Patient Information

• On the day of surgery, your anaesthetist will review your medical history and discuss the planned anaesthesia method with you. Also, the anaesthetist will obtain written consent from you for your anaesthesia.
• Your doctor will ask you to fill out and sign a consent form. Prior to signing the consent form, ensure that your doctor has explained the nature of the procedure, its effects and risks, your expected recovery and follow-up care requirements.

Local or Topical Anesthesia

Unlike general anesthesia, local or topical anesthesia means you will be awake for your eye surgery. A light meal (e.g. tea and toast – no fatty foods) may be eaten up to 1 hour before admission time.
Cataract surgery is usually performed under a local anesthetic with an anesthetist present. The local anesthetic is put behind the eye to numb the whole eye.

Alternatively, cataract surgery can be performed under topical anesthesia. This is where the surface of the eye is numbed with drops and /or local anesthetic gel.

An intravenous line (I.V) may be placed as a precaution before the surgery and you may be offered intravenous sedation if you are anxious.

During your eye surgery

Usually, you will be required to lie flat on a theatre bed for your procedure. For cataract or specialized eye surgery that involves operating inside the eye, it is important that you are able to lie still and in a flat position for approximately 30 minutes. Please inform the staff if you have any issues with lying in a flat position for long or if you have a tendency to cough.

The surgeon will clean around the eye and a drape placed over the area to be treated. Sometimes as a safety precaution, it is also necessary to have paper tape placed securely across your forehead that will help keep your head in place for the microscopic eye surgery. You will also be monitored throughout your procedure.

After surgery

After surgery you will be taken to the recovery area. The monitoring equipment will be removed. The nurse will give you a post-operative medications and written instructions on how to care for your eye following the surgery, and confirm your first post-op appointment.

When you are ready to leave, surgery centre the staff will assist in contacting the person you have nominated to collect you. We strongly recommend that you do not take a taxi on your own or any form of public transport.

If at any stage of the discharge process you are unsure of any information or instructions you have been given, or you would like additional information about your procedure or operation or subsequent follow-up care, please do not hesitate to ask the staff or your specialist.

Please note that patients must not drive for 24 hours following sedation or after cataract surgery.We strongly recommend that you arrange for a responsible adult family member or friend to stay with you for your first night at home after your operation.

General or Heavy I.V Sedation Anesthesia

With general anesthesia, food or fluids are only allowed up to 6 hours prior to your admission time.With heavy I.V sedation, food is allowed up to 6 hours pre-operatively; clear fluids are allowed up to 3 hours prior to admission time.

The staff will ring one to two days prior to your surgery to clarify your surgery requirements and answer any questions you may have.

Children undergoing surgery

It’s never easy when your child is undergoing a procedure or surgery but at crystal clear vision our very experienced staff will treat your child with every care and attention.

This starts one to two days before the surgery when one of our specialist nurses will call the child’s parent/caregiver to verify the general anesthesia requirements for their surgery.

On the day of their surgery you are welcome to bring a few of your child’s favorites toys or books to keep them entertained. Parents are welcome to stay with their child at the start of the anesthetic. If you wish to do so please discuss this with your anesthetist and specialist prior to your child’s procedure or surgery. We also try to reunite parents with their child as soon as possible after the procedure or surgery, and it is likely that you will be invited to join your child in the recovery area.

Our Fees

Insight Eye clinic is a private practice facility. Each practitioner has his or her own “schedule of fees” which is based on the fees recommended by the Indian Medical Association.

• Our receptionist or staff will be able to advise you on the cost of consultations and any additional treatment you require, at the time you make your appointment. If you require surgery, you will be provided with a written “Informed Financial Consent” which sets out the expected costs and any other benefits, which may be payable by you or your health insurance agency.

Payment Policies

• Payment of fees for consultations and treatment provided at the time of the consultation is payable on the day of the service. If you are unable to pay on the day of service, you should discuss your options with the doctor’s secretary at the time of arrival.
• Payment for surgery should be made as advance payment or complete payment on the day of surgery.
• Payments can be made by cash, cheque or by debit /credit card.
• Accounts for surgery fees will normally be handed to the patient on arrival for their first post-operative appointment.

Your responsibility as a Patient

• You are responsible for providing accurate and complete information regarding your medical history, for asking questions if you do not understand your care or treatment, for following the plan of care or accepting the consequences if you refuse treatment.
• You are responsible for being considerate of the rights of other patients and for observing regulations affecting patient care and conduct.
• You are responsible for discussing pain relief options with your physician or nurse, and for reporting pain promptly.
• Please note the clinic does not take any responsibility for personal belongings or lost personal items. In the event that something has gone missing please contact a member of staff and we will endeavor to do our best to find the item for you.

Parking

There is plenty of parking available on site at pride purple square. Currently, the car park is accessed from main entrance or underground parking.

What to bring with you

• Please wear comfortable loose-fitting clothing. During your surgery we will provide you with a gown to wear over the clothes you are wearing.
• Make arrangements for a responsible adult to drive you home following your surgery. You may wish to organise for an adult to be with you for about 24 hours following your surgery, Or possibly longer, if you require additional help. This may especially be the case where your surgery has been performed under general anaesthetic or sedation.
• Please wear as little make-up as possible and remove all nail polish and piercings.
• Please bring any personal aids such as contact lenses, glasses, hearing aid, dentures, inhalers ,walking frame and any other special equipment you may require during your procedure.
• Please leave your valuables, including jewellery, at home.
• Mobile phones are not to be used in the operation theatre area.

Arrival and admission

You are supposed to bring a family member, close relative or a friend with you on the day of surgery. If they wish to wait until you are ready for discharge or nurse will be able to give them an approximate time that you will be ready for discharge but this can of course vary. The person collecting you can be contacted when you are ready to go home, if they prefer not to wait.

