CATARACT SURGERY IN BIRMINGHAM

A cataract is a clouding of the lens in an eye which sits behind the dark pupil and focuses images so we see objects clearly. As cataracts develop the focus of the eye changes & you have to update your glasses frequently. Driving at night can become difficult because of increaseing glare from car headlights.

As the cataract gets worse, even a new pair of glasses doesn’t clear up your vision because it’s as if you’re looking through a frosted window. One eye may be affected more than the other, but cataracts usually affect both eyes eventually. 

There are many causes of cataracts including ageing, smoking, sunshine & diabetes, & some are inherited in our genes. We don’t understand all the causes & even young people occasionally get cataracts.

We can’t avoid getting older, but healthy living when we’re younger may avoid us developing cataracts until we’re much older.

Come & see us or bring your parents & we’ll scan the cataracts & your eyes with advanced technology scanners. Then we’ll & talk about whether cataract eye surgery is the best solution & talk about the best IOL for you personally.

The cataract operation is done carefully & precisely under a surgical microscope. And cataract surgery has progressed to become one of todays most painless & lowest risk, highest benefit operations. This delicate surgery can be gently done by a skilled eye surgeon using only eye drops & no needles. As soon as the day after the operation most people say everything seems brighter, they see better than they have for years & they didn’t realise how much their vision had deteriorated.

Anaesthetic eye drops are dropped into your eye. Needles are usually unnecessary. A 2mm incision is made at the edge of the cornea (the clear window on the front of your eye) using an operating microscope. The cloudy cataract lens is gently softened using an ultrasound probe then “vacuumed” away. A new, clear lens is placed in the same position as the old one, supported by the same supporting ligaments so no sutures are necessary. Patients say the procedure is painless & all they saw were lights & shapes.

There are a few activity restrictions after the operation & we’ll give you instructions about how to look after your eye. There is no additional cost for your follow-up appointments which can be in Birmingham.

Please come for a consultation or call us for the price of cataract surgery, which depends on the type of lens that’s best for you.

Your new artificial lens works by bending light in a similar way to how your natural lens used to focus light when it was clear.  But the power of the lens is carefully chosen to suit your eye just like glasses or contact lenses are specifically selected to give you clear vision & won’t be ideal for other people.

Therefore we can correct some or all of the focus errors of your eye with the lenses we choose. We want your vision to be as clear as possible with as little need for glasses as possible after your cataract surgery.

Monofocal IOLs: These clear lenses improve distance or near vision but can’t give you distance & near vision & can’t correct astigmatism. So after monofocal IOL cataract surgery, most people need glasses.

Enhanced monofocal & extended depth of focus IOLs: These IOLs improve distance & intermediate distance (computer & satnav) vision. However, you will need near vision glasses after your cataract surgery.

Multifocal IOLs: These lenses provide distance, intermediate & near vision correction, so you can drive, and see your computer & your phone without glasses. They cause some glare at night which usually reduces to the point of not being aware of glare within a few months.

Toric IOLs: These IOLs correct astigmatism & can be monofocal or multifocal lenses.

The best lens is different for each person & depends on the health of your eye, your needs, your lifestyle & the cataract surgery cost you can afford. At your appointment in Birmingham we’ll talk, scan your eyes with high tech scans & decide together on a tailor made vision correction solution for you.

There are so many benefits of cataract surgery.

• Your cloudy vision is replaced with more crisp, sharp vision.
  Better night vision with less glare from car headlights.
• Brighter colours.
• You may not need glasses afterwards. You can achieve good close & distance vision with new advanced lens implants and astigmatism can be corrected with new lenses.
• Better sleep at night. Brighter vision during the day has been shown to improve sleep.
• A happier, healthier life. Cataracts increase depression, isolation & are associated with a lower mood. Cataracts restrict people’s activities & increase the risk of falls and broken bones.
• Better detection of other eye problems. Eye care professionals are able to diagnose, follow & treat other eye conditions better when the cataract has been removed.

And there may be even more benefits depending on your personal circumstances.