Hauora Tairawhiti ophthalmology registrar Dr Dan Scott with Ann Kerekere after her sequential cataract operation at Gisborne Hospital. The day after her surgery Ms Kerekere removed the eye patches and had "clear and sharp" vision. It was the first time sequential cataract surgery had been performed in Gisborne. The historic operations were carried out by ophthalmologist Dr Graham Wilson.
Local surgery history was made this month when 63-year-old Ann Kerekere had a cataract operation in both eyes in one day.
“My vision is amazing now,” says Ms Kerekere who had no qualms about having both eyes operated on, one after the other. “I knew I was in good hands and I was very well looked after by the doctors and nurse before, during and after the surgery. They told me they wouldn’t proceed with the second eye unless the first operation had gone well.”
In cataract surgery, the lens inside your eye has become cloudy. It’s removed and replaced with an artificial lens to restore clear vision. The procedure is typically performed while the patient is awake and does not require an overnight stay in a hospital. If both eyes require surgery a surgeon will in most cases wait a few weeks after the first surgery before operating on the second eye.
The double surgery was performed at Gisborne Hospital by Hauora Tairawhiti ophthalmologist Dr Graham Wilson on Tuesday 21 April. Dr Wilson says sequential cataract surgery is uncommon in New Zealand but there are many advantages to having same-day surgery in both eyes. “It can mean fewer hospital and outpatient visits, faster recovery of binocular vision for driving and other critical tasks, and a quicker return to normal living.”
Ms Kerekere is a nurse who has for the past 12 months suffered severe vision loss as cataracts developed in both her eyes. She was legally blind before her surgery. She couldn’t work and couldn’t do things she enjoyed such as weaving and other hobbies.
Dr Wilson says Ms Kerekere qualified for her scheduled surgery despite the COVID-19 lockdown, and doing both eyes on the same day made sense given the circumstances.
“Modern surgery is very safe and effective, and the rate of cataract complications is very low. Simultaneous bilateral cataract surgery is particularly helpful for people with cataracts in both eyes who are very nearsighted or very farsighted. And, the surgery could be performed safely under our lockdown protocols.”
For Ms Kerekere, the surgery has been life changing. As well a return to independence and driving, she can now clearly see her grandchildren aged three to nine-years-old who live with her at home. She feels honoured and grateful to have had the surgery particularly as it was carried out during the COVID-19 lockdown when no other ophthalmology surgery has been done.
“My eyesight is amazing with everything looking clear and sharp. I feel privileged to have proceeded with this surgery when other elective surgery was cancelled. I am enormously grateful to colleagues and friends who continue to work at the hospital during this time.”