Your arrival time is usually 30 minutes prior to your procedure to allow time for your nurse/specialist to assess your individual needs and carry out any preparation required for your procedure.

Our nurse will admit and prepare you for your procedure or surgery. Please let your nurse know if you have any particular cultural, spiritual, social or emotional needs that would help us in planning your care. Your nurse will also be able to answer any questions and address any concerns you may have. The nurse also ensures all the necessary consent forms are signed and completed before you have your eye surgery.

Your specialist and your anesthetist will see you before your procedure or surgery.

This means that when you are undergoing cataract, Glaucoma, pterygium, Squint or cross linking treatment with us we will be able to obtain prior approval for your procedure on your behalf. Depending on your policy cover, you may have an excess to pay which will be collected from you on the day of surgery.

If you are not covered by insurance for your surgery, you will need to arrange for payments for your procedure. You will be required to make a payment in advance of surgery being undertaken, usually at the time of your admission.

You will be issued with invoices for your procedure on the first post operative day or a few days later. We request that you forward all invoices directly to your insurance company for payment. If you have any concerns regarding your account please contact us within 7 days. Any late or non-payment by your health insurer of your surgery costs is your full responsibility.

Insurance Care Guidelines

To determine if your insurance plan covers the service, contact your health insurance representative.If you have questions about your health benefits, please call your insurer to ask if a service is covered and to determine if there are any co-payments. To ensure proper billing for your service it is important that you bring your current insurance card with you to all appointments.

Private /corporate Insured Patients

Different health policies vary in what components of your hospital stay will be covered. It is essential that you contact your insurer prior to admission to confirm your level of cover and to understand what you will need to pay for depending upon your medical condition or procedure, you may require radiology, pathology and specialist consultations during your hospital stay. These will attract additional charges that may be covered in part or in full by your health insurance policy. During your stay in hospital, you may be prescribed medications. Most of these should be covered by your private health policy. However, you should be aware that some are not. These include any medications you are taking prior to your admission to hospital and additional medications that may be required at discharge. You will need to make arrangements for payment of medications not covered by your health insurance provider.

• Self-insured Patients if you do not have corporate health cover, you may elect to be admitted as a self insured patient. Self insured patients can claim the rebate if the procedure is eligible. On admission or prior to admission, you will be asked to pay the full estimated cost for your hospital stay. Overseas visitors with travel insurance will also be required to pay the hospital estimate on admission. Reimbursement may then be claimed from your travel insurer. Non-residents cannot claim rebate and are not eligible to receive subsidies.

Co-payments

If your insurance plan requires a co-payment, you will be expected to pay that amount at the time of your appointment. This may apply to office visits that occur at the clinic, emergency clinic visits and procedures on the same day as a visit, or any other type of service that your insurance provider allows is your responsibility.

• We understand that health insurance and paying for hospital care can be complicated, particularly during an unsettled time. We recommend that you ask your health insurance provider to help you work out what is or isn’t covered and how much you will have to pay. Also ask your doctor, anesthetists and surgical assistants to explain their charges, and to give you an indication of how much you will get back from the Insurance Company. The clinic staffs are always happy to help, should you have questions please call 020-46743977.

Pre-Operative Instructions

• Use your anti-inflammatory and antibiotic eye drops according to the instructions given to you during your pre-operative visit.
• Shower / bathe and wash your hair.
• Bring your eye drops to the surgery center.
• Take all of your usual oral medications with a small sip of water.
• Do not use glaucoma drops in the eye to be operated unless instructed to.
• Use your usual glaucoma medications in the eye that is not having surgery.
• If you are diabetic, DO NOT take your diabetes medicine. Please DO take any blood pressure and heart medications with a small sip of water.
• Do not use any eye makeup.
• If you wear dentures or hearing aids, you may wear them for surgery.
• Leave your valuables at home.
• Dress in clean, comfortable, loose fitting clothing.

Post-Operative Instructions
After surgery the eye is very delicate and you must take very good care of yourself for a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks. A successful operation can be destroyed, and the eyesight lost during this critical period. Technology has modernized surgery to the point where long hospitalizations are no longer necessary, but your body still needs time to heal.

Please follow the instructions given to you in the surgery center regarding your drops

• Space drops 5 minutes apart.
• You may take Aceclofenac 100 mg for any eye discomfort and artificial tears for scratchiness.
• You may remove your plastic eye shield and wear your glasses for protection.
• If you have an eye patch do not remove it, unless instructed to. The eye patch will be removed in the office in the evening or next day morning after your surgery.
• You should wear glasses or sunglasses for your protection during the day.
• Wear the eye shield at night and when napping for protection.
• Keep your activity light. You may watch television and go out to eat.
• Do not drive today.
• Bring your eye drops with you to all your follow-up appointments.
• Glasses should be worn for protective reasons. Sunglasses may be worn in bright sunlight.
• Wear your eye shield at bedtime for one week after surgery. You should wear it for one month after surgery if you sleep on your side or belly.
• Avoid strenuous exertion or exercise for the first few weeks.
• Take care to prevent toxic substances from getting into the eye.
• Close your eyes when splashing the face with water.
• No eye makeup for 4 weeks.
• You should avoid swimming or hot tubs for the first 4 weeks.
• Avoid using your body towel to dry your eyes as you can transfer bacteria from other parts of your body to your eye. Always use a clean tissue to wipe your eye.
• Do not rub your eye for 4 weeks. Your wound takes about 4 weeks to heal completely.
• Many people feel comfortable driving within a few days. Please use common sense and do not drive unless you feel comfortable doing so. If you are unsure, ask your doctor for recommendations.