Private cataract surgery Reading

At Spire Dunedin Hospital, we use trusted and clinically proven techniques to improve blurred eyesight caused by cataracts and get you back to everyday life with better vision.

During cataract removal surgery, your consultant will remove the cloudy lens in your eye and insert a clear artificial lens.

At Spire Dunedin Hospital, a range of intraocular lenses are available, depending on your eye and your visual needs. Your consultant will help you choose the best option for you:

• Monofocal – high quality fixed-focus optics that corrects either short or long sight and can be selected to favour distance or reading vision
• Multifocal and trifocal - these lenses correct both near and distance vision, aiming to reduce dependence on glasses

Both monofocal and multifocal/trifocal lenses are also available with toric optics to correct astigmatism. You may still need to wear glasses afterwards, depending on your eyesight and your choice of lens.

Getting here

Spire Dunedin Hospital is conveniently situated close to the heart of Reading, on the A4 Bath Road. We’re a short walk from Reading West station and a 10 minute taxi from Reading mainline station, which has 30 minute direct train rides to and from London. If you’d like to drive to your appointment, we have free parking on-site for you and your visitors.

Outpatient consultation

When you arrive, our nursing staff will measure your vision and instil drops to dilate your pupils, so that your consultant can examine the inside of your eye. The drops will blur your vision so it's important that you don't drive yourself to the appointment. Your consultant will check that you have cataracts and that your eyes are otherwise healthy.

During the consultation we'll measure the size and shape of your eye using specialist non-contact biometry equipment so that your consultant can calculate the power of the intraocular lens implant that your eye needs. It's helpful if you can bring any glasses that you wear with you, along with a copy of your glasses prescription if you have one

On the day of your procedure, you’ll come into Spire Dunedin Hospital and meet your healthcare team. If you’ve come with a friend or family member, they’re welcome to wait in our lounge or restaurant while you have your operation.

You may wish to bring a change of clothing in case the fluid used to clean your eye accidentally comes into contact with what you are wearing.

You’ll be given a local anaesthetic in your eye, and your consultant may also give you a sedative to make you feel more relaxed during the procedure.

When you’re ready, your consultant will:

• Make a small incision (cut) into the front of your eye (the cornea)
• Remove your cloudy lens using phacoemulsification – this breaks up the lens into small fragments
• Insert your new intraocular lens

After your cataract surgery, you’ll be taken to a recovery room to relax until your surgeon says you’re ready to go home. This is usually a few hours after cataract surgery.

Although everybody’s different and you should always follow your consultant’s advice, here’s a typical recovery timeline for cataract surgery: