Mr Sohail Ahmed
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Cataracts

What is a cataract?

A cataract is a common eye condition where the lens of your eye becomes cloudy, leading to a decrease in vision. The lens of the eye, similar to a camera lens, is clear and helps to focus light or an image on the retina. As we age, some of the protein in the lens may clump together and start to cloud a small area of the lens. This is a cataract, and over time, it may grow larger and cloud more of the lens, making it harder to see.

Symptoms

When you have a cataract, it’s like looking through a foggy window. This cloudiness prevents light from reaching the back of your eye, called the retina, clearly. This can make your vision blurry and colours might seem faded, as if you’re looking through frosted glass. You might also notice that lights seem too bright at night, or you may see halos around lights, making it hard to see well in the dark. Some people even see double out of the eye with the cataract. Because of these changes, you might find it tough to read, watch TV, recognize faces, or drive, especially at night or in poor lighting. Cataracts can also make your eyes feel tired and can lead to headaches or difficulty telling different shades apart.

Glare

Dull Colours

Blurred Vision

What causes a cataract?

Age

Most people who develop cataracts are over 60 years of age.

Trauma or injury

more common in younger individuals

Medications

such as steroid treatment

Medical conditions

such as diabetes

Cataract Surgery

Cataract surgery is a common procedure where the lens inside your eye is removed and replaced with a clear artificial one. It’s one of the most common operations done in hospitals. The surgery is usually quick, taking about 15-20 minutes, and you won’t need to stay in the hospital overnight. You’ll be awake for the procedure, but don’t worry—the area around your eye will be numbed to make sure you’re comfortable. Most people find the surgery very easy to handle. You might spend about half a day in the hospital so we can get you ready with some eye drops to dilate your pupil and do some checks before and after the surgery to ensure everything is okay.

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When will my cataract be ready or ripe enough for surgery?

Deciding to have cataract surgery mainly depends on how much the cataract is affecting your vision and your everyday activities, like driving. If your cataract isn’t causing much trouble, you might choose to wait before having surgery. However, most people who opt for surgery do so because their vision has fallen below the level that’s safe for driving, as recommended by the DVLA. The choice to have surgery also depends on whether you feel ready for the procedure.

What are the risks?

Cataract surgery is highly effective and improves vision for the majority of people who have it. It’s considered a very safe procedure, but like any surgery, it does come with some risks. However, serious complications are rare. In fact, over 95% of people are satisfied with the results of their cataract surgery.

Risks associated with cataract surgery include:

This happens in about 1 in 10 cases. It’s common but can be easily fixed with a simple laser procedure.
This occurs in about 1 in 100 cases. It’s usually mild and treated with eye drops, although in rare cases, eye injections may be needed if the inflammation affects the back of the eye (retina).
This risk is about 1 in 200. If this happens, the surgery might take longer, and a follow-up operation might be needed. Recovery could take longer, and more frequent hospital visits and medications might be required.
Although very rare, occurring in about 1 in 1000 cases, this can cause permanent vision damage. Intensive treatment is required if this happens.
This is very rare, about 1 in 2000 cases, but it can potentially cause permanent damage to the vision.
Your ophthalmologist will go over these risks in more detail during your clinic appointment. Remember, cataract surgery is generally very safe, and most people experience no complications at all.

4 Tips to Improving Success

Achieve better outcomes with expert surgeons, advanced procedures, and a commitment to quality care. Our focus on precision, efficiency, and timely surgeries ensures your vision restoration is in trusted hands.

The Surgeon

The experience of your eye surgeon is a key factor in the success of surgery. I will personally perform your cataract surgery, and as a consultant eye surgeon with almost a thousand cataract surgeries, you can be assured that I have operated on many simple and very complex cataracts.

The Procedure

Although the process for taking cataract out is structured. There are many variables which can require extra steps to ensure a safe and efficient surgery. I will guide you through the process and explain everything simply and clearly

Quality Surgery

It is very important to get the surgery right first time. I’m a Consultant ophthalmic surgeon with an expertise in undertaking cataract surgery. I have extensive experience in doing cataract surgeries in simple and complex cataracts such as very short sighted, far sighted, previous trauma and laser refractive surgery.

Timely Surgery

Choosing the right lens for cataract surgery is essential. Options include Monofocal IOLs, which focus at one distance, Multifocal IOLs, offering clear vision at multiple distances but may cause glare, and Toric IOLs, tailored for those with astigmatism. I will personally you to the best choice based on your needs.

