Eye Surgery in Imo State
St Joseph’s Eye Hospital Mgbirichi performs the full range of eye surgery, from routine cataract operations to glaucoma drainage and oculoplastic procedures, for patients across Imo State and the South East.
IN OUR THEATRE
Operations we perform
All surgery is carried out in our own theatre on site.
Phacoemulsification and small incision cataract surgery. The cloudy lens is removed and replaced with a permanent clear implant, under local anaesthetic, usually in under an hour.
Filtration surgery and tube drainage surgery, which create a new route for fluid to leave the eye when drops and laser are no longer holding the pressure down.
Urgent surgery for congenital cataract. A child’s sight is still developing, and an eye that cannot see clearly in those early years does not learn to see.
Surgery for glaucoma present from birth or early childhood, where controlling pressure early is what protects a lifetime of sight.
Operations on the retina itself, including detachment, carried out with our visiting vitreo-retinal consultant.
Repair of lids that turn inwards or outwards, droop, or no longer close. A lid that sits wrongly will damage the cornea beneath it if it is left.
Removal of pterygium and other growths on the surface of the eye, and repair after injury.
Reconstructive procedures around the eye and orbit, and surgery for growths on and inside the eye.
Cataract surgery
Cataract is the leading cause of avoidable blindness in Nigeria, and the operation that cures it is one of the most successful in all of medicine. The cloudy natural lens is removed and replaced with a clear artificial lens implant that stays in the eye permanently.
We offer both phacoemulsification, which uses ultrasound to break up the lens through a very small incision, and small incision cataract surgery, known as SICS. Which is right for you depends on the density of the cataract and the condition of your eye, and your surgeon will explain the choice before you decide.
Both are done under local anaesthetic. You are awake but the eye is numb, and both usually take well under an hour. There is no need to wait until a cataract is ripe. The right time is when your sight is interfering with the things you need to do.
Glaucoma surgery
When drops and laser are no longer holding the pressure down, surgery creates a new route for fluid to leave the eye. We perform filtration surgery and tube drainage surgery.
It is worth being clear about what this achieves. Glaucoma surgery protects the sight you still have. It does not restore sight already lost to the disease. That is precisely why we press so hard on early detection: the earlier the pressure is controlled, the more vision there is left to protect.
Children’s eye surgery
We operate on paediatric glaucoma and paediatric cataract. Both are urgent in a way the adult conditions are not, because a child’s sight is still developing. An eye that cannot see clearly during those early years does not learn to see, and the window for putting that right closes as the child grows.
A congenital cataract shows as a white or grey reflection in the pupil. If you see that in a baby or child, bring them in immediately.
Lid, conjunctival and oculoplastic surgery
Not all eye surgery is inside the eye. We carry out lid surgery, conjunctival surgery including pterygium removal, oculoplastic procedures around the eye and orbit, and surgery for ocular tumours.
These operations matter for function as much as appearance. A lid that no longer closes or sits correctly will damage the cornea beneath it if it is left.
Before and after your operation
Every operation is preceded by measurement and assessment of the eye. For cataract that includes biometry, which measures the eye so we can select the correct power of lens implant for you, and an assessment of the health of the rest of the eye so we can give you a realistic picture of the vision to expect afterwards.
Afterwards you are given drops to use for several weeks and a series of follow-up appointments. Using the drops exactly as instructed is the single most important thing you can do to protect the result. Do not rub the eye, and come back sooner than your appointment if the eye becomes painful or red, or the vision drops.
As with any operation there are risks, and they are real even though they are uncommon. Our team will discuss them with you honestly before you decide.
Book an appointment
Come and see our eye care team at St Joseph’s Eye Hospital Mgbirichi. We see patients from across Imo State and the South East.