Do your eyes feel cloudy or your vision seem dim, even with new glasses?
Many of my patients tell me that cataracts were slowly taking the joy out of everyday life — making night driving harder, colours duller, and reading more tiring.
With modern cataract surgery, I can not only remove the cataract but also improve your overall vision, and if you wish — reduce your need for glasses. I use the latest technology, including the revolutionary Rayner Rayone Galaxy full range of focus lens, to help you enjoy clearer vision, day and night.
I have an audit-proven record of being over and above the national standard. My patients have never had an infection or suffered blindness after cataract surgery.
The Colchester Eye Centre and the Oaks Hospital both host modern equipment for the assessment and treatment of cataracts, including the state-of-the art femtosecond laser in the former.
Dear Mr Lin & Team, Thank you for much for taking such good care of me & my eyes!! I was so worried to start with & you put me at ease, explaining everything. I am so happy with my sight & chose this card because this is how I am seeing colours now, so clear & vibrant! And driving at night is so much easier! I can’t say THANK YOU enough! Gratefully yours, Mrs SM
Dear Mr Lin, I’m writing to thank you hugely for my eye surgery experience. The kindness and humanity was so appreciated. Mrs DP
Dear Mr Lin, Please accept this card as my appreciation in giving me much clearer and colourful sight. Mrs VM
What is a Cataract?
A cataract happens when the clear natural lens inside your eye becomes cloudy over time, stopping light from passing through clearly.
Cataracts can develop naturally with age, but also:
- After some eye conditions
- Because of diabetes
- After eye injury
- From certain eye drops
Glasses usually can’t fix cataracts — surgery is the only way to restore a clear lens. Cataracts usually do not cause any harm being in the eye and are removed only to improve the quality of vision. Rarely, they can increase the pressure in the eye.
What is Cataract Surgery?
Cataract surgery is a quick procedure (often under 10 minutes) where I remove your cloudy lens and replace it with a new, clear artificial lens.
- Most of my patients recover quickly, without pain.
- You can usually choose to have one eye done at a time, or both on the same day.
- I will discuss your lifestyle, hobbies, and vision needs so your lens choice works for you.
Types of Lenses Available
We’ll choose your new lens together. Options include:
- Monofocal lens – Clear vision at one distance (near, middle, or far). Glasses are needed for other distances. This is the lens availabe on the NHS/insurers will cover.
- Multifocal lens – Like varifocal glasses, giving focus for several distances so you need glasses less often. May cause halos/glare at night until your eyes adapt. Subtle loss of contrast sensitivity/brightness. The latest Rayner Rayone Galaxy lens has fewer of these problems.
- Extended depth of focus lens – Between a monofocal and multifocal lens.
- Toric lens – Corrects astigmatism for sharper vision without glasses. Can rotate inside the eye which may need another operation to unrotate.
- Monovision – One eye is set for near vision and the other for distance. Not tolerated by all patients due to brain adaptation.
I will guide you through the pros and cons of each so we achieve the result that best matches your priorities.
Premium lenses placed inside the eye reduce reliance on glasses and therefore save on the cost of glasses/contact lenses. However, no lens is (yet!) as good as in a young healthy eye, and generally the less reliance on glasses the more compromise to brightness/contrast, although some patients do not perceive the compromise. It is important to note that any lens can cause halos/glare/shadows and that no lens can guarantee freedom from glasses for all activities. Underlying eye conditions such as macular degeneration or glaucoma may reduce the benefit of surgery and limit the lens choice.
There are industry-made simulators available to provide an idea of what having each lens will be like, for example Alcon lenses (link), and for Johnson & Johnson lenses (link).
FEMTO‑Laser Assisted Cataract Surgery
In some cases, I use a highly precise laser — the femtosecond laser — to perform certain steps.
This reduces the energy needed inside the eye which can speed up healing and improves accuracy, especially if:
- The cataract has been there for a long time
- You have Fuchs’ dystrophy or a delicate cornea
- You choose a multifocal lens
- There is limited space in the eye for instruments
- We are correcting astigmatism with the laser at the same time
For many patients, traditional and laser‑assisted cataract surgery give the same final outcomes.
What are the benefits and downsides of both cataracts being removed the same day?
Having both eyes operated on the same day will save you cost and time with only one recovery period. The second eye is treated as if the eye belonged to a different patient; nothing is reused from the first eye to minimise the risk of infection. The same goes for using different bottles in each eye for post-op drops. There is risk of visual loss in both eyes i.e. total blindness which is though to be less than 10 in a million.
