A retired gentleman who lives near Whitchurch has been able to continue to drive his campervan after undergoing cataract surgery.
Iain MacTavish (78) was the first NHS-funded patient to undergo surgery at Newmedica Cheshire Oaks after it opened its doors last year.
When his optician recently noticed a significant deterioration of his vision, Ian knew it was time to act because cataracts can lead to blindness if left untreated.
He explained: ‘I ensure I always have regular eye examinations at my local independent opticians and had known for a while that I may need cataract surgery.
‘I am especially nervous of things touching my eyes so surgery was daunting but the thing that pushed me to have it was the thought that if my eyes deteriorated further, I might no longer be able to drive.
‘My wife and I spend a lot of time driving around the countryside and have a campervan. Not being able to drive and losing a bit of my independence would have greatly affected our life and was enough motivation for me to undergo the surgery.
‘The staff at Newmedica were all lovely and helped a great deal to settle my nerves. Ahead of my first surgery to treat one eye, I had to have eye drops administered before being taken through to the theatre.
‘I started to feel very faint while the drops were being administered which meant that the surgery couldn’t go ahead. Upon returning, the team went to a lot of trouble to make adjustments to help me feel as comfortable as possible and minimise the risk I would feel faint again.
‘This included administering the drops while I was lying down. Their tweaks to the process really helped and this time I made it through surgery.
‘Thankfully, the surgery wasn’t anywhere as bad as I thought it would be and within a few weeks, I returned to have my second eye treated.
‘It wasn’t just me who was well looked after during my appointments – my wife accompanied me to the clinic, and the staff also made sure she was ok and reassured her as she was worried about me.
‘Since the surgery my sight has greatly improved. My vision is sharper and I can see detail I struggled with before, like twigs on trees.
‘And most importantly, I don’t need to worry about my sight stopping us from driving in our campervan.’
Newmedica Cheshire Oaks is based at The Oaks Business Park in Ellesmere Port. The clinic is owned and run by consultant ophthalmologists Kunal Gadhvi, Mr Hussam Muntasser and Mr Kenneth Yau, alongside Operations Director Natalie Park.
Mr Kenneth Yau, Consultant Ophthalmologist and Clinical Partner at Newmedica Cheshire Oaks, added: ‘Cataracts are a very common eye condition that can develop when the eye’s clear lens forms cloudy or misty patches, usually as we get older. During surgery we remove the cloudy lens and replace it with a new, artificial lens.
‘As Iain was feeling faint just before he was scheduled to have surgery, it was important that we postponed to ensure he was well enough to have the procedure. When he returned, we made some adjustments to ensure he was as comfortable as possible.
‘We know that cataract surgery can be daunting for some patients, and we always strive to do everything we can to ease their nerves.’
Newmedica Cheshire Oaks clinic offers services for NHS-funded and private patients, including undertaking cataract surgery, YAG laser treatment and is also introducing oculoplastic surgery from June.
For further information about Newmedica Cheshire Oaks, visit www.newmedica.co.uk/clinics/cheshire-oaks or by calling 0151 391 8473.