CATARACT SURGERY at American Hospital Dubai

1. CATARACT SURGERY

2. What is a Cataract? A cataract is a clouding of the natural lens of the eye. This lens normally focuses the light rays entering the eye on the sensitive membrane that lines the inside surface of the eye called Retina. When this lens becomes cloudy, light rays cannot be focused and the vision becomes blurry. Normal Vision Vision with Cataract What should I expect on the day of surgery? Surgery is usually done as a day surgery (no need to sleep in the hospital unless deemed necessary by your doctor). You will be asked to stop eating or drinking 6-8 hours before your scheduled surgery time. If you take routine medications for blood pressure or diabetes, you can usually continue taking them. Your doctor will give you specific medication instructions. When you arrive for your surgery, you will be given eye drops and perhaps some sedative to help make you comfortable. In the operating room, a local anesthetic will numb your eye. The skin around your eye will be thoroughly cleaned and sterile covering will be placed around your head.

3. You may see lights and movements but you will not be able to watch the surgery being performed nor will you feel any pain. You cannot move your eye that is being operated on even if you move your other eye. Under an operating microscope, a small incision is made in the eye and tiny surgical instruments are used to break apart and remove the cloudy cataract from the eye. The back membrane of the lens (called posterior capsule) is usually left in place. An Acrylic lens is then implanted in the eye to replace the natural lens that was removed. This artificial lens is usually custom picked to match your exact eye size and power requirements. After surgery, your doctor will place an patch on the eye. After a short stay in the recovery area, you will be ready to go home.

4. What to do after surgery? Ÿ Ÿ Keep the patch on until seen by the doctor the following day Ÿ Ÿ Avoid rubbing or pressing on the eye or getting water on it Ÿ Ÿ Over the counter pain medications can be used Ÿ Ÿ Avoid strenuous exercise or heavy lifting until the doctor permits it Ÿ Ÿ Ask the doctor about when you can resume driving Will cataract surgery improve my vision? The success rate of cataract surgery is excellent! Significant improvement in the vision is achieved in the overwhelming majority of patients if other eye problems are not present. To book an appointment, please contact +971 4 377 6699 w w w. a h d u b a i . c o m

5. About Our Surgeon Dr. Ammar Safar, MD, FACS Dr. Safar is an American Board Certified Ophthalmologist with over 15 year experience in eye diseases and microsurgery. He acquired his skills in eye diseases and surgery at one of the most prestigious Ophthalmology programs in the world, Georgetown University in Washington, DC. After he completed his training, Dr. Safar spent 2 additional years at the University of Texas to learn the most advanced medical and surgical techniques in Vitreo-Retinal surgery. In 2001 he joined the faculty at the Jones Eye Institute, UAMS in Little Rock, Arkansas and became an assistant professor of Ophthalmology. He later assumed to duty of chief of Retina service at the same university and was promoted to the rank of Associate professor with tenure in 2007. In April 2009, Dr. Safar was celebrated as the first recipient of the Martha Wood Bentley chair of Ophthalmology and became the youngest physician in the history of the university to ever receive such a high honor

6. w w w. a h d u b a i . c o m The first hospital in the Middle East to be awarded Joint Commission International Accreditation (JCIA) The first private laboratory to be certified by the College of American Pathologists (CAP)