Having one eye operated on, visiting your optician to assess the result and then having the second eye operated on, allows adjustment of the lens choice in the second eye if the first eye was not accurate. Cataract surgeons use population statistics to estimate what the result will be after surgery. The more ‘normal’ your eyes are, the more accurate the estimate. Most patients reach close to the estimated prescription. Patients with stronger prescriptions or previous laser refractive surgery have less accurate estimates and are therefore not suitable for same day surgery.
Benefits of Cataract Surgery
My patients often notice:
- Clearer, sharper vision
- Brighter, more vibrant colours
- Reduced glare when driving at night
- Less “ghosting” or double images
- Less dependence on glasses (depending on your lens choice)
- Easier everyday activities like reading, watching TV, and driving
What to Expect Before, During, and After Surgery
Before surgery
We’ll meet for a consultation, examine your eyes in detail, and take precise measurements.
If you wear contact lenses, you’ll need to leave them out for at least a week before your measurements. Lubricating drops used 4-6x a day a least a week prior to your appointment will make any scans more accurate.
We will agree on a lens together.
During surgery
- Numbing drops and gentle anaesthetic are used — you’ll be awake
- Every patient is different, some patients feel some discomfort, some fall asleep! The second cataract operation is usually felt more
- You do not need to worry about shutting the eye, but keeping still and not talking is helpful, as your eyes moves when you talk. You will be asked to raise your hand if you wish to speak.
- You may see bright lights or colours during the procedure. The bright light allows me to see in fine detail.
- You will feel my fingers resting on your face
- Sterile water is used and sometimes some water escapes and runs down your face.
- I make a tiny incision, remove the cataract, and insert the new lens.
- No stitches are usually needed.
After surgery
Written instructions will be provided
- You can usually go home the same day.
- You should wear the shield provided at night for 1 week.
- Use the eye drops I give you for 4 weeks.
- Avoid rubbing the eye.
- Most people are back to normal daily life within a few days.
- You will usually see me about a month after your operation, and then visit the opticians if needed
Risks of Cataract Surgery
I perform hundreds of cataract operations each year, and serious complications are extremely rare. I have had no infections to date.
That said, all surgery has some risks. Higher risk is associated with greater age, previous trauma, certain eye conditions, and certain medications.
Common:
- Mild discomfort, dryness, or blurred vision for a few days
- Sensitivity to bright light
- Increased floaters
- Worse dry eye
- Slightly more drooping of the upper eyelid (ptosis)
- The cataract can not grow back, however a membrane can grow over the back of the new lens (up to 1 in 4), which is treated in outpatients with a painless laser. Further information here.
Uncommon:
- Temporarily raised pressure in the eye
- Swelling in the retina or cornea
- Glare, halos, or reduced contrast — sometimes more with premium lenses
- The predicted prescription was not accurate. We use population statistics to estimate what the prescription will be. Most patients reach close to the estimated prescription. Predictions are less accurate in patients with strong prescriptions or previous laser surgery.
- Imbalance due to the difference in prescription between the eyes
- Problems during the operations necessitating a second operation
Rare:
- Retinal detachment
- Severe infection or bleeding that could cause sight loss (less then 1 in 1,000)
- Loss of the eye (exceptionally rare — about 1 in 10,000 cases)
For most people, the benefits far outweigh the risks — and over 95% of patients achieve improved vision after modern cataract surgery.
FAQs
Will I feel anything during surgery?
Most people feel only gentle pressure or see lights and colours — not pain.
How soon can I drive?
As soon as you meet DVLA vision standards — often within 1–3 days.
Will I still need glasses?
It depends on the type of lens you choose and your specific eyes — we will discuss this in detail. No surgeon can guarantee freedom from glasses
Why choose me for your surgery?
I sit on the Royal College of Eye Surgeons Microsurgical Skills Faculty and train other Eye surgeons. I am a highly dextrous surgeon able to write and use chopsticks with both hands.
I have performed thousands of cataract surgeries with zero infections to date.
I gained a Distinction in the International Council of Ophthalmology: Optics, Refraction, and Instruments Examination, which tests knowledge of the physics behind vision.
Take the First Step
If cloudy vision is making life difficult, I can help you see clearly again.
📞 Call my clinic or 📩 send an enquiry to book your cataract surgery consultation.