Opthalmic Surgery

This is probably the most common eye surgery performed worldwide. A cataract is a cloudiness of the eye's crystalline lens due to aging, disease, or injury that prevents light from forming a clear image on the retina. If visual loss is significant, surgical removal and replacement of the lens with a silicone intraocular lens (IOL) may be required. Many people believe that cataract surgery is typically performed with a laser, but this is not the case. Abbey Hospital's consultants specialise in a surgical technique called Phaco-Emulsification. This advanced procedure involves the surgeon making a small incision at the edge of the cornea to create an opening in the membrane that surrounds the clouded or opaque lens. Next, a small ultrasonic probe is inserted through the opening in the cornea to break up or "emulsify” the cloudy lens into tiny fragments that are suctioned out by an attachment on the probe tip. After the lens is completely removed, the probe is withdrawn and the folded intraocular lens (which has been made to the patient’s precise prescription) is implanted through the same tiny incision. The IOL unfolds to a perfect fit and restores vision completely, often without any need for glasses. Stitches are seldom needed to close this tiny entry, which means that Phaco-Emulsification is a less discomforting experience for the patient offering quicker recovery of vision than almost any other surgical technique.

The macula is a small, but essential, area at the centre of the retina responsible for what we see straight in front of us allowing us to see fine detail for reading or writing as well as the ability to see colour. Sometimes the delicate cells of the macula become damaged and stop working. AMD is primarily age related and the condition is very common in people over 60. Women seem more prone to the condition than men and some studies suggest that smoking or excessive exposure to sunlight may contribute to its onset. There are two types of macular degeneration or AMD, usually referred to as “Wet” and “Dry”. This is not a description of what the eye feels like but what the ophthalmologist can see when looking at the macula. “Dry” AMD is the most common form of and develops very slowly. Symptoms include a gradual central blurring of vision and colours seem to fade away like the colours fading in an old photograph. “Wet” AMD is the result of new blood vessels growing behind the retina causing bleeding and scarring, which can lead to sight loss. Unlike “Dry” AMD, “Wet” AMD can develop very quickly, but has the same general symptoms. Both “Wet” and “Dry” AMD usually involve both eyes, although one may be affected long before the other. This sometimes makes the condition difficult to notice at first because the sight in the “good” eye is compensating for the loss of sight in the affected eye. The good news is that a new injection-based treatment for AMD is available at Abbey Sefton Hospital. Prior to this treatment, older people with more severe or “Wet” forms of AMD had no option but to endure an inevitable and gradual loss of central vision. A drug called Avastin has been shown in clinical trials to stop, and in some cases reverse, vision loss. Avastin is injected directly into the eye and works by blocking a substance known as vascular endothelial growth factor or VEGF. Blocking or inhibiting VEGF helps prevent further growth of the blood vessels that cause the macular degeneration. Abbey Consultant Surgeons report that early experience with the use of Avastin injections is very encouraging and the majority of patients show improvement in their short distance and reading very quickly.

Glaucoma surgery: Glaucoma is the name given to a group of diseases affecting the optic nerve that results in vision loss and frequently involves raised intraocular pressure (IOP). There are many types of glaucoma surgery including canaloplasty that aim to relieve the IOP through removing excess aqueous humor from the eye or procedures to decrease the production of aqueous humor.

Aims to correct errors of refraction in the eye, reducing or eliminating the need for corrective lenses through a variety of surgical procedures such as keratoplasty. Surgical techniques used here can range from reshaping the cornea by shaving off a disc of cornea, quick- freezing and lathe-grinding it to its original power to laser-assisted techniques.

All the ophthalmic surgery procedures described here are available on a Fixed Price Surgery scheme. Please contact us for full details.

How Long Will You Stay in Hospital?

That depends entirely on the procedure to be carried out and your rate of recovery. For procedures conducted under general anaesthesia a hospital stay of anything from 1 day to week could be required. If you undergo Avastin treatments no extended stay will be necessary. On your first consultation, your consultant will advise you on the likely length of stay in hospital.

How to Make an Appointment

A referral from your GP is preferred. We will then arrange an appointment time for you. If your treatment does not require a GP referral, the Consultant will write to your GP before the surgery is carried out.