Cataracts

There is no specific level of vision at which surgery is indicated, but as soon as your impaired vision interferes with your daily life, the procedure is worth considering. You may notice your impaired vision when reading, working, watching TV, driving, playing sport or caring for others.

If you are a driver, you must be able to achieve the visual standard required by the DVLA and it may be necessary to have cataract surgery to keep your licence. Leaving a cataract untreated does not damage the eye, but as the lens opacity worsens, your vision will deteriorate until little sight remains. Surgery at this stage may be more difficult.

Since most cataract surgery is only carried out with drops to numb the eye (known as ‘topical anaesthesia’), there are usually no restrictions on what you can eat and drink prior to admission. If you require a general anaesthetic, we can supply you with additional written advice about this.

The procedure is usually carried out as a day case, with a hospital stay of a few hours. Please remember that you won’t be able to drive yourself to hospital. You may wish to ask a relative or friend to accompany you, or to drop you off and collect you when you’re ready to go home. If getting to and from the hospital is difficult, we may be able to offer assistance. Please alert our secretarial team, as the hospital bookings office won’t be able to help with transport.

What will my surgery journey look like? Find out by clicking here.

The whole suite of lenses available to the public is currently not available on the NHS. At Sapphire Eye Care we pride ourselves on being able to offer the entire suite of lenses, from Toric lenses to multifocal lenses, from monofocal lenses to extended depth of focus lenses.

As with spectacle lenses, there are different implant lenses available. You may be given a choice of using a regular monofocal lens (single-vision power), or a multifocal lens which is designed to give you a degree of spectacle independence for most everyday tasks.

We will discuss with you the type of implant lens that will best suit your needs, and the visual outcome you can expect.

Most cataract surgery today is carried out using topical anaesthesia. This is done with eye drops to numb the eye and surrounding area. You will be awake during the operation and aware of some movement, touch and water, but the procedure will be painless. We routinely offer intravenous sedation, which many people find reassuring and relaxing.

For potentially challenging cases, we may recommend a local anaesthetic block for your treatment. This involves gently injecting anaesthetic around the eye, and it will help you to relax while the procedure is carried out.

We will make sure you feel comfortable on the operating couch. We then thoroughly cleanse the skin around your eye and place a sterile cover (or ‘drape’) over your eye and face. The cover will be lifted off your mouth so you can breathe and talk easily. A tiny clip is gently used to hold your eyelids open. The surgeon will then ask you to look at a central light, which allows us to position your eye correctly for surgery.

Since you will only see a little of what’s happening during surgery, we will explain what we are doing as the operation goes along. The theatre staff will be on hand to help you feel relaxed and comfortable. We can even make sure that someone is there to hold your hand if you wish. The operation usually takes about 15 to 20 minutes, though in some cases it may take longer.

Many people believe that cataracts are removed with lasers, but that’s not usually the case. The modern technique for extracting cataracts is called phacoemulsification. It’s carried out under an operating microscope and involves making a very small incision in the cornea (the clear part at the front of the eye, which covers the iris and pupil). We then insert a tiny probe through the incision to remove the cloudy lens. The incision is self-sealing, so stitches are not required.

The natural lens of the eye is contained within a ‘capsular bag’. The aim of surgery is to remove the lens contents while leaving the capsular bag intact, apart from a small circular hole on the front surface which allows us to perform the operation.

An ultrasonic probe breaks up and then vacuums away the cataract material, leaving a cavity for the new lens.

At Sapphire Eye Care, patient safety and comfort are paramount during cataract surgery. We use the latest in surgical techniques and technology to minimise discomfort and expedite recovery. Surgeries are typically performed under topical anaesthesia, which numbs the eye surface without the need for injections. For patients feeling anxious, we offer sedation options to ensure a calm and comfortable experience. Our surgical team closely monitors each patient throughout the procedure to maintain the highest safety standards.

Following cataract surgery at Sapphire Eye Care, our comprehensive follow-up care begins with a post-operative call the day after the surgery to ensure the eye is healing correctly. Additional follow-appointments may be scheduled for the weeks following the procedure to track recovery and measure visual improvement, but sometimes this can be done with post-operative telephone consultations or a visit to your local Optometrist.

The recovery process at Sapphire Eye Care is designed for comfort and effectiveness. Post-surgery, patients may experience mild discomfort and blurry vision, which typically subsides from a few hours to a day or two. Most are able to return to their daily activities within 24 to 48 hours. The best combination of drops is prescribed to aid healing and patients are advised to avoid strenuous activities during the initial recovery phase.