Private Cataract Surgery Ringwood

As cataracts develop, they gradually reduce the quality of your vision, making activities such as reading, driving, using digital devices and recognising faces increasingly difficult. If you’re finding these changes are affecting your day-to-day life, a consultation with a consultant ophthalmic surgeon can establish whether private cataract surgery is the right treatment for you. Following a comprehensive eye examination, your consultant will recommend a personalised treatment plan based on your prescription, overall eye health, lifestyle and visual priorities.

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

Cataracts often develop gradually, meaning changes to your vision can be easy to overlook at first. Over time, you may find that your eyesight becomes increasingly cloudy, bright lights create more glare, colours appear less vibrant or activities such as driving, reading, using a computer or recognising faces become more difficult. If you’re travelling from Ringwood, a comprehensive assessment at Sapphire Eye Care’s Winchester clinic can determine whether cataract surgery is the most appropriate treatment.

Private cataract surgery is a routine procedure that involves replacing the eye’s cloudy natural lens with a clear artificial intraocular lens (IOL). The operation is performed by an experienced consultant ophthalmic surgeon using advanced microsurgical techniques under local anaesthetic. As treatment is usually provided on a day-case basis, most patients are able to return home a short time after their procedure.

While cataract surgery itself is normally completed in around 20 to 30 minutes per eye, you’ll spend longer at the clinic to allow for pre-operative checks, preparation and a short recovery period. Before leaving, our team will provide your prescribed eye drops, explain your aftercare plan and arrange any necessary follow-up appointments.

Selecting an intraocular lens is a personalised process that considers much more than your prescription alone. Your consultant ophthalmic surgeon will discuss your eye health, occupation, hobbies, driving requirements and the type of vision you’d ideally like after surgery. Sapphire Eye Care offers monofocal, multifocal, trifocal and Extended Depth of Focus (EDOF) lenses, with recommendations tailored to your clinical suitability and lifestyle.

The overall cost of treatment depends on your individual circumstances, including the type of intraocular lens recommended for your eyes. Once your consultation and diagnostic investigations have been completed, your consultant will explain the proposed treatment, discuss your available lens options and provide a detailed quotation with no hidden costs.

Many patients experience greater freedom from glasses after cataract surgery, especially when premium lens technologies are appropriate. However, results differ between individuals, and the level of spectacle independence achieved will depend on factors such as your prescription, eye health and the intraocular lens selected as part of your treatment.

Many patients travelling from Ringwood choose Sapphire Eye Care’s Winchester clinic because they value consultant-led care, prompt access to private cataract treatment and continuity with the same ophthalmic surgeon throughout their journey. Every treatment plan is individually designed, with access to an extensive range of modern intraocular lens technologies to help achieve the best possible visual outcome.

Yes. Complimentary on-site parking is available for all patients visiting our Winchester clinic, making it straightforward for those travelling from Ringwood to park close to the entrance and attend their appointment with ease.

Yes. Because your vision may be temporarily affected immediately after surgery, you should arrange for a family member, friend or companion to take you home. Before you’re discharged, we’ll explain how to care for your eye, use your prescribed eye drops and support your recovery before your follow-up visit.

Although many patients notice clearer vision within the first few days, everyone heals at a slightly different pace. Your consultant will advise when it is safe to resume driving once your eyesight satisfies the legal standard. Other everyday activities can usually be reintroduced gradually in accordance with the personalised recovery guidance you receive.

Patients travelling from Ringwood can often arrange a consultation at Sapphire Eye Care’s Winchester clinic without the extended waiting times commonly associated with other treatment pathways. During your appointment, your consultant ophthalmic surgeon will carry out a comprehensive eye examination, review the most suitable intraocular lens options and develop a personalised treatment plan based on your eye health, prescription, lifestyle and long-term visual objectives.

• 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.