Eye Surgery for My Wife

Nighttime View Across Funfare, Edinburgh, December 2007

Today, my wife had surgery on her other eye to remove cataracts.

In late June, Specsavers referred her to the Optega Hospital for eye surgery. In July, she went in for an assessment; she had cataracts in both eyes. They operated on her first eye in late August. After a checkup at the end of September, Specsavers referred her back to Optega to operate on her second eye. That took place today. In mid-November, she’s back to Specsavers to check that everything is OK, and that’s it, all done.

It’s taken less than five months to have both eyes fixed. If she had gone to the NHS, she’d still be waiting for the initial assessment. Optega operated for the NHS; my wife paid nothing.

It seems to me that using private hospitals for simple operations, when there is no overnight stay, is a good idea, as long as the cost to the NHS is the same as if they did it themselves. This frees up NHS resources for more serious medical care and overnight stays.

The difference is amazing; she can see lots more, and more importantly, more colours. After the first operation, she found out she was wearing the wrong colour lipstick!

Her first operation finished in the late afternoon. Optega is in the south of Manchester. The drive back home via the centre of Manchester was slow, with lots of queues.

Today’s operation also finished late in the afternoon. Looking at the map, I thought I’d found a way home without passing through the centre of Manchester. An easier drive. It wasn’t; loads of queues at the lights. A few wrong turns didn’t help

Yesterday and today I had bad drives; I really don’t like driving anymore.

Still, at least I don’t need to drive to the eye hospital anymore.