Reasons to have private cataract surgery

Cataract surgery at Optimax

We specialise in a number of eye surgeries at Optimax, one of which is cataract surgery. Although this treatment is also available on the NHS, there are several benefits to having it privately, which we’ll discuss in today’s blog post. However, before we get started, it’s important that we cover exactly what a cataract is and what cataract surgery involves.

Cataracts are very common – in fact, over 18 million cataract removal procedures are performed globally each year. Around 400,000 cataract surgeries are performed each year in England alone, highlighting just how common an issue they are. Thankfully, the World Health Organisation actually lists cataract treatment as one of the safest procedures worldwide. It is incredibly straightforward and it is performed on an outpatient basis, meaning that you can recover from the comfort of your own home. The surgery itself takes less than twenty minutes.

A cataract forms when the natural lens in your eye becomes cloudy, preventing you from seeing properly. This happens when your eye tissues break down with age, causing the proteins inside your eye to clump together. Cataracts usually form when you are in your 60s or 70s but worsen over the years, with your sight becoming cloudier as the years go by. Your colour vision will also dim with the progression of a cataract, taking on a yellow-brown tinge. Cataract surgery involves removing your eye’s natural lens, which has become cloudy over the years with clumps of protein, and replacing it with a clear artificial lens. This restores youthful, vibrant vision once again.

So, why should you have private cataract surgery at Optimax?

1. Skip the NHS waiting list

Since the pandemic, waiting times for NHS cataract surgery have increased by 84% in England. Last year, cataract patients had to wait for an average of 9 months from cataract referral to treatment. The NHS recommends that no patient should wait longer 18 weeks from referral to treatment, but a huge backlog is preventing this target from being met. Visiting an Optimax clinic for your treatment means that your wait time could be as little as three weeks, from first consultation to treatment day.

2. Choice of lenses to improve your vision

We’ve mentioned that during cataract surgery, your eye’s natural, damaged lens is removed and is then replaced with an artificial lens. This artificial lens, when treated by a private cataract surgery provider, can actually improve your visual acuity, as well as removing the cataract. We offer several types of lenses to suit different visual and lifestyle requirements, while the NHS offers only a basic clear cataract lens, which has no vision-improving benefits.

Lenses available with private cataract surgery at Optimax include:

Monofocal standard lens

This type of lens is the simplest option of all the types of lenses you can upgrade to. A monofocal standard lens will give you good vision at one particular distance, usually far distance vision. We advise patients who choose this type of lens that they will still require reading glasses for near vision (such as reading a newspaper or book) and for intermediate vision (for example, looking at a computer screen). However, it allows you to see well when you look into the distance.

Monofocal premium lens

The monofocal premium lens is the next step up from our monofocal standard lens, providing good vision for both intermediate and far distances. This means that the aim for patients with this lens is to require reading glasses for near vision only. Monofocal premium lenses are also known as EDOF lenses (extended depth of focus), with more than one focal point.

Multifocal lens

This is the most visually advanced type of lens we offer our RLE patients at Optimax. This lens provides multiple focal points to achieve good vision for near, intermediate and far distances. The aim of this lens is that patients can live life free from glasses or contact lenses. Some patients may require reading glasses for reading fine print, or when trying to focus in low light conditions, but this is a small minority of patients.

3. Both eyes treated on one day

We know that, having dealt with cataracts for months or even years, you’re likely to want the procedure to be finished as quickly as possible. This is another advantage to private cataract surgery with us as we can actually treat both of your eyes on one day. We can do this even if one eye has a more advanced cataract than the other, while the NHS will typically only operate on you when your vision is impaired enough by the cataract that it affects your daily life. This means that you might need two separate surgery dates – one for each eye – months apart.

Our surgeons and clinic staff will treat the procedures for each of your eyes separately, thoroughly disinfecting the theatre and re-scrubbing between each procedure, in order to minimise the risk of infection. A further benefit of having both eyes treated on the same day means your overall recovery time will be shorter, with most of our patients feeling ready to return to work or their usual daily activities in 3-7 days.

4. Choose your surgeon

Perhaps one of the most obvious advantages of private cataract surgery is that you can choose your own surgeon. Different surgeons have different specialties, so you can have a look at all the surgeon profiles on our website and, based on their experience and areas of expertise, choose one to perform your surgery (location dependent, as not all of our surgeons treat in all Optimax clinics). Similarly, if someone you know has had cataract surgery at Optimax and was particularly pleased with their surgeon, you can book your treatment with their surgeon (location and availability dependent).

When you have NHS cataract surgery, you will be assigned a surgeon without any input from you. Your eyesight is perhaps the most important of all your senses, so it couldn’t be more important for you to feel confident in the surgeon who is operating on your eyes.

5. Direct contact with surgeon and clinical team

At Optimax, we are very proud of our high standard of care and communication with our patients. On the day of your surgery, you will be given your surgeon’s overnight mobile phone number to call in the very unlikely event of an emergency. Having this direct contact method sets our cataract patients’ minds at ease. For the days and weeks leading up to surgery – as well as for on-going aftercare – you will be assigned a personal advisor in your local Optimax clinic. You can email or call them directly with any queries you have, which is an opportunity NHS cataract patients don’t always have. This is particularly beneficial for patients who are feeling a little apprehensive before surgery, and our staff have a wealth of information available for anything you may want to know.

Start your journey to clear, youthful vision

We work with private health insurance providers, so if you’re considering cataract surgery with us, contact your provider. For patients who are self-paying, we offer a range of payment plans, including 0% interest options, to make cataract treatment as accessible as possible.

If you would like further information, you can give us a call on 0800 093 1110, email us at enquiry@optimax.co.uk, or request your free information pack online. You can also book your free consultation online to discuss your different lens options and book yourself in for treatment.

We look forward to seeing you in one of our 20 clinic locations very soon.