“No Needle” cataract surgery

In “No Needle” cataract surgery, no needles or injections are used around the eyes. No needles around the eye avoids the small risk of inadvertent needle penetration of the eye, optic nerve or arteries and veins around the eye.

No needle cataract surgery also means the eye muscles are not paralysed after cataract surgery so an eye patch does not need to be worn. This is particularly important for people with poor vision in their other eye or at risk of falls.

Patients with advanced cataracts and non-English speaking patients can still have “no needle” cataract surgery.

There are many benefits of cataract surgery without needle injections around your eye, including:

1. Less patient fear of surgery which can lead to patient avoidance of cataract surgery and continued poor vision with its associated risks of falls etc as well as interference in quality of life and performance of activities of daily living.
2. No patch is needed over the eye after surgery so you can usually see with both eyes straight away to move about better and reduce risk of falls. This is particularly important in patients who do not have useful vision in the other eye.
3. No need for heavier anaesthesia to perform needle injections around the eye.
4. No risk of bruising around the eye.
5. No risk of penetrating the eyeball and retinal detachment.
6. No risk of eye muscle injection resulting in impaired eye movement and to double vision.
7. No risk of bleeding around the eye which could lead to cancellation of surgery