DR Enslin Uys performs cataract surgery at the Pietermaritzburg Eye Hospital.
Small incision phaco surgery (also called refractive eye surgery) is a procedure that is performed in order to remove cataracts. During a cataract operation, the cloudy lens is removed, or broken up into small pieces with an ultrasound instrument and gently removed out of the eye. The lens is then replaced with an artificial lens in order to focus the light on the retina and restore vision. The artificial lens, or clear intraocular lens, is placed very securely behind the iris and pupil, in the same position as the natural lens.
Without a new artificial intraocular lens, your vision remains poor and cannot be restored to its original form. Because phaco surgery can be performed with the use of tiny incisions, the healing time is much faster, and the risk of complications is reduced. Dr Enslin Uys has performed thousands of these operations, and his complication rate is in line with the best surgeons in the world.
Astigmatism is a condition that causes blurred vision. It occurs when the cornea is shaped abnormally (corneal astigmatism) or if the curve of the lens is irregular (lenticular astigmatism). The eye is shaped more like a rugby ball instead of a soccer ball. An irregular shape means that light cannot be adequately focused on the retina, resulting in blurred vision, sometimes headaches and some discomfort in the eye (called asthenopia). In many cases, the condition can be treated with prescription glasses or contact lenses for astigmatism.
Orthokeratology is an astigmatism treatment, in which specially designed gas permeable lenses are placed in the eyes at night, in order to gently reshape the surface of the eye, so that the curvature of the cornea can gradually change shape. The effects of this treatment are temporary and should allow you to maintain good vision for about a day or so.Surgical correction can be done with laser surgery to the cornea.
Lasik (or laser eye surgery) is a type of refractive eye surgery to correct astigmatism using a laser to reshape the cornea. This surgery provides long-lasting treatment to astigmatism of the eye. When you have cataract formation, the astigmatism can be corrected with a special intra ocular lens, called a toric intraocular lens. This lens has to be placed at a very specific angle, which is measured prior to surgery, to reduce the astigmatism. Dr Enslin Uys has had excellent results with using the toric intraocular lens.