Ophthalmology (Eye Specialist Clinic)

Beacon Hospital’s Ophthalmology Department and eye specialists offer a wide spectrum of services including cataract surgery, refractive surgery, squint surgery and retinal surgery.

The department also offers a wide range of eye clinic services such as corneal topography and tomography, IOL Master Examinations, OCT, fundus photography and fluorescein examinations and visual field analysis.

Laser eye surgery is carried out in the Beacon complex by specialist eye surgeons at the Wellington Eye Clinic. 

Our top of the range eye clinic facilities sport a dedicated ophthalmologic theatre, with a Zeiss-mounted ceiling-mounted operating microscope. With this, various procedures are performed by our eye specialist doctors under topical anesthesia (anesthetic eye drops only), local blocks or general; anesthesia (asleep during the surgery). Sometimes the eye surgeon will have a preference of anesthesia for a particular procedure but mostly it is the patient’s preference. 

At Beacon Hospital’s eye clinic, we have two types of surgery available; intraocular micro-surgery and extraocular micro-surgery. Intraocular micro-surgery is performed in the eye, as opposed to on the cornea. Whereas extraocular micro-surgery is performed on the eye or its adnexa.

Diagnostics

  • Corneal Topography

    This procedure is a follow up from the topography process, allowing us to analyze the shape and some of the optical characteristics of the cornea, measuring the curvature, shape and dimensions of all structures of the front of the eye.

  • Fluorescein angiography

    This involves using a special eye camera, to take pictures of your retina. These photographs help your ophthalmologist get a better look at the blood vessels and other structures in the back of the eye. 

  • Fundus Photography

    The fundus is the back of the eye and includes the retina, optic nerve and retinal blood vessels. In fundus photographed with special cameras through a dilated pupil, providing a color picture of the back of the eye. This is usually used to photograph lesions at the back of the eye.

  • OCT

    This is an imaging method used to generate a picture of the back of the eye, called the retina. The picture is made by precisely measuring the amount of a dim red light, which reflects off the retina. OCT is usually used to image the eyes of patients with glaucoma.

  • Visual Field Analysis

    This test monitors the progression or the success of treatment of glaucoma. It also shows neurological conditions affecting the brain and optic pathways as well as vascular lesions, affecting the eyeball.

Intra-Ocular Micro-Surgery

  • Cataract Surgery

    A Cataract is a clouding of the normally clear lens of the eye. It can cause painless blurring of vision, flare or light sensitivity, double vision in one eye, poor night vision or fading or yellowing of colors. Surgery can be used as a method to correct cataracts. Throughout the procedure, the cataract itself is removed and replaced with a modern intra-ocular lens. These can be mostly silicone or acrylic in material. The procedure can take place with topical (drops only), local or general anesthesia.

  • Clear Lens Surgery

    This surgery is very similar to the case above, the only difference being that the lens being removed is actually clear. The only reason that the lens is being removed is to improve the refractive power of the eye. The result being that the glasses required become much lighter in strength or possibly even not needed at all.

  • Glaucoma Surgery

    Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that cause progressive damage to the vision nerve that connects the eyeball to the brain. Glaucoma surgery is performed in order to reduce the intra-ocular pressure that is damaging the optic nerve of the eye. Glaucoma is mostly well-controlled with eye drops but on occasion, the pressure does not respond sufficiently to medical treatment and then surgery is indicated to prevent further damage to the optic nerve.

  • Phakic Lens Implant Surgery (Artisan)

    During Phakic Lens Implant Surgery, an additional lens is placed in the eye in order to make the eye see better without glasses or contact lenses. It is like having a permanent contact lens implanted.

Extra-Ocular Surgery

  • Eyelid Surgery

    Loose Skin above the eyes, tired eyes, bags underneath the eyes or cyst removal can be completed here, at Beacon Hospital. Also known as blepharoplasty, eyelid surgery can be completed for cosmetic reasons, as well as practical reasons.

  • Pterygium Surgery

    A Pterygium is a raised, wedge-shaped growth of the conjunctiva (A clear mucous membrane lining the inner eyelids and the sclera) that extends onto the cornea. Pterygia, in some patients, can grow over the cornea and affect the vision or cause persistent irritation to the patient, which will require surgical removal. The surgery will look to remove growths from the eyeball/globe, which are irritating the eye or, are considered cosmetically unacceptable, starting to encroach on the cornea. 

  • Squint Surgery / Strabismus Surgery

    Both these surgeries are designed to correct the eye, as to remove a ‘squint’, ‘cast’ or ‘turn’, from the eyes. It’s normally done under general anesthesia while the patient is asleep.