Cataract surgery

Surgery can reverse the effects of cataracts and provide improved vision that lasts. It has a high success rate and is a straightforward procedure that usually takes 30-45 minutes to complete. As many as 450,000 people in the UK undergo cataract surgery every year.
What to expect during your cataract surgery?
Step 1: Visiting the Clinic
Your first visit to our hospital may take up to three hours, while the procedure itself only lasts 20 minutes. When you arrive, our team will welcome you at reception. We’ll do our best to help you feel at ease.

Step 2: A Simple examination
A nurse will go through a simple examination to confirm you are ready for surgery. They will then apply a local anaesthetic using eye drops. This may cause irritation for a few moments, but shortly afterwards there will be no sensation.

Step 3: Surgeon Consultation & Consent Review
Your Regency Eye surgeon will come to meet you to go through the consent form that confirms you are happy to go ahead and ask any questions about the surgery.

Step 4: Pre-Surgery Preparations
You will be taken through to the operating theatre where your surgeon and the theatre team will meet you. You’ll be asked to recline on your back on a specially designed operating table and to get as comfortable as possible. Then, a sterile drape will be placed over you with a small area removed to expose your eye.

Step 5: Eye Surgery Procedure
Your surgeon will place a bright light and microscope above your eye to carry out the procedure. During the surgery you will have to lie as still as possible for up to 20 minutes – you will not be able to see the instrument because of the eye drops. You don’t need to worry about blinking because a small clip is used to keep the eyelid in place.

Feeling nervous?
Try not to worry. Most patients find the whole process much easier than they thought it would be. Surgery is a big moment in anyone’s life and some people are more apprehensive than others. If you are concerned about anxiety during the procedure, you can speak to one of our team before your surgery and we will do our best to make the experience more manageable for you. Mild sedatives can be used through your GP and in some cases, general anaesthetic may be available, though this is associated with greater risks and cost.