Helen’s first patient is 86 year old Doris, whose eyesight is fading because of a cloudy lens known as a cataract, as Doris explains: “It’s like a fog on your eye. I like to read – I don’t like anything violent – I like nice stories. You can’t read anything small print it is difficult.”
Helen marks up Doris’ eye, to indicate which eye the cataract is to be removed from. The cataract will be removed and replaced with an artificial lens under local anaesthetic.
“If someone is an independent person, to lose your sight it is a big thing”, Helen explains.
Helen puts some drops into Doris’ eye, to dilate the pupil to make them large for theatre.
Surgeon Imran Ashfaq, will perform the delicate surgery. But first, it was Doris’ birthday last week, so the team sing ‘happy birthday’ to her, before they give her the birthday gift of sight.
Doris has been given drops to numb the eye so she can be awake during the procedure.
A bright light is shone onto Doris’ eye, whilst Imran makes a 2mm incision to remove the foggy lens. An ultrasound probe breaks up the cataract into microscopic fragments to be sucked aware. A clear artificial one is inserted.
“We measure the eye on a machine, and this produces data and figures to match up to a big lens bank that we have. The surgeon decides the lens appropriate for that patient,” Helen explains.
The new lens will unfold into place inside the eye. The results of the procedure can be instantaneous.
“When you get to the end of surgery, and this patient can see, this is a life changing moment that not many people get to do,” Helen adds.
Doris no longer needs contact lenses, she is now able to read her favourite books again.
