So, you live in Gurgaon and have been advised Cataract Surgery by your eye doctor and now you want to know who the best cataract surgeon in Gurgaon is. Fortunately, Gurgaon and Delhi NCR have many eye specialists and eye hospitals, but that makes finding the best cataract surgeon a daunting task. You have done a Google search and have come across several listings claiming they are the best, but you are not sure. Well, you are not alone. Below we are providing some helpful tips on how to find the best cataract surgeon from among the many eye specialists in Gurgaon and Delhi NCR.
Step 1 - Look closely at the educational qualifications of the eye surgeons
What you should know is that while all eye surgeons have MBBS and MS (Ophthalmology) degrees, only some study further and do what are called Fellowships. Fellowships are advanced courses and training programs where eye doctors specialize further in parts or diseases of the eye, so there are Cornea and Anterior Segment specialists (who specialize in the front part of the eye), Retina and Posterior Segment specialists (who specialize in the back part of the eye), Glaucoma specialists etc.
Cataract is a disease or condition of the Anterior Segment, the front part of the eye. So, an Anterior Segment specialist, who has done Anterior Segment Fellowship from a reputed institute, is the best surgeon for cataract surgery. Alternatively, an eye surgeon who has done a Fellowship in Cataract Surgery from a reputed institute will also be a good choice.
Step 2 – Focus on the professional experience of the Cataract Surgeons
Now that you have a shortlist of cataract surgeons based on their educational qualifications, focus on their professional experience. Typically, top cataract surgeons will have at least 15 years’ experience.
Step 3 – Make sure your chosen Cataract Surgeon is well versed with the latest techniques
Next, narrow down to cataract surgeons who are well versed with the latest techniques of cataract surgery. Sometimes, surgeons don’t keep pace with the latest advancements in medical science. As of now, MICS with Phacoemulsification is the gold standard of cataract surgery. MICS stands for Micro Incision Cataract Surgery. Benefits of MICS is that unlike in a conventional cataract surgery, where a large incision is made in the eye, in MICS only a micro incision is made which is self-sealing and hence generally no stitches are needed, which is why these surgeries are also referred to as ‘stitch-less’. In Phacoemulsification, ultrasound energy is used to soften the cloudy lens for removal. A variation of MICS is FLACS (Femto-Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery). In FLACS, first step of MICS is accomplished by a femto laser which is why these surgeries are also referred to as ‘blade-less’. FLACS surgeries are much more expensive and the jury is out on whether they are worth the additional spend.
Step 4 – Check if your Cataract surgeon offers the full range of Intra-Ocular lenses (IOLs)
One of the most important aspect of a Cataract Surgery is the Intra-Ocular lens (IOL). The best cataract surgeons use ‘Pre-loaded’ and/or ‘Foldable’ IOLs from reputed brands such as Alcon, Johnson & Johnson, Hoya etc. and offer the full range of lenses be it Monofocal or Multifocal or Trifocal or Toric or EDOF lenses etc. IOLs vary from each other in some very important ways and the best cataract surgeons help their patients choose the right IOL for them from among all that are available. Sometimes, surgeons and eye centres lock themselves into exclusive arrangements with one or two brands for various reasons. This means they are not always able to offer the right lens to their patients and the outcome is compromised. Before you finalise, do check with your eye surgeon if they offer all the brands or only a few. If they don’t offer the full range, that’s a red flag.
Step 5 – Check Reviews and Testimonials for the Cataract Surgeons
Check Reviews and Testimonials for the eye surgeons. Look at Practo reviews, Google reviews etc. Here, choose eye surgeons who have a large number of reviews since it is possible to manipulate a handful of reviews but difficult to manipulate large numbers of reviews.
Step 6 – Make sure that the Cataract Surgeon you choose is the surgeon who will actually do your Cataract Surgery
Last but not the least, make sure that the surgeon you choose is the surgeon who will actually do your Cataract Surgery. Sometimes, while the surgery is booked in the name of the well-known ‘Star’ Cataract Surgeon, some other surgeon ends up doing the surgery.
Have more questions about Cataract Surgery? Schedule a consultation with Dr. Aditi Agarwal - one of the best Cataract Surgeons in Gurgaon, India
Dr Aditi Agarwal is the most highly recommended Eye Surgeon on Practo with over 2200 likes and 700 positive reviews. On Google also she has a large number of 5 star rated reviews.
At Krishna Netralaya we offer the full range of IOLs across monfocal, multifocal, trifocal, EDOF, Toric etc. from all international brands and Indian brands