Local anaesthetic eye drops are used as you lie in the bed. Most people feel a sensation of pressure for about less than a minute in each eye.

The actual treatment should take less than 20 minutes to complete. You will then be sent to a recovery room in the clinic to recuperate. All in all, you will be in the clinic for around 2-3 hours.

Most patients tested the next day following laser vision correction surgery are well beyond the visual standards required for driving– much depends on the eye’s rate of healing and progress.

You will be able to return to work after the consultation, but you will not be able to drive as eye drops will be used to dilate your pupils. As a general guide, following the eye laser surgery you should take 24-48 hours off work.

The operation itself usually takes around 20 minutes but the total process, from the time a patient comes into the clinic until he is discharged is about two and a half hours. You will return home after the procedure with a protective shield over the treated eye.

Generally cataract surgery does not hurt. Anaesthetic eye drops will be instilled in the eye in addition to medication to relax you before your surgery.

During the operation an eye holder gently keeps the lid open to prevent blinking. As the eye has been numbed with eye drops prior to the surgery there is little to no sensation from the lid holder.

Some blurring after cataract surgery is usually caused by swelling or oedema of the cornea. If this is the case, it will resolve over time. In most cases, patients can see better within a week after surgery. If your blurring persists, please seek advice from your doctor.

Depending on what type of lens you have instructed your doctor to use, it will determine whether you will need glasses or not. If you opt for a standard lens to be used, then most likely you will need glasses. If you opted for a premium lens then you can correct your vision problems like presbyopia or astigmatism and dramatically reduce the need for glasses.

Recovery after cataract surgery does not take long and everyday life is not majorly impacted. Of course it depends upon several factors, including the size of the cataract and the patient’s health. Your eye may feel sore immediately after the surgery, but after a couple of days most discomfort should disappear. Complete recovery may take 4-6 weeks. Usually it is advisable to refrain from vigorous exercise for the first week or two after surgery. Restrict lifting or deep bending for several days after surgery as these activities can increase eye pressure. Generally, you should refrain from lifting over 10kgs, swimming, sitting in a sauna/spa, running and jogging for the first week.

Depending on how bad your abrasion is, the antibiotic ointment/drops may sting when applied. This is normal and will not last long.

You will be treated for your corneal abrasion as an outpatient. Some patients may be admitted to hospital overnight, but this is rare and will be discussed with you by your doctor or nurse.

If you have been given the drop, when the pad is removed the pupil may still be enlarged and your vision slightly blurred. The effects of the drop could last for at least four hours. Is there anything.

For safety reasons do not drive or operate machinery whilst wearing the eye pad or whilst your vision is affected by the drops.

You may have been given antibiotic eye drops or ointment to take home, and to help prevent infection. A bandage contact lens may also be used. This is designed to protect an injured or diseased cornea from the mechanical rubbing of the blinking eyelids, which will allow your cornea to heal.

Whether you have a follow-up appointment will depend on how bad your abrasion is. This will be discussed with you by your doctor or nurse before you leave hospital.

Continue with all current medication, unless advised otherwise. You may wear glasses or contact lenses until your admission. You should follow the instructions regarding eating and drinking that you have been given. The fitter you are at the time of surgery the quicker you may recover. It is important that you follow any instructions that you are given both before and after surgery as this will also aid your recovery.

This operation is usually carried out as a day case.

If the surface or all of the cornea is replaced, the graft is sewn into place with microsurgical instruments. The sutures (stitches) will remain in place for several months after the surgery. The time and rate at which the sutures are removed varies from person to person but may take up to two years. This will depend on your recovery and vision. If only the inside layer of the cornea is replaced, the graft is put into the eye through a small incision and is held in place by an air bubble that will dissolve after two to three days. The incision is closed with sutures which can be removed after one month (in the clinic by the ophthalmologist). The patient is requested to lie flat for several hours after the surgery to help the air bubble keep the graft in place.

The eye may be uncomfortable for a few days after the operation, however, this should be controlled with over the counter painkillers such as paracetamol. Stronger medication will be prescribed for you if the doctor thinks it will be necessary. You will not be able to drive home or use a mobility scooter after your procedure. This is because of the drops. Please bring a companion, or make suitable transport arrangements, so you can get home afterwards. You may resume driving the day after your procedure when your vision has returned to normal.

