Guernsey patient has life-changing cataract surgery at Newmedica Hampshire

Cataract surgery with a leading consultant in Southampton has seen Guernseyman Chris Bradshaw no longer need glasses, having relied on wearing them for 74 years. 

Becoming very shortsighted as a child, the retired bank manager wore thick-lensed glasses since the age of seven. But recently developing cataracts in both eyes gave the 81-year-old the opportunity to dramatically correct his vision and transform his quality of life. Chris benefited from a partnership between Specsavers in Guernsey and the  Newmedica eye hospital in Southampton, which enabled all his outpatient care to take place in Guernsey, with just a day trip to Hampshire for his surgery.  

That morning he took the red eye flight to Southampton and arrived at the nearby clinic at 8am. By 9am he was in theatre, and by 9.30am he was getting used to his glasses-free vision. He was back home in Guernsey by 4pm.  

‘My vision was absolutely transformed in minutes. It is just remarkable how something so life changing could at the same time feel so straightforward as a patient. I am so grateful to Specsavers and Newmedica. All the care I received was flawless.’ 

Leading an active lifestyle, with a love of sailing, cycling and carpentry, Chris said all his hobbies were more enjoyable without his thick glasses.  

The grandfather of three has been a longstanding patient of Specsavers, who have dispensed him multiple pairs over the years to correct his vision. His high myopia required minus 11 prescription lenses.  When a recent eye examination detected advanced cataracts in both eyes, Chris was offered different options for his treatment, including surgery at Newmedica.  

He was given a surgery date within weeks, and opting to go private gave him the choice of an extensive range of advanced lenses.  

Chris initially attended a pre-assessment appointment at a Newmedica outpatient clinic based in Guernsey, where clinicians from Southampton travel over to, to provide on island clinics. This first appointment enabled the team to discuss his treatment, including different lens options. Between that and his surgery he had a video call with his surgeon, Bhaskar Gupta, to finalise the plan. 

On the day, both eyes were operated on back-to-back with state-of-the-art replacement lenses completely correcting his distance vision. 

Chris said: ‘Most cataract patients will have their eyes operated on one by one, with weeks in between. But as my sight was so bad, I was told I really needed to have both eyes done at the same time, otherwise there would be far too much of an imbalance between surgery.  

‘Not all cataract surgeons will do this, but Mr Gupta is highly experienced at treating complex cases.’ 

Chris concluded: ‘I’m still adjusting to not wearing glasses. All my life it was the first thing I’d reach for in the morning and the last thing I’d do at night was take them off. I still find myself trying to do that. I can’t tell you how amazing it is.’ 

Mr Gupta, who is one of five consultant ophthalmologists at Newmedica Hampshire, said he was delighted to hear how well Chris was getting on with his new vision. The clinic provides a full range advanced eyecare services and treatments for NHS and private patients, which also includes care for glaucoma and aged-related macular degeneration.