Private Cataract Surgery Godalming

Private cataract surgery may be recommended if cataracts are making everyday activities more difficult or affecting the quality of your vision. Common symptoms include cloudy or blurred eyesight, increased sensitivity to bright lights, difficulty reading and reduced confidence when driving. Following a comprehensive eye examination, your consultant ophthalmic surgeon will discuss your symptoms, assess your eye health and explain whether cataract surgery is the most appropriate treatment for your individual visual needs.

To see if private cataract surgery in Godalming could be a good option for you, book a Free Online Consultation with us.

Cataracts tend to progress gradually, so vision often changes little by little over time. Common symptoms include misty or blurred eyesight, increased glare from sunlight or vehicle headlights, colours appearing less vivid and greater difficulty carrying out everyday activities such as reading, driving or watching television.

Private cataract surgery involves removing the eye’s clouded natural lens and replacing it with a specially selected artificial intraocular lens (IOL). The procedure is performed under local anaesthetic by a consultant ophthalmic surgeon using modern microsurgical techniques and is usually completed as a day-case treatment.

While the operation itself normally takes between 20 and 30 minutes per eye, you should allow extra time for your arrival, pre-operative checks and post-operative monitoring before returning home. You’ll also receive tailored aftercare instructions and information about your follow-up appointments.

Selecting the most suitable intraocular lens depends on several factors, including your prescription, eye health, lifestyle and the type of vision you would like to achieve after surgery. Sapphire Eye Care offers monofocal, multifocal, trifocal and Extended Depth of Focus (EDOF) lenses, with your consultant recommending the option best suited to your individual needs.

The cost of treatment is determined by your individual clinical requirements and the type of intraocular lens selected. Once your assessment has been completed, your consultant ophthalmic surgeon will explain the recommended treatment, discuss the available lens options and provide a clear, personalised quotation. Learn more about Private Cataract Surgery Costs.

Many patients find they rely less on glasses after cataract surgery, particularly when premium intraocular lenses are used. The level of spectacle independence achieved varies according to factors such as your prescription, overall eye health and the lens chosen for your procedure.

Both NHS and private cataract surgery treat cataracts by replacing the eye’s cloudy natural lens with a clear artificial intraocular lens. Choosing Sapphire Eye Care offers additional benefits, including faster access to appointments, continuity with the same consultant ophthalmic surgeon, access to advanced premium lens technologies and treatment within purpose-designed private clinics.

Yes. Patients attending our Guildford clinic can take advantage of free on-site parking, making it easy to arrive for your appointment without the stress of finding nearby parking.

Yes. As your vision may be temporarily blurred following surgery, you should arrange for a friend, family member or companion to accompany you home. Before leaving the clinic, you’ll be given detailed advice on using your eye drops, protecting your eye, attending follow-up appointments and supporting your recovery.

Everyone recovers at a slightly different pace, although many patients notice clearer vision within the first few days. You should only resume driving when your eyesight meets the legal driving standard and your consultant ophthalmic surgeon confirms it is appropriate to do so. Most daily activities can be restarted gradually, following the recovery guidance provided after your procedure.

Patients travelling from Godalming can usually arrange a consultation without a lengthy wait at our Guildford clinic. During your appointment, your consultant ophthalmic surgeon will carry out a comprehensive eye examination, discuss the intraocular lens options available and create a personalised treatment plan based on your vision, lifestyle and long-term visual goals.

• 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.