Sight is precious and we need to preserve it . If you use a search engine and ask the question “ what sense would you least like to lose ”, eyesight comes top of the list .
CATARACT SURGERY
Unfortunately , the odds are high that most of the people reading this will develop cataracts . As we get less young it is almost inevitable .
Cataracts occur when the lens inside the eye becomes clouded by protein that has clumped together . As the cloudy area within the lens gets larger , it becomes harder to see . If this begins to affect daily life , surgery can be performed to remove the cataract .
During cataract surgery we take the cataract out and replace it with a new lens . If we did not replace the lens patients would be heavily reliant on very strong prescription glasses to see . When replacing the lens , we have the opportunity to take away long or short sightedness by choosing the appropriate lens power to put in the eye . We effectively take the lens power from the patient ’ s spectacles and incorporate it into the intra-ocular lens . This can mean that people who have worn spectacles since they were a child will suddenly be able to walk around without glasses on , and those who are “ blind as a bat ” first thing in the morning will no longer have to reach for their glasses !
Surgery is available on the NHS for those whose sight is being affected by cataracts , and patients are generally very happy with the results . The aim is to give patients good aided vision i . e .. vision with appropriate spectacles on . During the surgery , the affected lens is replaced with what is known as a ‘ monofocal ’ lens . This can remove the patient ’ s long or short sightedness and allow them to see reasonably clearly without spectacles in the distance , but in turn intermediate and near vision is reliant upon spectacles .
Within private healthcare there are other more advanced options available that can provide a bespoke treatment specifically tailored to the patient ’ s eye .
For those wanting good distance , near and intermediate vision , there are premium lenses that can offer this and an overall better chance of spectacle independence . It should be noted however that it cannot be achieved in every case , and with every clever procedure there are compromises . Unfortunately , not every lens is suitable for every patient .
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