Lens Selection

Choosing the right lens for cataract surgery is a crucial step in ensuring you get the best possible results from your procedure. There are several types of IOLs available, each designed to meet different vision needs;
These lenses are set to focus at one distance. Most people choose to have their monofocal IOLs set for clear distance vision, while they use glasses for near tasks.
These lenses can provide clear vision at multiple distances – near, intermediate, and far. They reduce the need for glasses but might cause more glare and halos around lights than monofocal IOLs.
Designed for people with high degree of astigmatism, these lenses correct your distance vision and reduce your need for corrective lenses.

Cataract FAQs

Unfortunately, there is no other treatment available for cataracts. Cataract surgery is the only way to improve vision once a cataract has developed.
Over 95% of cataract surgeries are done under a local anaesthetic, and most of the patients have a comfortable experience and choose a local anaesthetic for the second eye operation. We normally recommend a local anaesthetic in most cases as this has far less risk than a general anaesthetic. However, if you feel very anxious or feel you may have difficulty lying still or get severe back pain when lying down then you can discuss this with us and we can arrange for an anaesthetic led procedure to aid your comfort.
Cataract surgery involves replacing your natural eye lens with a clear synthetic one. This new lens typically helps you see clearly at a distance, so you might not need strong glasses for far-away things. However, not needing glasses can’t be guaranteed. If you had astigmatism or needed prisms in your glasses before surgery, you might still need glasses for distance unless you opt for a special Toric lens to correct this. Since the usual lens implant (monofocal lens) focuses primarily on distance, you will likely need reading glasses or glasses for computer work after the surgery. Some people choose two separate pairs of glasses—one for distance and one for reading—while others prefer one pair that combines both, like varifocals or bifocals. Most patients end up with very good vision and may need just a little help from glasses for different activities.
If you’re only getting cataract surgery in one eye, we might recommend making both eyes work similarly. For instance, if you’re short-sighted in both eyes and only the right eye is being operated on, we might choose a lens that keeps the right eye short-sighted too. This helps keep your vision balanced so you don’t need different prescriptions for each eye. Matching the eyes helps avoid issues like double vision. We’ll discuss this with you during your clinic visit to find the best option.

No, cataracts don’t grow back once removed. But sometimes, the capsule behind the new lens can become cloudy, affecting your vision. This happens in about 10% of cases and can be easily fixed with a simple laser procedure called Yag laser to make things clear again.

Once you understand the risks and benefits and decide to proceed, you’ll sign a consent form and receive information leaflets. We’ll then add you to the waiting list for surgery. Remember, you can change your mind about the surgery at any time before it happens. Before the surgery date, we’ll invite you for a pre-operative visit to take measurements of your eye (called Biometry) and check your overall health suitability. If there are issues like uncontrolled blood pressure or diabetes, we might delay putting you on the list until these are managed better.
If you wear soft contact lenses, please avoid wearing them for one week before your pre-operative visit. If you wear hard contact lenses, stop wearing them six weeks before. Contact lenses can alter the measurements we take of your eye.
It’s important to tell us if you’ve had laser eye surgery before, as it might affect our measurements. We may need to do additional tests and calculations to ensure you don’t end up too short-sighted or long-sighted after your cataract surgery.
On the day of your surgery, you’ll check into the day ward where nurses will perform some initial checks and give you eye drops to dilate your pupil. A doctor will also see you to mark the correct eye, perform a few more checks, and confirm your consent for the operation. You can expect to be at the hospital for around 5 hours, though the actual time in the operating room is about 30 minutes.
First, you’ll be taken to the anaesthetic room. If you’re getting local anaesthesia, your eye will be numbed with drops and possibly an injection, but don’t worry—it’s generally pain-free. If you need general anaesthesia, your anaesthetist will go over everything with you beforehand. In the operating theatre, you’ll need to lie flat, so let us know beforehand if that’s difficult for you. We’ll clean your eye and cover it and your face with a sterile drape—there are clear options available if you’re claustrophobic. You’ll see lights and shadows and hear noises during the surgery, which lasts about 20-30 minutes. Try to stay still and quiet to help everything go smoothly. Afterward, we’ll cover your eye with a dressing.
Back on the ward, we’ll do some checks and teach you how to use your eye drops, which you’ll need for about six weeks. It’s best to have someone drive you home since you’ll be wearing an eye patch. You’ll get a follow-up appointment for 4-6 weeks later, where we might discuss surgery for the other eye if needed. Since we use dilating drops again, you shouldn’t drive right after this appointment.
We’ll let you know at your 4-6 week postoperative visit if it’s safe for you to drive.

If everything goes well, you can get your new glasses about 2 months after the surgery. We’ll give you more detailed advice during your post-operative visit.
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