cataract operations

granca

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Can anybody tell me any thing about cataract operations here in the RD ? I have heard good reports. Are the operations surgical or laser ? How good are they and what sort of cost are they? Any information would be gratefully received, I find it a bit scary. Granca
 

danely

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Apr 23, 2004
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Just my 2 cents worth, but presuming you are a foreigner, and doing it "back home" is possible, might be more comfortable, and/or offers at least the perception of a better chance of success...then doing it back home might be the best choice...(there, I hope I was PC enough)
 

granca

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Thanks Danely. In the UK there is a long , long waiting list and the ops cost about PDS4000 /US$8000. I have no complaints about your PC, I find the whole concept stupid. Here you can say hombre negro o blanco without problem. granca.
 

Lambada

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In the UK there is a long , long waiting list and the ops cost about PDS4000 /US$8000.

Is that right? I am British & have cataracts in both eyes - when the time comes for the op. I was going to get it done in UK (private insurance which should cover some of it) but the waiting list bit was news. Is this NHS or private health? Maybe I should start reading some of the answers you get on this thread with regard to having it done here in DR.....................;) I would presume it is laser surgery here & I would presume they only do one eye at a time, just in case.......... Anyone had it done recently?
 

danely

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I wish you the best....my Mom got it done and it was perfect.

Below is the link to the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami. Apparently cataract surgery is like a walk in the park for these guys. I don't know but I suspect that the price might be less than in the UK, if only due to the appreciated Pound against the USD. They have an International Patient Concierge, believe it or not, complete with travel and accommodation arrangements. I would be surprised if there is much of a wait there. It could be that the NHS, or more likely, private health insurance if you have it, would pay up to the amount that it would cost them. I would start with the International Patient department at the institution below. They may surprise you and have a procedure to get that approved for you back in the UK.

Here is an excerpt in case anybody else might benefit from some info and encouragement.

"Internationally Acclaimed Bascom Palmer Eye Institute is committed to the protection and preservation of the treasured gift of sight. The Institute's full-time faculty of internationally-respected physicians and scientists are skilled in every ophthalmic subspecialty. Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, which serves as the Department of Ophthalmology for the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Miami, Florida, is recognized as one of the world's finest and most progressive centers for ophthalmic care, research and education.

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute continues to be rated as one of the nation's best ophthalmic hospitals by board-certified ophthalmologists from across the United States. This year, U.S.News & World Report's survey of randomly selected ophthalmologists rated Bascom Palmer the #1 eye hospital in the country. Ophthalmology Times, an industry periodical for and by ophthalmologists, surveyed ophthalmology department chairmen and residency program directors who rated Bascom Palmer's residency program the best in the nation."

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute - International Patients
 

ffritz

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My mother had cataracts & a hip done in the (Y)UK, both privately both no waiting.

I also believe she told me one of the surgeons fitted NHS work in in-between his private work .....

As regards health provisions here I think if you go to the right clinic they are second to none - witness Ken & his by-pass operation in the Have a Heart thread. (shameless plug intended ;-) )
 

granca

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Hola Lambada. Sorry I didn?t make it clear. Waiting list is on the NHS but there is still a private waiting list . nowhere near so long. My cousin had both eyes done in the UK, private but very expensive. On Tuesday I go down to the capital to see a specialist. I will keep you informed. I will check out the Bascom clinic. Actually I would prefer to go to Romania for the op. but it takes too much organising.
 

lollipop

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My aunt got it done here in DR. Laser. 1st one eye then the other. No problems at all.
I'll ask her tomorrow how much was it, even though her insurance paid for a big part of the bill.
 

Lambada

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On Tuesday I go down to the capital to see a specialist. I will keep you informed.

Thank you so much. Cost isn't too important but I'd be interested in your views on quality and after-care. The problem for me in going to the UK for an op is the inconvenience of not being able to drive while I'm waiting for the eye to heal & then the 6 weeks or so I'd be forced to wait before they do the second one. All the time I'd be away from home and feeling like a fish (one-eyed) out of water.........;)

My aunt got it done here in DR. Laser. 1st one eye then the other. No problems at all.

Great! Could you possibly post details of clinic & surgeon? Many thanks.
 

granca

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Chapter ll. The clinic recommended by the taxi driver to which he took me is called: Centro Cristiano de Servicios Medicos, Inc in Americo Lugo No 227,Ens, La Fe. Oftalmologia Dept.
I was asked to pay RD$100 and in a very short time taken to be examined by an opthalmist. She confirmed a problem in one eye and told me that I ought to see their specialist. A week later,yesterday, I flew down and went to the clinic. I had to pay RD$300 and went in to see Dra. Cynthia Garrido.She not only was charming but very much gave the impression that she knew what she was doing. She had a collection of weird pieces of apparatus. The end result of all the testing was, she told me, that I had a young cataract in one eye and signs in the other eye that one would develop. She told me that there was no emergency and that I could leave it for up to a year. With my new driving glasses she told me that I had perfectly adequate vision for, say, a driving licence. We compromised and I go back to see her in six months. She explained the type of operation she does which is Ultra Sonic, a very small incision is made in the eye, something inserted and the cataract cleaned off ultra sonically. This apparently can only be done with young cataracts before they go hard. The cost is between RD$3,000 and RD$15,000 dependent on my means.
As a footnote, after hearing the problems I had had with getting a Driving Licence she wrote a letter for me to take with me, I gave it to the Direccion and I now have a driving licence!
 

Lambada

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Thank you so much, granca, for taking the trouble to post that information. :) It sounds really promising. Good luck to you for when you have your op. done & please let us know how it all turns out.