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Cataract Surgery Cost, Clinics & Operations
Private Cataract Surgery Cost
Even though Cataract surgery is available free on the NHS many patients frustrated over the seemingly ever growing NHS waiting lists, have opted for private cataract operations in one of the many private clinics offering cataract surgery in the UK.
Cataract operations in private clinics around the UK can cost anywhere from £1800-£3000 including doctor's and hospital fees. This will vary from region to region across the UK where the average cost of cataract removal in a London based cataract clinic may vary to those in the north of the UK due to a number of reasons including the density of clinics located in the region or the competitive nature of the clinics in the area.
Whilst this cost of cataract removal across UK cataract clinics is an average, special offers may well be available at certain eye surgery clinics across the country. Be sure to read the small print when it comes to comparing the best private cataract clinics and be sure to confirm the surgeon and the clinic's professional status and reputation before undergoing any surgical procedure.
What is a Cataract?
A cataract is the disease of the eye in which it's naturally clear lens, located behind the pupil and iris, becomes cloudy and over time the sufferer will experience an onset of reduced clarity of vision. Over a long period of time the lens, otherwise called the 'crystalline lens', begins to cloud and turn opaque. Commonly cataracts affect both eyes at the same time but it is not uncommon for the disease to develop more rapidly in one eye than the other. Cataract's are extremely common and affect millions of people in the UK every year with over 60% of people over 60 likely to experience them at some point.
As the condition develops the cataract will continue to restrict the amount of light that can enter the eye which can cause blurred vision and if this continues untreated it can lead to near blindness with only the smallest amount of light being let through to the retina at the back of the eye.
Before Cataracts surgery most people who developed them ended up blind but now, thanks to years of medical research and surgical developments, through a relatively simple surgical procedure this has been rendered a thing of the past. The cost of cataract surgery will depend entirely on the clinic where the operation will take place as well as the reputation of the surgeon carrying out the operation.
Cataract Surgery Procedure
There are three types of Cataract Surgery available and the technique used in each case will depend on the severity of the trauma and how developed the Cataract's have become:
- Phacoemulsification: Using ultrasound in a technique called Phacoemulsification, the cataract is broken into little pieces and subsequently extracted via a thin tube. After the cloudy lens has been removed, the replacement lens is folded and inserted through the same incision sits inside the same capsular bag from which the natural lens was extracted. This process requires minimal sedation and can usually be performed within 30 minutes and patients may not even need to wear an eye patch post procedure.
- Extracapsular Cataract Surgery: This form of cataract surgery is usually performed when cataracts have become too advanced to be broken down using Phacoemulsification. This technique is performed under a local anaesthetic and possibly an oral sedative is given to relax the patient. Eye drops will be used to dilate the patients' pupils, allowing the surgeon to see the whole of the lens clearly. When the anaesthetic has taken effect the surgeon will carefully make a small incision in the surface of the eye after which the cloudy, opaque lens will be removed. The artificial lens will then be placed in the capsular bag and a number of sutures will be required to close the wound. Due to the relatively invasive nature of this procedure in comparison to Phacoemulsification the time required for recovery is a lot longer and the patient will be required to wear an eye patch for a number of weeks post surgery.
- Intracapsular Cataract Surgery: This technique involves a much larger incision than the Extracapsular surgery and these days is used only for cases of extreme trauma. Using this larger incision the surgeon would remove the entire lens and capsule and then the artificial, intraocular lens would then be placed in front of the iris.
Private Cataract Surgery Abroad
For those patients unable to afford the cost of cataract surgery in the UK, the option of receiving cataract treatment abroad for the fraction of the cost is available. Some of the worlds best eye surgeons are practicing in countries that offer cataract surgery at much lower prices than UK clinics. Prices for cataract surgery abroad start from as little as £440 in Bulgaria, £526 in the Czech Republic. These prices will usually include hospital and doctor's charges however it is advised to make sure these additional extras are included in the total cost before committing to surgery abroad. It is also recommended that potential patients do their research on the clinic and surgeon performing the procedure thoroughly before receiving treatment for cataracts in a foreign country.