Ophthalmology, vision correction and eye surgery
Marisol diagnoses and treats conditions of the eye — cataract, glaucoma, retinal disease, dry eye and refractive error. Every patient is seen by a consultant, examined with the imaging the condition warrants, and given a plan in writing before anything is booked.
Eye conditions
What each condition is, what people notice first, and when it needs to be looked at.
Clouding of the eye’s natural lens — the commonest reason for surgery in adults over sixty.
Damage to the optic nerve, usually painless, and irreversible once vision is lost.
Deterioration at the centre of the retina, affecting the detailed vision you read with.
Gritty, watery, tired eyes — extremely common, frequently misdiagnosed, and very treatable.
Focusing errors that spectacles correct — and that surgery can sometimes remove the need for.
Damage to the retinal blood vessels, which is why annual screening exists.
Usually harmless and age-related — but a sudden change needs to be looked at quickly.
Consultants
Every appointment at Marisol is with a named consultant, and you will know who you are seeing before you arrive.
Cataract and refractive lens surgery
Carries out cataract and lens replacement surgery and sees the assessments that precede them. Assesses and operates on every one of their own patients, which is the practice’s standing arrangement rather than a preference.
Special interests: Cataract surgery · Premium and toric lenses · Refractive lens exchange
Glaucoma diagnosis and long-term management
Runs the glaucoma service: diagnosis, medical management, laser treatment and the monitoring that decides whether any of it is working. Sees patients under surveillance for ocular hypertension as well.
Special interests: Glaucoma · Selective laser trabeculoplasty · Ocular hypertension
Macular disease and diabetic eye disease
Leads the medical retina clinic, treating wet macular degeneration, diabetic macular oedema and retinal vein occlusion, and running the injection service and the scan intervals that govern it.
Special interests: Macular degeneration · Diabetic retinopathy · Intravitreal therapy
Diagnostics, refraction and dry eye
Carries out the imaging and refraction that every consultation is built on, and runs the dry eye clinic. Often the person who spots the change on a scan that brings a patient back sooner.
Special interests: OCT interpretation · Dry eye · Contact lens intolerance
Theatre, injections and patient preparation
Runs the treatment room and the theatre list, prepares patients for surgery and injections, and is who most patients speak to about drops, aftercare and what to expect.
Special interests: Peri-operative care · Drop technique · Post-operative advice
Standards
The registrations, inspections and standards this practice works within.
Statutory registration
All consultants at this clinic hold entry on the specialist register for ophthalmology and are licensed to practise.
Regulator registration
The clinic is registered with and inspected by the healthcare regulator for the treatments it provides.
Insurer recognition
The clinic and its consultants are recognised by the major medical insurers for outpatient and surgical care.
Facility accreditation
Intraocular procedures are carried out in a facility meeting the ventilation and infection-control standards for ophthalmic surgery.
Clinical audit
Surgical outcomes and complication rates are audited against national benchmarks and reviewed at intervals.
Treatments & surgery
What each procedure involves, how long it takes, and what recovery actually looks like.
A full assessment with a consultant ophthalmologist, including imaging where indicated.
60–90 minutes including dilationOne, with review as the condition requires
Read moreOCT, visual fields and retinal photography — the tests that find what an examination cannot.
30–45 minutesOne, repeated at monitoring intervals
Read moreReplacing the eye’s clouded lens with a clear artificial one, as a day case.
20–30 minutes in theatreOne per eye, usually two weeks apart
Read moreReshaping the cornea to reduce or remove dependence on spectacles.
15–20 minutes for both eyesAssessment, treatment, then reviews at 1 day, 1 week and 3 months
Read moreReplacing the natural lens where laser is unsuitable or reading vision is the issue.
20–30 minutes per eyeOne per eye, usually two weeks apart
Read moreLowering pressure and monitoring the nerve, with drops, laser or surgery.
30–45 minutes per reviewReviews every 3–12 months, lifelong
Read moreTreatment for wet macular degeneration, diabetic macular oedema and retinal vein occlusion.
20 minutes including preparationA loading course, then intervals set by scan findings
Read moreAssessment of the tear film and lid margin, and treatment aimed at the actual cause.
45 minutesOne assessment, then review at 6–8 weeks
Read moreTechnology
What we treat and diagnose with, and what each of them means for you.
A cross-sectional scan of the retina and optic nerve, accurate to a few microns.
Macular and glaucoma changes are seen years before they affect your vision.
Maps the sensitivity of your peripheral vision point by point.
Shows what glaucoma has already taken, and whether treatment is holding it.
Maps the curvature and thickness of the front surface of the eye.
Decides suitability for laser, and detects keratoconus early.
Measures the eye’s dimensions to calculate the lens power for surgery.
Accurate lens selection, which is what determines your vision afterwards.
Photographs a much larger area of the retina than a standard camera.
A permanent baseline, so next year’s scan can be compared with this one.
The practice
Appointments
Consultations are with a consultant ophthalmologist. Allow up to two hours: most examinations involve dilating drops, and you should not plan to drive afterwards.
Before you come
Dilating drops take twenty minutes to work, and the examination follows them.
Your near vision will be blurred and you will be light-sensitive for three to five hours afterwards.
Everything is brighter after dilation, and that includes the walk to the car park.
Along with your latest prescription and any previous scans or letters you have been given.
Checklist
What to bring
Most sight-threatening conditions are silent until they are advanced. A consultation is the only way to know where you stand.
Book a consultation