Dr. Enslin Uys
  • Suite 6, Pietermaritzburg Eye Hospital, 5 Alon Paton Drive, Pietermaritzburg
  • Mon - Fri 8.00 - 16.30

Cataract Surgery Pietermaritzburg

Cataract Surgery Pietermaritzburg

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.

Cataract

Presbyopic treatment

Presbyopia is a common condition after the age of 40 years. Presbyopia causes vision to become blurred at a close distance. Some common symptoms include difficulty focusing on reading materials, headaches and eye strain. The condition usually occurs as a result of ageing; when the natural lens inside the eye loses flexibility and changes shape; the lens loses flexibility, it becomes more challenging to focus close by. The most common presbyopic treatments are reading glasses or prescription glasses with bifocal or progressive addition lenses. In some cases, presbyopia surgery may be recommended. Dr Enslin Uys will know best which option to suggest to you.

Multifocal intraocular lenses

There are a number of different types of intraocular lenses available, which are implanted inside the eye after cataract removal surgery, and Dr Enslin Uys will advise you of the best option for your particular needs. Monofocal intraocular lenses allow for excellent distance vision, but still require glasses for close reading and other close activities like threading a needle, while others types are suitable for both distance and near vision. Multifocal intraocular lenses are an alternative to wearing glasses or contact lenses. It is possible to have a multifocal lens implanted in one or both eyes, but there is still no guarantee that you will be spectacle-free. Another option to be spectacle free is called mono vision. One eye has a lens implanted that focus on distance and the other eye has a lens implanted that focus on near. This is not suitable for everyone and Dr Enslin Uys has the expert knowledge to help you choose the best option. Contact his practice for an appointment.

Correcting astigmatism

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.