There are complications that can arise during or after corneal grafting. These include general complications that may occur whenever the eye is operated upon, such as infection or sudden haemorrhage (bleeding) within the eye. Either of these can result in blindness but the risk of these happening is very low. For deep anterior lamellar and for penetrating grafts complications include: • problems related to sutures which can break and lead to infection or rejection of the graft • astigmatism (a defect in the eye which prevents proper focussing) which occurs frequently after such surgery and may require glasses, contact lenses, or sometimes further surgery to be corrected • primary graft failure, where the graft never clears after being transplanted in to the eye and thus results in poor vision, is rare. For corneal endothelial grafts suture related problems and astigmatism are less of a problem. The main complication is failure of the graft to stick to the patients own cornea as the graft is not stitched into place but held by an air bubble that dissolves of its own accord. This would require a further bubble of air to be put into the eye with the patient again lying flat for a few hours. Because these endothelial grafts are very delicate if there are problems in getting the graft into the eye at the time of surgery, primary graft failure is a bigger risk than with penetrating grafts.

Corneal grafting was pioneered in the UK in the 1930s. Technical advances over the last 30 years have made this one of the most frequently performed human transplant procedures. There are over 2000 sight saving corneal transplants carried out each year.

Over 96% of all corneal transplant operations (more than 96 out of 100 operations) successfully restore the corneal recipient’s sight.

Pterygium surgery can be performed under local anaesthesia (awake) or general anaesthesia (asleep). The choice is based on the anticipated length and difficulty of the operation, your suitability for different sorts of anaesthesia, your own preferences, and your surgeon’s advice.

• As with every operation, pterygium surgery has risks. • Success cannot be guaranteed. • All serious complications are rare.

Because the operation only involves the outer layers of the eye, pterygium surgery is relatively safe compared to many types of eye surgery. One of the eye muscles lies partly underneath the operation site. It is possible, though unlikely, that this muscle could be damaged during the operation, causing double vision and requiring further surgery. This particular complication is more of a concern when removing a pterygium that has re-grown after a previous operation, when there is much more scarring and the muscle may be difficult to identify. Very rarely, the internal structures of the eye could be damaged, causing loss of eyesight. This is more of a concern when operating on an eye that has already had surgery or where the eye has been damaged by previous injury or by other eye diseases.

• Pain or discomfort is very common in the first 24 to 48 hours after surgery. • Cosmetic appearance • Poor eyesight • Recurrence of the pterygium • Corneal ulceration or infection • Further surgery

Your doctor may ask you to remove the eye pad yourself. Otherwise it should stay in place until you see him the following day. It is common to feel slightly unsteady on your feet while you get used to the eye pad so please take care when moving around and do not rub your eye. Your doctor usually will check your eye one to two days after surgery and then again at one week after surgery.

Although the eye can be painful initially, the pain and discomfort should rapidly improve in the first 24 to 48 hours after surgery. After the first 24 to 48 hours there is usually some mild remaining discomfort, which then improves slowly thereafter. The eyesight in the operated eye is often blurry initially but it improves steadily as the eye surface heals. If at any stage the eye discomfort or redness increases, or if the eyesight starts to become worse, please contact us.

Remember that your eye surface is vulnerable to infection until it has healed fully. This means that you must take every precaution to keep the eye clean. Grittiness or discomfort in bright light suggests that the eye has not fully healed. Do not do any activities that may introduce dirt or dirty water into the eye. Wash your hands before touching the eye. Do not swim until you have been cleared to do so. Keep the nozzles of your eye-drop bottles or ointment tubes clean by avoiding contact with the eye or fingers.

Take care to avoid accidental injuries. This advice applies particularly to driving or doing any other dangerous activity such as operating machinery. Avoid driving for at least 48 hours. If you still meet the legal eyesight requirements for driving, and if your insurers are informed and are providing insurance cover, you can drive after 48 hours. Do not drive if you have double vision or if the eyes are uncomfortable or watering.

Please do not rub your eye or take part in any activities that carry an extra risk of eye injury (such as contact sports) for a month. Wear eye protection for activities such as grinding, hammering, or chiselling. Avoid working with any chemicals that may irritate the eye until the eye surface has healed fully. If you are uncertain whether you can continue one of your normal activities please ask us.

Remember to inform your insurers about any recent eye treatment and remember that insurance policies may not cover pre-existing eye problems or recent surgery.

It is usual for the lids to be sticky after the operation, however the stickiness should improve in the first two weeks after the operation. Use a clean piece of cotton wool and cooled, previously boiled, water to clean your eyelids. Wipe gently from the nose outwards then discard the cotton wool and repeat as necessary. Use separate cotton wool for each eye. Do not attempt to clean inside the lids.