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Boasting
an international presence addressing well over 150,000 patients every
year, the Group commands a wealth of expertise when it comes to cataract
surgery.
Although not a life-threatening condition, dealing with partly cloudy
vision can be frustrating especially when it becomes serious enough to
interfere with your daily activities. It is at this point that you
will undoubtedly need to have your cataract removed to rectify the problem
and this is specifically where the Eye Clinic in Budapest can help you.
The Clinic offers nothing less than the highest standards and very best
care for you. Besides having professional and hands-on staff, the
Eye Clinic is well equipped to make the process as pleasant and rela
xing as possible. With sutureless phalcoemulsification, (the most popular form of cataract surgery performed the world over), the procedure
takes no longer than twenty minutes and your life can return to normal.
What
is a Cataract - Identifying the problem
Just
behind the iris, the coloured part of the eye, is the lens which is
normally clear or transparent. The lens is important for focusing light onto the back of the eye (the retina) so that images appear clear and
without distortion. However, a natural ageing process in the lens it
self causes a cataract to develop. This causes the eye’
s internal focusing lens to cloud and impede your vision. For
the majority of people, the cloudiness gradually develops over a long
period that could span decades and could cause serious visual difficulty
in both eyes by the time they are 60 or 70 years old. On the other hand, it is not uncommon for cataracts to develop rapidly in either one or
both eyes simultaneously. Cataracts can also develop at a younger
age, where it may be related to a previous injury to the eye, or use of
medication such as steroids. The most common ocular problem in the world and the principal cause of blindness, millions of cataract surgeries
are performed every year throughout the world.
Symptoms
- How can I be sure?
The most common symptoms of cataract are typically affected by light.
You may notice it becomes more difficult to see properly if the light is
dim, like at dusk or dawn or inversely when the light is bright, like on a
clear day or with artificial lighting.
Other symptoms that indicate
cataracts include:
-
Colours
looking less clear or more faded.
-
Reading,
watching TV and other daily activities become more strenuous than they
used to be.
-
Discomfort
and a dazzling sensation when faced with glare from bright light.
It
normally takes years for the symptoms to develop, most commonly in the
elderly. However, diabetics and short sighted people tend to develo
p it much earlier. Look out for sudden unpredictable variations in
your ocular prescriptions. If you start to notice that your glasses
have become less effective or, in rare cases, you suffer from double
vision, get in touch with
Linda Briggs in Hungary for professional help.
Why
do Cataracts form?
The lens is mostly made up of water and protein which is arranged in an
exceedingly precise fashion that keeps the lens clear thus allowing light
to pass through it. However, as we get older, the protein tends to cluster together forming a cloudy area that covers the lens making it
much harder to see. It is still uncertain why cataracts form as we age.
T
here is some speculation as to whether it may be linked to how fluids and
nutrients reach the eye, too much exposure to ultraviolet rays or even
diabetes. Since a number of studies suggest cataract development is somehow connected to ultraviolet light, eye care practitioners
recommend putting on sunglasses to reduce direct exposure to the
potentially harmful rays.
If
you think your eyes have been over-exposed and would like to get a check
up, get in touch with Linda Briggs in Hungary and we will be
pleased to help.
Treatment
Process
Preparation for surgery: You
will be asked to come to the Eye Clinic approximately one hour before your
surgery. In the waiting area a nurse will go through you
some health-related questions with you. Then your nurse will put
some drops in your eyes to dilate your pupil. These drops might sti
ng a little bit. Your surgeon will then come to see you and answer
any further questions that you might have.
Eating,
drinking and medications:
Your operation will be under local anaesthetic and you can eat and drink
as normal before and after the surgery. You should take your reg
ular medication as you would normally. To reduce anxiety, you may be offered a sedative drug to help you relax during the procedure.
Pl
ease bring a list of your current medications with you. If blood tests are required, these will be carried out on a day prior to your
surgery date.
Consent: The
surgeon performing your surgery will ask your permission to perform a
particular treatment or investigation. You will be asked to sign a consent form that says you have agreed to the treatment and that you
understand the benefits, risks and alternatives. If there is anything
you don’t understand or you need more time to think about it, please
tell the staff caring for you. Remember, it is your decision.
You can change your mind at any time, even if you have signed the consent
form. Let the staff know immediately if you change your mind. Your wi
shes will be respected at all times.
The
surgery: Cataract surgery involves removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with an
artificial lens. It is performed as a day surgery procedure u
nder local anaesthesia, so you are awake, but your eye will not feel
any pain. You will not be able to see properly during the surg
ery, but you may notice bright lights or colours. You will need to
lie relatively still during the operation; if you need to cough or adjust
your position, please warn your surgeon. We will make a small incision in the side of your eye and use ultrasound probes in a
technique called ‘phacoemulsification’ to remove your catarac
t, and then replace it with an artificial lens. This is made of a special kind of material and stays in your eyes forever, only rarely needing
replacement. Measurements taken before the operation help us decide w
hich lens is best for you. We offer different kinds of lenses, but
this will be discussed with you by the surgeon to make sure that the
result of the surgery meets your expectations. Surgery is usually
sutureless and takes approximately 20 minutes.
If you would like to find out
more about whether or not you require a Permanent Lens Replacement or
would simply like to know more,please
contact Linda Briggs in Hungary.
Risks
and Complications - What are the risks:
Cataract
surgery is usually very successful, with over 95 out of 100 patients noticing an improvement in their vision after the surgery if there are no
other pre-existing eye conditions. However, it is important to rea
lise that there is always a risk of complications associated with
any operation.
Some of the complications that may occur during the operation include:
-
Internal
bleeding.
-
Damage
to other structures of the eye including the capsule surrounding the lens.
-
Incomplete
removal of the cataract.
-
Part
of the cataract falling into the back of the eye. Some of these
complications can be dealt with at the time of the surgery or just after
surgery.
Some
of these complications can be dealt with at the time of surgery or just
after the surgery.
Potential complications occurring after the surgery include:
-
Severe
infection
-
Fluid
accumulating at the back of the eye (in the retina, the light-sensitive
layer at the back of the eye)
-
Detachment
of the retina
-
Clouding
of the membrane behind the lens
These
complications can sometimes occur even if the operation itself is carried
out perfectly. Many of these complications are manageable, although it may mean that other treatments may be required and the recovery
period may be longer than usual. This may include the need for
additional surgery. The most serious consequence of all the complicat
ions is the risk of loss of vision in extreme rare cases.
If the membrane behind the artificial lens becomes cloudy, this will make
your vision blurry again. If this happens, laser treatment may be ne
eded some time after the surgery, restoring back your clear vision.
However, you should be reminded that these risks are not common and
that all necessary precautions will be taken by the clinic's totally
professional staff to ensure that you have an uneventful procedure.
Contact
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