Home: Service

Your Cataract Surgery at the Mater Private Hospital with Stephen Farrell

Initial Consultation before the day of Surgery

This first meeting occurs in the Eye Centre on level 5 in the Mater Private. The important features of the initial consultation are to confirm the diagnosis of cataract and to decide with you if you would benefit from cataract surgery.

This consultation is important to identify any other problems with the eyes such as glaucoma or macula degeneration. I will check your level of vision and examine you on a slit lamp. I will give you drops to dilate your pupils so that I can see the cataract clearly and see the back of your eye including the retina and optic nerve.

We discuss what you can expect and the pros and cons of having your cataracts removed. It is your decision if you want to go ahead.

We will discuss your plan as to what to expect regarding the need for glasses following surgery and the decision to use a standard or premium lens.

Other tests before the surgery.

In order to decide the strength of the new lens to be inserted, we have to do very accurate measurerements of your eye call Biometry. This is performed in the Eye Centre on Level 5.

Booking a Date for Surgery

My secretary will book you a date for surgery. You will be send written confirmation of this. This will include the date and time that you are to present to the Day Therapy Unit in the Mater Private Hospital on Eccles Street.

You should confirm that your Health insurance covers the cost of the surgery in the Mater Private Hospital. If you are paying yourself you should confirm the costs with my secretary.

Paperwork

You will be given written information regarding Cataract Surgery. You will be given a consent form to sign prior to the day of surgery. You can take it home and take your time reading it before returning it in advance of the day of surgery.

The Day of Surgery

If you are having your surgery under local anaesthetic, you can eat and drink on the day of surgery but heavy meals should be avoided. You should present to the day therapy unit at the time stated on your booking confirmation letter. Day Therapy is located on level 2 in the Mater Private hospital.

You will be shown to a bed on the day therapy unit. The nursing staff on the day ward will make sure you are ready before you are brought over to the surgical unit.

You will be brought to a waiting area in the surgical unit before being brought to the anaesthetic room. Your anaesthetist will meet you there. If you are feeling anxious they may offer some sedating medication to reduce any feelings of anxiety. They will usually perform the local anaesthetic at that stage.

You will then be brought into the operating theatre. At this stage your eye will be "asleep". The eyelid may be closed or you may still be able to blink. Your vision may be reduced temporarily by the anaesthetic.

I will perform your eye surgery. People in the theatre with me will include a number of theatre nurses / anaesthetic nurses and the anaesthethist. The porters will come in when needed to bring you in or out of the room.

During the surgery you will not feel any pain.

Following the surgery a plastic shield will cover your eye. You will be brought back to the day ward. I will speak to you after the surgery.

You will be provided with eye drops and instructed how to take these. You will be told what you should and should not do in the days and weeks after surgery.

You will be free to go home soon after surgery.

Recovering from Cataract Surgery

Dos and Don'ts

DOs

DO keep the shield on on the day of surgery until you get home. After that you can remove it while you are awake as long as you don't rub the eye.
DO wear the shield at night when you go to bed for a week. The purpose of the shield is to stop you accidentally rubbing the eye.
DO expect blurred vision, light sensitivity, a gritty sensation, a foreign body sensation (like you have an eyelash in the eye), some discomfort around the eye.
DO take your drops as prescribed
DO bath or shower from the day after surgery. DO avoid getting shampoo or soap or excessive water in the eye.
DO go out for walks or go out to restaurants etc the day after surgery if you feel like it.
DO contact us if there is significant pain in the eye in the days following the surgery.
DO contact us if symptoms are getting worse in the days after surgery.
DO contact us if there is a sudden drop in vision or black spots, streaks or shadows appearing in the vision.

DON'Ts

DON'T Drive yourself home after the surgery.
DON'T Rub the Eye.
DON'T Swim or submerge your head in water for two weeks after surgery.
DON'T Strain or lift heavy weights for two weeks following surgery.
DON'T bend down so that your head is below your waist for two weeks following surgery.
DON'T run or perform strenuous exercise for 2 weeks following surgery.
DON'T go into environments where there is a lot of dust or wind or pollen for two weeks after surgery.