Ophthalmology

What is ophthalmology?

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:

• Corneal problems
• Retinal problems, including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and other conditions.

What are cataracts?

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.

All our Ophthalmic Consultant Surgeons at The Ridgeway Hospital have expertise in small incision (phacoemulsification) cataract surgery with intraocular lens implantation. Besides these, each Consultant has other sub-specialist expertise in conditions including glaucoma, lid disorders, medical retinal diseases (diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusion, age-related macular degeneration and intravitreal therapies etc) and these are also offered at our hospital.

Our surgeons do not see children with eye problems at The Ridgeway Hospital.

Private cataract surgery in Swindon

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.

Ours is a one-stop eye clinic, with the consultation and any assessments taking place on the same day.

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.

Outstanding expertise and a proven track record of excellence

Patients choose The Ridgeway Hospital for ophthalmology for a variety of reasons, including:

• We are a reputable and long-established hospital, with a proven track record in delivering excellent patient care
• Patients can look forward to good continuity of care; they will see the same surgeon in clinic, during their operation and in their follow-up appointment a few weeks after their operation
• Our consultants each have a sub-speciality interest; some are experts in medical retina issues, while others are glaucoma specialists or lids disorder specialists etc. While every ophthalmologist at The Ridgeway Hospital can perform cataract surgery and all offer general ophthalmology, some patients will need to be referred to an individual specialist here

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.

Fast and flexible appointments

Here are some more reasons why you might choose The Ridgeway Hospital for your initial consultation:

• Reduced waiting times – Patients who visit The Ridgeway Hospital can benefit from shorter waiting times and treatment pathways
• Flexible appointments – You can choose an appointment time to suit you and your schedule; in some cases, remote consultations will be offered, which minimises the time you need to spend in hospital
• Consultant-led appointments – Your appointment will be consultant-led, and you will see the same person each time – from your consultation, right through to any treatment needed
• Patient satisfaction and personalised care – In a patient questionnaire survey, The Ridgeway Hospital performed extremely well. Over 96% of patients said they were likely or extremely likely to recommend us to their friends and family, Meanwhile, 96.3% of patients said the quality of their care was very good, or excellent, and 94.7% of patients said their expectations were met or exceeded

To book a consultation with our ophthalmologist here at The Ridgeway Hospital, you can use our handy online booking system to choose a time and date to suit you.

Clinical information provided by Mr Nimish Shah