Nuffield Health: Private eye surgery in the UK

Problems with your vision can not only stop you from doing your normal day to day activities, but also be worrying and upsetting. From cataracts to laser eye surgery (myopia treatment), Nuffield Health have a range of eye surgery treatments for a different types conditions, and are there to help.

Why choose Nuffield Health for private eye and cataract surgery? 

• Nuffield Health puts patient care and clinical excellence at the heart of everything they do. Click here to read more about Nuffield Health's Quality and Safety Programme.

• Nuffield Health is committed to providing healthcare excellence that is accessible and affordable to as many people as possible.

• You will always be treated by a Consultant, who is a eye specialist, so you can rest assured that you will always receive top quality treatment.

• The hospitals offer private, en-suite rooms, reducing the risk of hospital transferred infections and giving you the privacy to relax and recover in a comfortable environment.

• Their visiting times are flexible, and they will always try and accommodate your visitors, as they realise how important it is to have friends and family around during your road to recovery.

What is a cataract?

A cataract is an eye condition that makes it difficult to see. In a normal eye, there is a clear lens which helps you to focus. If you have a cataract, the lens is cloudy. Your vision will become blurry as the cataract develops, until the whole of the lens is cloudy. Your sight will slowly get worse, becoming blurry or misty, making it difficult to see clearly.

Cataract surgery is the only way to cure a cataract. However, you may not need surgery if you can see well enough for your everyday activities; you may just need to wear glasses.

What is involved in cataract surgery?

Cataract surgery can be performed as day-surgery under either local or general anaesthetic. The operation involves removing the affected lens and replacing it with an artificial one. The specialist will make a small cut into the ‘cornea’ – the clear part of the front of your eye which covers the coloured part (iris) and the pupil. The damaged lens will usually be fragmented using ultrasound and then removed through the cut and replaced with the new one.

After surgery, the cataract will be gone and you should be able to see more clearly. Your eyesight won’t be perfect if you have other eye problems, but you should be able to return to routine activities of daily life and the things you enjoy. Read more about cataract surgery at Nuffield Health.

Eye surgery consultation

Nuffield Health wants to make sure that you are fully informed before deciding whether to go ahead with your surgery. At your outpatient visit for eye surgery, you will talk to your consultant who will look after you throughout your treatment and hospital stay. He or she can discuss options with you, and help ease any worries you have. You can then jot down a few questions or simply ask us any that spring to mind on the day.

You are more then welcome to bring a friend for support during the consultation, which can take from 15 to 45 minutes. Sometimes further tests maybe carried out on the same day, or you maybe asked to come back another day. Reasons for these tests will always be fully explained. Read more about the eye surgery process at Nuffield Health.

Eye surgery risks

As with all surgery, there are risks involved. Your consultant will be well informed about all of these and can talk you through them. Complications are rare, so don’t worry. Your Healthcare Team is there to reassure and help you if anything unusual happens.

Cataract surgery risks:

• You may experience mild pain. Severe pain is unusual and you should seek advice from your surgeon.

• There may be some aching of the eye, or bruising of the eyelid. This will settle down.

• You may have some blurry vision for a few days, but this should improve and you may see some immediate difference in your vision. Full healing will take several months.

• Bleeding is a risk with any type of surgery. There can be some bleeding into your eye, making it slightly red.

• There may be some thickening of the lens casing, (the part which holds the lens in place). This can be corrected with laser surgery.

• Infection is a risk of any surgery. Your eye will be monitored while you are in hospital and if an infection is diagnosed antibiotics may be prescribed.

Read more about the risks of eye surgery.

After eye surgery

If you work, your consultant will tell you when you are able to go back to work as it may depend on the type of job you do. The consultant will also advise you on when you will be able to start driving as well and it’s best to contact your insurance company as well, if you have any doubt. You should be able to get back to most of your activities by four weeks, as long as your eye has healed. Read more about what to do after eye surgery.

Laser eye surgery (myopia treatment) in the UK

Also known as myopia treatment, laser eye surgery is a treatment for short-sight, long-sight and astigmatism (blurred vision due to an irregularly shaped cornea) by reshaping the cornea (the transparent front part of the eye) using the excimer laser. The surgery, approximately takes 30 minutes for both eyes, and can be done without a referral from your GP. There is also no hospital stay required.

Read more about laser eye surgery at Nuffield Health.

Types of laser eye surgery

• LASIK eye surgery involves cutting a flap in the cornea, lifting the flap and applying the laser treatment underneath, then replacing the flap and allowing the eye to heal.

• LASEK or Advanced Surface Ablation is a less invasive method of laser treatment in which the epithelial cells (surface layer) of the cornea are moved gently to one side, the laser is applied directly to the exposed corneal surface and then the epithelial cells are replaced to form a protective layer whilst the cornea heals.

Risks of laser eye surgery

Potential risks and complications include

• Infection after laser eye surgery

• Under or over-correction

• Night vision problems

• Corneal haze

• Corneal dryness

• Corneal ectasia (weakening of the cornea).

All of these would be fully explained at an initial outpatient consultation to consider suitability for treatment.

Read more about the risks of laser eye surgery.

Contact details

You are welcome to familiarise yourself with the hospital environment before your admission or treatment date. If you would like to visit the hospital, please call 0845 602 9262 and Nuffield Health will be pleased to arrange a suitable time to show you around.

To find your nearest Nuffield Health hospital, visit their website.

Tel: 0845 602 9262

Email: Online enquiry
Website: Nuffield Health 

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