Why refer to us?
We are a fully equipped clinic with a highly trained professional team. Our ethos is to provide the ultimate premium cataract surgery service to your patients. We value good old-fashioned customer service, and we will not treat your patients like a number. At each visit, your patients will be examined by our ophthalmologists and have ample chair time to discuss any questions or concerns they may have.
All our ophthalmologists at Queensland Eye and Retina Specialists have extensive training in routine and more complex cataract surgery. Dr Sean Cheng, our vitreoretinal specialist, is also able to offer the option of combined cataract surgery with vitrectomy, ideal for patients who may have cataract and other pathologies such as epiretinal membrane, macula hole or localised retinal detachments. This may help reduce number of visits, procedures, and recovery time as the patient will require only a single hospital admission.
We continually audit our cataract surgery outcomes, in order to assess clinical performance and make any necessary adjustments. If you would like to discuss further, please contact our office.
What IOL options are available for our patients?
Our ophthalmologists have access to an up-to-date suite of IOL options, including Monofocals, EDoFs (extended depth of focus) and Multifocals. To calculate the preferred IOL power for each patient, we use the Barrett Universal II formula, which has been shown to provide higher predictability compared to other formulae. At the cataract consultation, patients will undergo a detailed lifestyle discussion with our clinical optometrists, including their visual needs and expectations following surgery. By doing this, we aim to offer personalised IOL configurations which are optimised for each individual patient.
A popular lens configuration currently is mini-monovision with an EDoF lens, which can provide a greater range of functional vision for patients, without the significant glare/halo side-effects of current generation Multifocal IOLs.
We do not compromise on the quality of our IOL lenses, choosing to use a Monofocal Plus as our “standard” lens option, with the aim of providing the best visual outcomes to our patients.
What are the differences between Private and Public systems for cataract surgery?
Australia’s public health system offers free health care to all Medicare card holders. As such there is an extremely high demand for the system. All public hospitals are also training facilities, where all future generation specialists hone their skills under the supervision of a consultant specialist.
It is important to know that there are two waiting lists: one waitlist to be assessed in clinic, and another waitlist to have the surgery performed. Public funding is incredibly limited; hence, patients will be triaged based on their clinical severity. Nearly all cataract surgeries are deemed Category 3, for which the recommended timeframe for assessment in clinic is 365 days. Furthermore, patients are unable to choose their surgeon, and may have their surgery performed by a training registrar under supervision. Due to limited funds, public cataract surgeries are also limited to standard IOLs, with no option of multifocal selection.
Cataract Considerations | Queensland Eye & Retina | Public system |
Choice of surgeon | Experienced surgeons only | Anyone including trainee |
Waiting time | 2-4 weeks | Approx 1 year + each eye |
Choice of IOLlens | Premium lens | Basic lens |
Theatre | Private day hospital | Public hospital |
Cost | Known gap for insured | Free |
Ease of Parking | Onsite or discounted option available | No |
Same treating doctor | Yes | No |
I am a referring provider
Due to the technological advancements in surgery technique and IOL design, cataract surgery has progressively transitioned from a rehabilitation procedure to a refractive procedure. Patient expectations are growing exponentially, with more people wanting to address their presbyopia during the procedure.
At Queensland Eye and Retina Specialists, we have access to the latest technology, in order to provide solutions tailored to each patient’s lifestyle.
For urgent referrals: Please call us directly - (07) 3555 5960.
Cataract Care
Queensland Eye & Retina Specialists
We take a holistic approach to each patient, addressing not only the cataract, but also any other coexisting pathology. At the initial visit patients will undergo OPTOS imaging, Cirrus OCT and Clarus fundus photography, to ensure the health of the entire eye is considered. If any other pathology is found, often a combined surgery can be offered, to reduce risks and costs associated with multiple procedures. Detailed lifestyle evaluation is also undertaken with each patient, to ensure the most suitable IOL option is chosen. We try to keep our surgery wait lists short, with most cataract procedures able to be scheduled within 4 weeks from the original visit.
To ensure the patients visit is as easy as possible, paid onsite parking is available. We endeavor to provide each patient with the required chair time, and they will see their surgeon at every visit along the cataract pathway. They can also contact our optometrists if they have any further questions.