosis surgery or brow surgery.

Lower eyelid blepharoplasty:

• There are several elements to lower lid blepharoplasty: skin, muscle, fat and eyelid laxity. The procedure will be tailored to your needs.
• Fat prolapse in the lower eyelid gives the appearance of ‘eye bags’. This fat can be excised or repositioned over the orbital rim to create a smoother transition from the eyelid into the cheek.
• Surgery on the prolapsed fat may be done without a skin incision from the inside of the eyelid – transconjunctival or via a skin incision just beneath the eyelashes – transcutaneous.
• The lower eyelid usually needs to be tightened at the time of surgery. Even a small amount of lid laxity can lead to postoperative lower lid retraction or ectropion if not addressed at the time of surgery.
• The orbicularis muscle, which lies directly beneath the skin is often tightened by placing sutures from it to the bony rim of the orbit – ‘orbicularis suspension’.
• Lower eyelid skin is excised in much smaller amounts than in the upper lid. This is to avoid the unwanted side effect following surgery of eyelid retraction.

• Bleeding and bruising.
• Over or under correction of excess skin with the potential for residual bulging after surgery. Under correction does not usually necessitate revision surgery and is relatively common and preferable to over correction. Over correction results from removal of too much eyelid skin and/or fat with a resultant cosmetic sunken appearance to the eyelids after blepharoplasty).
• Asymmetry of the shape of the eyelids.
• Dry eye requiring the use of artificial teardrops temporarily blurred vision, which is usually temporary.
• Weak or limited eyelid blink (occurs due to excessive scarring)
• Weak or limited eyelid closure (especially at night)
• Should the cornea break down, partial closure of the eye with sutures may be necessary to protect it. Further corrective surgery may be necessary.
• Recurrence of excess skin/bag.
• The need for further eyelid surgery in the future.
• Cysts or whiteheads along suture sites.
• Temporary patches of numbness of the eyelids.
• Orbital haemorrhage with a potential for permanent visual loss
• Infection
• Scarring, or persistent eyelid swelling, and other unusual skin changes, especially in patients with thin sensitive skin, are extremely rare complications.

Crow’s feet are not generally improved by blepharoplasty. Smile lines are not improved by blepharoplasty and may change after surgery. In addition to the risks specific to the individual procedure, there are also general risks, such as blood loss, infection, cardiac arrest, airway problems and blood clots, which are associated with any surgical procedure. Local anaesthetic may cause bruising or possible allergic responses. If your operation is to be carried out under general anaesthetic, the anaesthetist will discuss this with you.

• Both eyelid dermatochalasis and eyebrow ptosis may reduce the visual field due to the hooding of skin over the eyelid; surgery can therefore improve visual function and relieve some headaches.
• It also will improve the appearance of the eyes with a fresher more awake look.

If you choose not to have this surgery, the appearance and symptoms caused by the excess skin or fat is not likely to improve and may worsen over time, although this will not have any permanent detrimental effect on your vision or general health.