Cataract Surgery in London

A cataract is the medical term for a cloudy white spot that forms on the lens of your eye. The lens is usually clear, so when cataracts form it can affect your vision. This can cause blurriness, haloes of light and problems with seeing colours. If left without treatment, the cataract will continue to form and your vision will worsen. Ultimately, this can lead to blindness. Therefore, it is important to speak to your doctor about your options.

Cataract surgery is a quick and commonly performed operation that can substantially improve lives by restoring vision. Of course, it is for you to decide whether cataract surgery is the right option for you. Sometimes when people have early cataracts, their vision is not affected. In these cases,  they may be able to manage with new glasses and ensuring that they read with a good light source. However, cataract surgery can alter your whole life and offer great relief from your visual problems.

Cataract surgery is a relatively straightforward procedure. It is performed with a local anaesthetic and takes between 15 and 45 minutes. Small incisions are made into the side of the eye, before the diseased lens is pulled out and replaced with an artificial lens. The surgeon will then use tiny sutures to close the incisions and secure the new lens in place.

You should see improvements after the first few days, and the eye should heal fully within 4 to 6 weeks.

The price of cataract surgery in London is typically around £3,000 for unilateral, or £6,000 for bilateral procedures.

Only after the consultation can a fixed price be offered. The surgeon will use their expertise to make recommendations that they see as important to an individual patient’s situation. These details may incur slightly higher or slightly lower costs; they may include:

• Surgeon experience
• Bilateral or unilateral surgery
• Surgical techniques
• Which type of artificial lens is fitted
• The complexity of the individual procedure
• The time required in surgery for each patient’s case

Only after the consultation will a final price be offered. Patients can rest easy knowing that there are no additional costs or hidden fees because once that offer is made, it will include:

• Hospital costs
• Surgeon and anaesthetist costs
• Overnight stays (if required)
• Aftercare and follow-up appointments

Everybody is different, everybody’s eyes are unique, and every procedure is slightly different. The consultation is one of the most important stages of cataract surgery because it is when realistic outcomes of the surgery are obtained by creating a unique and personalised plan for your surgery. Questions about which surgical techniques will be used or which lenses will be used, for example, will be a combination of your personal wants and needs and the surgeon’s expertise and experience with the procedure.

During the consultation, the surgeon will explain what is realistically achievable and what the limitations of surgery are. While surgeons will want to fulfil your expectations of surgery as much as possible, they will always prioritise your health above all. Sometimes this may mean that the surgeon will suggest a plan for surgery that differs from what you initially expected. Just know that the surgeon will always have your best interests at heart.

Your consultation will include:

• An initial discussion about what you hope to achieve through surgery
• A physical examination
• A biometric assessment
• An overview of the risks and complications associated with surgery
• A verbal recommended treatment plan

The consultation with a Medbelle surgeon in London costs £295. If you decide not to move forward with the procedure this is non-refundable, but you will be able to keep the biometric report to use with a different surgeon or clinic should you choose to go elsewhere. If you do book your cataract surgeon consultation in London with Medbelle, then the cost of the appointment will be deducted from the final price. This price covers:

• Consultation fees
• Biometric assessment costs

It can be difficult to make the right decision when choosing which surgeon or hospital you entrust with your journey. Learning about surgical techniques and the risk of surgery can be overwhelming, but we are here to make that journey simple, transparent and stress-free. When you sign-up with Medbelle, you will be contacted by one of our Patient Care Advisers (PCA), they will be your personal guide through the process from beginning to end. They will take care of all the appointment scheduling, keep you updated at every turn and support you with anything you need.

The first step is a call with one of our Patient Care Advisers. This is an opportunity for you to explain why you would like cataract surgery. You will hear more about the procedure, the prices and also learn about our locations and surgeons.

During this call, you will have the opportunity to book a consultation with the surgeon who is the best match for you. The surgeon consultation costs £295, which includes a biometric assessment. This fee will be deducted from the final price. Your PCA will check in with you in the lead up to your consultation to ensure that you are prepared. You will also receive pre-consultation leaflets with useful information about what to expect moving forward.

Your Patient Care Adviser will check in with you post-consultation to see how it went. The treatment date and final price will be offered shortly after this by your Patient Care Adviser.

Medbelle's commitment to excellence and care is demonstrated by our world-class facility in the heart of the capital. Located less than 15 minutes away from London Marylebone and just half a mile from Oxford Circus, our clinic combines convenience with state-of-the-art technology and great outcomes. The consultants and surgeons are highly experienced, having conducted over 40,000 procedures with flawless reviews on Trustpilot and Google. They are trained at Moorfields, the UK's leading provider for eye health and a world-class centre for ophthalmic research and education.

Our clinic is a first-class surgical centre exclusively dedicated to ophthalmology, it is equipped with the most up-to-date technology including the Carl Zeiss Lumera microscope. It offers a modern interior with a calming ambience with caring and professional staff by your side.

If you are looking for a highly experienced surgical team to deliver your Cataract Surgery in London, then look no further than our Medbelle surgeons. Our surgeons are trained at Moorfields, which is the leading provider for eye health in the UK and a world-class centre for ophthalmic research and education. This means we are able to offer you the highest level of quality and professionalism throughout, which is recognised by trusted and independent bodies. Simply put, you are in the best, most capable hands when you book with Medbelle.

All of the information found on our website is sourced from highly reputable experts, government-approved authorities and is widely used by healthcare professionals.

• https://www.medbelle.com/information/cataract-surgery/ Medbelle
• https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cataracts/ NHS
• www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk NHS
• Uptodate.com Up to Date
• https://www.rcophth.ac.uk/ The Royal College of Ophthalmologists

Our content is written by our Medical Quality Managers and Patient Care Advisers, all of who have medical backgrounds and training. Prior to publishing, all the information is reviewed by a surgeon specialised within the relevant field.