Private Cataract Surgery Henley

Cataracts can gradually reduce the clarity and contrast of your vision, making activities such as reading, driving at night or seeing clearly in changing light increasingly difficult. If these changes are beginning to affect your independence or enjoyment of everyday life, a specialist cataract assessment can help establish whether treatment is appropriate. Patients travelling from Henley-on-Thames can receive consultant-led private cataract care at Sapphire Eye Care at The Forbury Clinic in Reading, where your eye health, prescription and individual visual requirements will be thoroughly assessed before treatment is recommended.

To find out whether private cataract surgery could be suitable for you, book a Free Online Consultation with us.

Cataracts don’t always cause obvious symptoms at first. As the natural lens becomes cloudier, you may notice your vision appearing hazy, increased sensitivity to bright lights, halos or glare around headlights, colours looking less vivid or difficulty seeing clearly after dark. Reading and other activities requiring detailed vision may also become harder. If you’re experiencing these changes, an eye assessment can determine whether cataracts are responsible.

Private cataract surgery involves removing the cloudy natural lens that is affecting your eyesight and replacing it with a clear artificial intraocular lens (IOL). The procedure is carried out by a consultant ophthalmic surgeon, usually under local anaesthetic using modern microsurgical techniques. It is normally performed as day-case treatment, allowing most patients to return home later the same day.

Although the cataract procedure itself generally takes around 20–30 minutes per eye, you should allow additional time for preparation and recovery. Your visit to The Forbury Clinic in Reading will include the necessary pre-operative checks and a period of observation following surgery. Before returning home, you’ll receive detailed guidance about eye drops, aftercare and your follow-up arrangements.

There is no single intraocular lens that is suitable for every patient. Your consultant will assess your prescription and eye health while also discussing how you use your eyesight in daily life. Factors such as driving, reading, computer work, occupation, hobbies and your preference for reducing dependence on glasses can all influence lens selection. Where clinically appropriate, options include monofocal, multifocal, trifocal and Extended Depth of Focus (EDOF) lenses.

Private cataract surgery costs depend on your individual treatment requirements and the type of intraocular lens selected. Once your consultation and diagnostic investigations have been completed, you’ll receive a personalised treatment recommendation together with a transparent quotation detailing the associated costs.

For suitable patients, certain premium intraocular lenses can reduce the need for glasses by providing useful vision across a broader range of distances. This may offer greater visual freedom for activities such as reading, using digital devices and seeing clearly at distance. The results vary between individuals, however, and your consultant will explain what can realistically be achieved based on your eyes and chosen lens.

Patients travelling from Henley-on-Thames can access specialist private cataract treatment at Sapphire Eye Care at The Forbury Clinic in Reading. The clinic offers consultant-led care, comprehensive diagnostic assessment and access to a wide selection of modern intraocular lens technologies. Your treatment is individually planned around the health of your eyes, your lifestyle and the type of vision you would like to achieve following surgery.

Yes. Free on-site patient parking is available at The Forbury Clinic, 23 Craven Road, Reading, making it straightforward for patients travelling by car from Henley-on-Thames to attend their consultation, diagnostic appointments and cataract treatment.

Yes. You should arrange for a friend, relative or companion to take you home following surgery because your eyesight may be temporarily affected immediately afterwards. Before discharge, the clinical team will explain how to use your prescribed eye drops, protect your operated eye and look after your eyes during the initial recovery period.

Many patients notice their eyesight improving during the first few days, although the speed of recovery differs between individuals. You should only return to driving when your vision meets the legal driving standard and you’ve been advised that it is safe. Other everyday activities can normally be resumed gradually, following the recovery guidance provided by your clinical team.

Patients from Henley-on-Thames can usually arrange a private cataract consultation promptly at Sapphire Eye Care at The Forbury Clinic in Reading. Your consultant ophthalmic surgeon will carry out a comprehensive examination, assess your prescription and eye health, and discuss how cataracts are affecting your daily activities. You’ll then be able to explore the appropriate intraocular lens options and receive a personalised recommendation based on your visual needs and lifestyle.

• 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.