Ophthalmology in Droitwich

In a healthy eye, light passes through the lens and through the eye to the back of the eyeball, where it hits the retina. The light is precisely focussed by the lens in order to hit the retina. The retina then passes electrical signals along the optic nerve to the brain, which process these in order to give us our vision. If anything interferes with this carefully calibrated design, our vision can be affected.

A change in vision can be quite concerning. You may have reduced or blurred vision or be worried that your peripheral vision just doesn’t seem to be as good as it used to be. When any type of eye or vision problem starts to interfere with everyday life, it is sensible to seek expert advice.

Ophthalmology involves the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders of the eye. A doctor who specialises in this area is known as a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon.

The consultants at The Droitwich Spa Hospital are experts in eye health and help treat a wide variety of symptoms and conditions affecting the eye. Whether you are interested in reducing your dependency on glasses or would like to explore treatment options for a diabetes-related eye condition, they would be delighted to help you.

Many factors can affect the health of your eye, including age-related degeneration, injury, and illnesses such as diabetes.

People usually visit our consultants because they have one of the common symptoms of an eye-related problem:

• Blurred vision
• Reduced vision
• Glare/dazzle
• Colour losing intensity
• Light sensitivity

Many of the people we see with these symptoms are discovered to have cataracts. A cataract turns the lens of your eye cloudy, preventing light being able to pass through correctly. This causes a reduction in vision that cannot be corrected by glasses or contact lenses.

Cataracts are extremely common, becoming more so as we age. Unfortunately, they are not the only problem that can affect our eyes. The Ophthalmology specialists at The Droitwich Spa Hospital regularly also help with the following conditions:

• Glaucoma - a long-term condition involving damage to the optic nerve
• Dry eyes
• Blepharitis - itchy and swollen eyelids
• Conjunctivitis
• Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
• ‘Lumps and bumps’ around the eye and eyelids – these are no longer routinely treated on the NHS
• Skin cancer around the eye – this is becoming a major issue post COVID
• Eyelid problems – such as drooping eyelids that overhang the eye and affect vision

Cataracts tend to develop slowly, getting worse over time, so early treatment is always advised. Treatment is normally with minimally invasive surgery. A small incision is made into eye, and the lens removed and replaced with an artificial lens. Cataract surgery is an incredibly successful operation and can be life-changing to many who are thrilled to have their vision restored.

Dry eyes, blepharitis and conjunctivitis can often be treated well with medication (like eye drops), and your consultant will discuss suitable options with you to ensure you see the best relief of your symptoms possible.

Glaucoma can often be treated with eye drops to help lower pressure. Where this doesn’t help, corrective surgery may be needed. There are different ways this can be done, one of which is a trabeculectomy to drain some of the fluid in your eye. Although this surgery doesn’t restore vision, it will prevent further damage to the optic nerve.

If you currently wear glasses and would like to explore alternative options, this can be discussed with your consultant. Refractive lens surgery replaces the natural lens with an artificial one that is tailored to your specific vision correction requirements. This will often reduce dependency on glasses significantly, if not remove it entirely. 

If your upper eyelids are sagging and affecting your vision, ptosis surgery can be carried out to lift the eyelids to their normal position and resolve the problem. If it is due to excess eyelid skinfold, this can be surgically treated as well by specialist ophthalmic surgeons.

Whatever eye symptoms you have, the consultants here can help. Treatments are available for many eye conditions to improve vision and the health of the eye. Many of these can be arranged for you with us, while others may need to be arranged off-site.

Your consultant will always outline any suitable options, such as whether or not multi-focal lens or refractive lens surgery will be beneficial to you, in a clear and concise manner to help you make an informed decision on how to proceed with your treatment.

Your consultant will oversee every aspect of your care at each stage, ensuring you always receive the most appropriate treatment for your specific condition. 

When you first meet your consultant, they will take a medical history and ask you about your symptoms. They will want to know:

• What symptoms do you have?
• How long have you had these symptoms?
• Do your symptoms become better or worse at different times of the day?
• Have you had a recent injury to the eye or infection in it?
• Have you received any treatment already, such as prescribed medication?

They will conduct a detailed examination of your eyes (this is known as an ophthalmic examination), to check your current vision and the health of your eyes.

Depending on your symptoms, they may take measurements of your eye.

In many cases, this will be all that is needed to make a diagnosis. Your consultant will then explain the results to you, discuss suitable treatment options and answer any questions you may have.

Occasionally, you may be referred for further investigations, such as a CT or MRI scan. This will often be if you have symptoms like unexplained loss of vision or regular headaches.

When the results of any tests are back, your consultant will formulate a treatment plan for you and get treatment started as soon as possible.

While many of our patients are local to Droitwich Spa and the surrounding areas, others travel to us from other parts of Worcestershire for treatment.

People are often referred to our consultants by their optician, GP or private medical insurance provider. Others self-refer to get expert help sooner. We treat private medical insurance and self-pay patients.

When you visit The Droitwich Spa Hospital for your eye treatment, you will benefit from:

• Assessments ASAP – Many eye conditions, such as cataracts and glaucoma, are best treated at the earliest possible stage. If you’re experiencing any vision or eye-related symptoms, our experienced eye consultants can see you for an assessment without delay. An earlier diagnosis means you’ll be able to benefit from treatment sooner, before your symptoms get any worse.
• Dedicated Eye Centre – With a dedicated Eye Centre in the Outpatients department, we have all of the essential ophthalmic equipment to accurately assess the health of the eye and to diagnose specific problems. Our consultants are also proficient in multifocal lens implants, one of the leading surgeries for freedom from glasses.
• Convenient appointments – With Ophthalmology appointments available throughout the week, you will be able to book an appointment to suit your availability. We are also able to offer remote consultations by telephone or video if required (and where clinically appropriate).
• Free hospital parking – When you visit a hospital, you shouldn’t have to worry about where to park. Our car park is free for patients and visitors. Just register your details with us at Reception when you arrive to validate your free parking.

For peace of mind and expert care, please contact The Droitwich Spa Hospital to book your private Ophthalmology appointment.