I’m pondering on asking to see a consultant in this field privately initially .
As far as I am aware, a private consultation could confirm what you have been told & you would have to pay for that. If you then have to have the operation done privately that will cost considerably more. If I were you, I would ask what the cost would be for each & how quickly it could be done if you paid for both.
My sister checked and on the NHS it costs between £1500 & £4000 for the op, but I suspect you would also need to pay more, if private & maybe the cost of an anaesthetist & hospital bed till you are alert enough to be sent home.
It could well be the same Opthalmic surgeon that does the op, so I would try to establish how much longer it would take via the NHS!
You don’t want to be spending that sort of money if it doesn’t dramatically reduce the time!
Pondering over at those kind of prices!
Better news in one way , because I’m forgetting about going privately altogether .
Made enquiries directly to hospitals and found out that at one I would be put on the NHS waiting list for assessment there ,once the referral was received . There’s probably a 3 months waiting list for that
If it was found I needed to have a general anaesthetic it would most likely mean another year’s wait and at any of several hospitals of my choice unless needing urgent treatment . Anyone not having someone to look after them is kept in overnight .
At the other there wasn’t such a long wait , maybe next year March or April. for the actual straightforward procedure.
Don’t know if I mentioned I’m not a driver . It crossed my mind wondering how many are and are driving with cataracts either known about and waiting or not known about . The latter a neighbours’s son .Found out but didn’t tell his family .5
That’s good in a way, i know i would have had to wait a year if i went to my local hospital and would have had a needle in my eyes instead of drops. Some people can drive with cataracts, it all depends on where it is. With mine i could see normally with my glasses, just made me more shortsighted.