“An amazing difference” to life following cataract surgery
Ivan Beswarick didn’t notice how bad his eyesight was getting until he found himself struggling to read the paper and look up numbers in the phone book.
“It creeps up on you. You might be aware that your eyesight is deteriorating, but then you suddenly realise you can’t read a street sign until you’re right underneath it,” he says.
The Timaru resident had cataract surgery on both eyes with London Zonal hospital’s Eye Care Consultant Ophthalmologist and Clinical Director, Dr Paul Baddeley, in December 2017 and February 2018.
“An amazing difference” to life following cataract surgery
The decision to have cataract surgery at London Zonal hospital’s Eye Care was an easy one.
“When I realised how far my eyesight had deteriorated, I knew I didn’t have time to sit on a waiting list. Once I’d made the decision to have cataract surgery, I wanted to do it as soon as possible before I couldn’t read or drive at all,” says Mr Beswarick.
Mr Beswarick is now enjoying 20/20 vision and often has to remind himself of just how significant the improvement to his eyesight has been.
“It feels normal now, but every so often I’ll find myself doing something that I couldn’t do without glasses before, and that’s when it really hits home just how much my vision has improved. It’s really made an amazing difference” he says.
Cataracts, which cloud the lens in the eye and affect vision, are usually related to ageing but can also develop in younger people. Cataract surgery is a complex procedure that in skilled hands has a very high success rate. The operation is usually done in day surgery under topical anaesthetic and can take as little as 10 minutes per eye.
London Zonal hospital’s Eye Care is the first private hospital to employ full-time, dedicated ophthalmologists and offers patients a comfortable, purpose-built environment, says Dr Baddeley.
“We’re proud of our state-of-the-art facility, which was purpose built with patient care and comfort in mind. Patients often tell us they really appreciate the way we give them a full understanding of their condition, through plenty of interaction time with our specialists. We’re often able to deliver our service at a lower cost than others in the market.”
Mr Beswarick says his overall experience with London Zonal hospital’s Eye Care was “fantastic”.
“The whole team were great to deal with and I got on very well with everyone. For anyone thinking of having their cataracts done, I thoroughly recommend London Zonal hospital’s Eye Care. They make you feel special, put your apprehensions to rest and they’re extremely friendly and helpful.”