Advice on Cataracts

[pattricia]

The vision clinic at the Hallamshire Hospital is excellent, and you will get an honest appraisal of your situation and options from Dr. Edwards. It is a private clinic but also funds some NHS treatment. You just phone up and make an appointment but you will have to pay for a consultation.

 

I believe there are fairly strict NHS guidelines that state when a cataract can be operated on. This is all to do with funding, rather than health - there is strict rationing. My sister was initially refused an operation with all sorts of technical reasons as to why it couldn't be done yet. (This wasn't in Sheffield.) She got tired of waiting and eventually decided to go private where the operation was done straight away and very successfully.

 

My friend has cataracts, and would be interested in your reply. Do you know how much the op. cost her privately ?

[Anna B]

She had something called refractive lens exchange which is more than just a cataract operation, but the principal is the same. This means her old cloudy lens was removed and replaced with a prescription optical lens.

 

She had both eyes done, and now has 20/20 vision without glasses.

It cost her about £5,000 so not cheap.

 

An ordinary cataract operation is a lot less than this.

[pattricia]

She had something called refractive lens exchange which is more than just a cataract operation, but the principal is the same. This means her old cloudy lens was removed and replaced with a prescription optical lens.

 

She had both eyes done, and now has 20/20 vision without glasses.

It cost her about £5,000 so not cheap.

 

An ordinary cataract operation is a lot less than this.

 

Shes rich enough to have it done. I will pass this advice on to her.

[Tradescanthia]

I go to Hallamshire once a year, a small cataract and high eye pressure, could be glaucoma. Been going 3 years now, I was referred by Boots opticians immediately the problem was discovered. I use eye drops, Latanaprost.

[jfish1936]

I feel about all medical/surgical issues:

See the people responsible for DOING it; don't take second hand advice.

An eye surgery clinic can say:

"We should operate on this";

"This is too risky";

"The NHS can't afford it".

Then you know.

 

I used to anaesthetise for cataract operations, local for some, a few needed general -- e.g. a man who couldn't stop coughing.

Almost everyone was much improved.

[Smithie682]

Might be a wise decision to get a second viewpoint from another eye doctor. I have a excellent eye and a sluggish eye but had no issue in getting the cataract eliminated from the excellent eye 8 decades ago. There is a very minor danger with all functions but managing hot meals with inadequate vision cannot absolutely be suggested by your present eye doctor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[Dick]

Don't waste time at the opticians.

Go to your GP and he'll refer you to the eye clinic at the Hallamshire.

They'll give completely different tests and measurements the optician cannot do.

I've had both eyes done.

Waiting time was about 2 months.

The results are magic.

[S8 Blade]

This response may be a little late but...

 

The optician has to refer this to the hospital - It is then up to the consultant at the hospital to decide whether or not the operation should proceed - the original optician has no power over this (nor can an optician remove your driving licence or even contact DVLA).

 

There are guidelines set to opticians about when cataracts should be referred and when they should be monitored. Each PCT has it's own system, but is generally dependant on the level of vision, age and how much it impacts day-to-day living.

 

I hope the OP's mum got sorted in the end.

[tony2]

Dont go to that optician as clearly he is useless. get your self book in to hospital via GP, it is a very simple operation.

Name the stupid optician so others can aviod those cowboys

[medusa]

Why is she taking advice from an optician rather than going to the eye clinic at a hospital and getting it checked by an actual eye doctor? If she has a cataract developing on the lens of the one good eye she has then the hospital may advise her to leave it till it becomes a real hindrance, basically the cloudiness will get worse but there is no set time period for this. When the cataract is removed it is an operation and they remove the lens and fit a nice new plastic one it's a straight forward procedure so the risks are small but there is always some risk to any surgical procedure.

 

^^^This

 

This is not a job for an optician, it's a job for an eye surgeon, so you need to get an eye surgeon's opinion. Please get a referral from the optician and get an honest risk assessment and plan from a specialist.