"The role of the Vitreoretinal Surgeon"

 

Cataract surgery is one of the commonest operations performed today in the UK, and excellent outcomes are the norm. Complications from routine cataract surgery are estimated to occur in less than 2% of cases.

In rare cases however, cataracts may be more complicated to remove than the norm. Examples of this include if the zonules (the "spokes" of the lens that keep it suspended in the eye, without which the lens would fall to the back of the vitreous cavity) of the lens are weak (in conditions such as pseudoexfoliation syndrome), or following significant trauma.

An experienced and skilled surgeon will still be able to perform the cataract surgery with few problems. An advantage of a vitreoretinal surgeon performing both routine and complex cataract surgery is that in addition to a high level of skill in performing cataract surgery, vitreoretinal surgeons are in a unique position of being able to deal with the complications of cataract surgery (such as the lens material falling to the back of the eye) immediately upon them occurring, whereas a non-vitreoretinal surgeon may have to refer you to a vitreoretinal specialist at a future date, as they are unable to deal with this particular complication that occurred during your surgery.

With years of experience in cataract surgery, in addition to an attention to detail tailored for the individual patient, Niall Patton is happy to offer cataract surgery to patients.