For patients
What to expect
From the first appointment to the last follow-up, so there are no surprises on the day.
How care usually runs
Every patient follows broadly this path. The timings vary, and nothing is booked until you have had the costs in writing.
Book
Call or send a message. You do not need a referral to be seen privately, though we will ask your optometrist or GP for any records they hold.
Answered within one working day
Meet
A full examination and a conversation with Ms Jiang — not with an optometrist or a counsellor. You leave knowing what she found, what your options are, and what each would cost.
45 minutes
Treat
Ms Jiang performs the operation herself. You are awake, the eye is numbed, and you go home the same day.
The morning after
You are seen the next day to check the pressure and the healing, and to make sure the drops are doing what they should.
Next morning
Six weeks on
A final check once the eye has settled, and a prescription for glasses if you still want them for anything.
About six weeks
Live
Most people are back to their usual routine within a few days, with the eye still settling for a few weeks after that. What changes, and by how much, depends on what was done and on the eye it was done to — which is the conversation you will already have had.
Before your appointment
- Bring your glasses, and your last sight test printout if you have it
- Bring a list of any medication you take, including drops
- Arrange for someone to drive you home — you will have dilating drops
- Allow about an hour and a half at the clinic in total
During the consultation
Ms Jiang will ask about your symptoms and what you want from your vision, examine your eyes, and take measurements. Dilating drops take about twenty minutes to work and blur your vision for a few hours afterwards.
You will then discuss the options — including the option of doing nothing — and you will not be asked to decide on the day.
If you decide to proceed
- A written quotation is issued and confirmed before anything is booked
- A date is arranged, usually within two to four weeks
- Pre-operative measurements are taken if not already done
- Surgery is a day case; you go home a couple of hours afterwards
- You are seen the following day, then at intervals over the next six weeks
Getting in touch between appointments
You will be given a direct number for Ms Jiang’s secretary. For anything that changes suddenly — increasing pain, worsening vision, or a red eye in the days after surgery — ring the same day rather than waiting for your next appointment.
Common questions
What happens at the first consultation?
The first appointment takes about 45 minutes and is with Ms Jiang herself, not a delegate.
- A discussion of your symptoms, your general health and what you want from your vision
- A full examination, including measurements of the eye and its focusing power
- Dilating drops, which blur your vision for a few hours
- A frank conversation about the options, including doing nothing
- A written summary sent to you and, with your consent, to your GP
Because of the dilating drops, you should not plan to drive yourself home.
Will I see Ms Jiang herself every time?
Yes. Ms Jiang carries out the consultation, the surgery and the follow-up appointments personally. You will not be passed between clinicians, and you will have a named point of contact for questions between appointments.
How long is the recovery?
Most people are seeing usefully within a day or two and back to ordinary activities within a week.
- Same day — go home a couple of hours after the procedure; vision is often blurry
- Next day — a follow-up check, and most people are reading comfortably
- First week — avoid swimming, dusty environments and eye rubbing
- Four to six weeks — vision has fully settled and any glasses prescription is finalised
Everyone heals at their own pace, and these are typical timescales rather than a promise.
Will I need eye drops afterwards?
Yes. You will be given anti-inflammatory and antibiotic drops to use for a few weeks after surgery, with written instructions and a schedule. Using them as directed matters — most avoidable problems after lens surgery come from drops being stopped early.
When can I drive again after cataract surgery?
Most people are back to driving within a few days to a week, once vision in the treated eye meets the DVLA standard and they feel confident. Ms Jiang will confirm at your follow-up appointment.
You must not drive yourself home on the day of surgery, and you will need someone to collect you.