The Ridgeway Hospital
Moormead Road, Wroughton, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN4 9DD DirectionsPhone
Opening hours
8am until 8pm
Due to COVID restrictions no visitors are currently allowed
Car parking
Yes - 122 spaces
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Expert assessment and treatment for a wide range of eye and vision problems
Ophthalmology focuses on any condition, disease or disorder of the eyes. The most common condition our surgeons at The Ridgeway Hospital see is cataracts, which are the most common cause of reversible visual loss in the world and account for around 90% of the ophthalmic surgeries we perform.
The remaining 10% of treatments we perform here at the hospital involve conditions like lid abnormalities, dry eye treatment procedures and some other more minor abnormalities of the eyes. Dry eyes and eyelid abnormalities are also catered for – such as mal-positioning of the lids.
Another common condition that affects patients is glaucoma. This results in high pressure in the eyes and the condition requires examination and treatment with various tests. All the usual investigations and treatments that might be needed are available here at The Ridgeway Hospital.
Our surgeons also see patients with:
A cataract is a medical condition where the natural lens in your eye become progressively opaque, thereby causing blurring or a reduction of vison, which can be physically and emotionally debilitating.
Our surgeons do not see children with eye problems at The Ridgeway Hospital.
Cataracts are treated with a standard procedure called phacoemulsification, which involves ‘crushing’ the cataract into small pieces via ultrasound energy and ‘sucking’ it out. Your surgeon will then replace the cataract with an artificial lens. At The Ridgeway Hospital we perform cataract surgery very frequently and with great success.
Cataract surgery uses two types of lenses. Most often, our surgeons use a standard, monofocal lenses (one focus); these are provided at The Ridgeway Hospital.
We also provide a premium lens – a multifocal lens or toric lenses. The premium lens is suitable for most patients (but not for all) and the consultant will ascertain if this is the lens for you in advance of your surgery date.
You will be asked about your symptoms and how they may be impacting your day-to-day life. Your surgeon will also take a full medical history.
If you have retinal problems, you may need a special scan at the back of your eye, called an OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) scan.
We have recently acquired the OCT machine at The Ridgeway Hospital and it’s now fully operational, meaning we can provide this assessment and test here in clinic and you do not need to go elsewhere. If any further tests are needed, we can refer you to other local hospitals, which we have close links with.
If you do need an operation, you may be put on a waiting list. Sometimes, we can provide you with an upcoming date for an operation as soon as you visit us for your consultation. Sometimes, though, there will be a short wait.
The next time you come to see us will be on the day of your operation. After the operation, if everything goes well, our surgeons will book a follow-up appointment, which will take place around three or four weeks later.
Patients choose The Ridgeway Hospital for ophthalmology for a variety of reasons, including:
Such is the expertise offered at the hospital that patients travel from far and wide to visit us. Some come from Swindon itself and nearby villages and towns, while others are further away – for example, Chippenham, Wootton Basset or Marlborough, Calne, Malmsbury etc – all over Wiltshire.
People travel from Gloucester, too, from places including Cirencester, Abbeymead and Fairford.
The speed of treatment is another key reason to visit us here at The Ridgeway Hospital.
Here are some more reasons why you might choose The Ridgeway Hospital for your initial consultation:
Clinical information provided by Mr Nimish Shah
Consultant Ophthalmologist
MB ChB, DO, FRCS, FRC Ophth
The Ridgeway Hospital 1 more Bath Clinic
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon
FRCS, MRCOphth, MRCSEd, MS(Ophth), MBBS
The Ridgeway Hospital
Consultant Ophthalmologist
MB CHB, MSc, MD, MRCOphth, FRCOphth, FRCS (Ed)
The Ridgeway Hospital
Consultant Ophthalmologist
FRCS, FRCOphth, Glaucoma Fellowship, Oculoplastics Fellowship, Retinal Diseases Fellowship
The Ridgeway Hospital