A 76-year-old ex-military man has praised a sight-saving Darlington clinic after cataract surgery left him feeling as though he was seeing through new eyes for the first time.
Allen Gent was the first patient to be assessed at Newmedica’s new clinic in Darlington, which opened its doors earlier this year.
The clinic provides cataract pre-assessment appointments for NHS patients in the area with surgery then conducted at Newmedica’s surgical centre in Middlesbrough, with Newmedica offering free transport to patients who need it.
The Newmedica Middlesbrough surgical cenctrecentre on Market Place, North Ormesby, opened in 2019 with the aim of helping to reduce NHS waiting times for eye surgery.
It recently celebrated five years of providing care for a range of eye conditions to the population of Middlesbrough and its surrounding areas, and have performed almost 20,00030,000 surgeries in that time.
The latest outpatient clinic in Darlington is helping to support patients in the local community by providing care closer to home.
Allen is one of the latest patients to benefit from treatment from the surgical centre in Middlesbrough.
Allen spent his 25-year military career in transport and was largely based in Germany. He also completed a few tours in Northern Ireland and then worked as a lorry driver before his retirement in 2013.
He was made aware that cataracts were beginning to form in both of his eyes during a routine eye examination at his local optometrists. Cataracts form when the lens of a person’s eye develops cloudy patches. Over time these patches can become bigger, causing blurred vision and eventually blindness if untreated.
Allen’s sight was deteriorating to such an extent that he worried he would no longer be able to drive by the time his license was due to be renewed. As Allan is over the age of 70, he has to renew his driving license every three years.
He said: “My partner and I are not ones for spending our retirement at home, we like to keep active and are out and about most days.
“A good number of years ago, I had an OCT scan at my local opticians which revealed cataracts were starting to form in both eyes. As my sight began to deteriorate, I found that things looked foggy and I began to worry that I wouldn’t be able to drive for much longer, which would really have impacted our ability to keep up our busy lifestyle.
“The new clinic in Darlington came at just the right time for me, as when my optician said it was time to refer me for surgery, I avoided a potentially long wait to be assessed by having the opportunity to be referred to Newmedica.
“It only took about three weeks to be seen at the Darlington clinic and then another three weeks to have the first of my eyes treated in Middlesbrough.
“I had a first-class experience and can’t praise the team at Newmedica enough. I was blown away by their care during surgery and afterwards – they even called me the next day to make sure I was ok.
“I have worn glasses for a long time but my sight is so clear and sharp following the surgery, I now only wear glasses for reading and no longer have to worry about not being able to drive because of my sight. It was like being able to see through new eyes.”
Mr Qasim Mansoor, Consultant Ophthalmologist and Clinical Partner for Newmedica Middlesbrough and Darlington, said: “Over the past five years our goal has been to help reduce waiting lists and deliver exceptional eye care to the areas we serve.
“Opening our new clinic in Darlington is helping us to continue to support the community alongside our surgical centre in Middlesbrough.
“It was wonderful to see our first patient from the Darlington clinic, Allen, have such as positive experience and feel really looked after by our team.
“His story illustrates exactly why it’s so important to have treatment for cataracts or he would likely have had to have give up driving, which would have had a huge impact on being able to enjoy his retirement.”
Alongside Mr Mansoor, Newmedica Middlesbrough and Darlington is led by consultant ophthalmologist Mr Philip Severn and operational director, Annette Johnson.
In addition to cataract treatment, Newmedica Middlesbrough offers treatment for glaucoma, oculoplastic procedures, age-related macular degeneration and vitreoretinal surgery to NHS and private patients.
To find out more, visit www.newmedica.co.uk/clinics/middlesbrough or www.newmedica.co.uk/clinics/darlington.