What must I bring to my appointment?
- If you have a referral letter, please bring it to your appointment
- If you have medical aid, please bring your medical aid card to your appointment
How much does an appointment cost?
- Dr Olivia Read charges medical aid rates for consultations and procedures
- There may be a R100 co-payment for new patients depending on the medical aid
- Various payment arrangements can be made, please chat to the doctor about your needs and concerns
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What is blepharitis?
Blepharitis is the inflammation of the eyelid margin. It may result in dry eyes as it affects the meibomian glands that produce the fatty layer that covers the tear film on your eye. If this fatty layer is unhealthy, then your tears evaporate much faster.
How is blepharitis treated?
There are various options to treat blepharitis. It is important to visit your ophthalmologist so that the severity of the inflammation can be assessed. They will then recommend a treatment plan to help ease the symptoms. While recurrence is common, quick, early treatment can help decrease the duration and severity of the symptoms.
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What is Blepharoplasty?
Blepharoplasty is a common facial cosmetic procedure, most often done on older patients. The surgeon will remove excess skin and sometimes fat from the upper or lower eyelid to stop it sagging and bulging.
How is Blepharoplasty different to Ptosis?
Blepharoplasty is different to ptosis/droopy eyelid surgery which happens when the eyelid muscles (and not the skin) become droopy.
How long is the surgery for blepharoplasty?
Blepharoplasty is commonly done under conscious sedation, and the procedure lasts between one and two hours. The patient is usually discharged on the same day.
What are the side-effects of blepharoplasty?
While there isn’t a lot of pain associated with blepharoplasty, the eyelid tissue does well significantly, and bruising will be visible for up to a month after surgery. Your doctor will advise the use of ice packs at home in the two days following surgery to help reduce bruising and swelling.
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How do you treat cataracts?
Surgery is the only way of treating or ‘fixing’ a cataract.
How long does cataract surgery take?
The actual cataract surgery usually only takes about 10 minutes. The patient is under conscious sedation during the procedure. Following the surgery, an eye pad and shield are placed over the eye. The patient is then released, and they return to the surgery the next day for the removal of the dressing and assessment.
Is cataract surgery painful?
Cataract surgery is one of the quickest, safest, and most successful surgeries available. It’s also relatively painless. The patient is treated under conscious sedation, and discharged on the day of the surgery.
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What are the symptoms of diabetic retinopathy?
The initial symptoms of diabetic retinopathy may be very mild, but as it progresses, the symptoms become more severe. Look out for:
- Spots or dark floaters
- Fluctuating vision
- Blind spots
- Loss of vision
How can diabetic retinopathy be prevented?
Loss of vision, and the other serious effects of diabetes can be controlled and prevented through management of the patient’s blood glucose levels. This involves medication, a strict diet, and a healthy lifestyle. Exercise is highly recommended for anyone suffering from diabetes.
How is diabetic retinopathy treated?
After a thorough examination, your ophthalmologist will recommend a treatment plan which may include medication, laser treatment, or even surgery.
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What is dry eye disease?
Your eye produces tears to keep the eye tissue healthy and moist. When the production of tears, and the tear film on the eye is affected, the condition is known as dry eye.
What are the symptoms of dry eye disease?
Eyes can be red, itchy, feel gritty, and may even sting. Many patients also experience excessive tearing and blurred vision.
How is dry eye disease treated?
Depending on the cause and severity of the condition, your ophthalmologist will assess your eyes and advise on a treatment plan.
Find out more HERE
Should I be concerned about a growth on my eyelid?
Lumps, bumps, growths, and lesions on eyelids are fairly common. Most of the time, they are only of cosmetic concern. However, in some cases they may cause astigmatism, or eyelid disfigurement which requires urgent intervention.
Some of the more common lumps, bumps, and growths that may occur on eyelids include:
- Chalazion/Meibomian cyst
- Stye
- Hidrocystoma
- Epidermal inclusion cysts
- Nevi
- Seborrheic keratosis
- Malignant tumours
Find out more HERE
What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is the second major cause of blindness in the world today (after cataracts). It is an eye disease that causes damage to the optic nerve which is critical for clear vision.
How is glaucoma treated?
Depending on the type of glaucoma you have, your ophthalmologist will consider different treatment options including eye drops, oral medications, and surgery.
What is a Trabeculectomy?
This is a surgical treatment for glaucoma where the surgeon creates an artificial drainage area in the eye. This treatment option is suggested when the patient doesn’t respond well to maximal medications, and the rate of progression of the glaucoma is rapid.
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What is macular degeneration?
The macula is a small area on the central retina of your eyeball. It is responsible for all of your central, detailed vision. Damage to this area is called macular degeneration.
Is there a cure for macular degeneration?
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the leading causes of visual loss in the elderly. There are two subtypes of AMD: dry and wet. Sadly, there is no treatment for dry AMD, but your ophthalmologist can help control and treat wet AMD.
What are the symptoms of age-related macular degeneration?
- Distorted vision, lines appear bent
- Reduced vision
- Colours appear less bright
- Blurry spot, or blind spot in your visual field
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Is pterygium surgery serious?
This is a fairly minor procedure, and is performed in the day theatre under conscious sedation. The eye surgeon will take around 30 minutes to complete the surgery depending on the severity of the case.
How long does it take to recover from pterygium surgery?
The eye heals rapidly after pterygium surgery. Patients are usually able to return to work after two days.
Can you prevent pterygium?
If you live in a dry, hot climate and are exposed to UV rays then you are at a higher risk of developing a pterygium.
To help prevent growth, wear UV-protective sunglasses everyday, even on overcast days, and when you’re driving in your car. Wear a hat when you’re outdoors, and keep your eyes moist with eyedrops if you’re in a very dry climate.
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What causes ptosis or droopy eyelids?
A person may be born with a droopy eyelid (congenital ptosis), or it may occur with age as the eyelid muscle stretches and lengthens, causing the lid to drop. Rare causes of ptosis include trauma, a stroke, or a tumour.
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What cases tearing or watery eyes?
There are a few possible causes of watery eyes. Your eye specialist will recommend different treatment options based on the cause of the tearing.
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Depending on the nature of the injury, and the type of surgery required, recovery may take up to two weeks. Your surgeon will set out a recovery programme. It is extremely important that you adhere to it to ensure the best possible results of the surgery.
Your doctor will likely advise you to stop smoking, and to limit your strenuous exercise throughout the recovery process. Rest and relaxation are very important to healing.
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When is the best time to treat a squint?
The earlier the better. Most squints develop in children under three years old, and action should be taken to correct it before permanent damage occurs.
Can adults develop a squint?
Adults can also develop squints for various reasons. Adult-onset squints usually result in double vision, which is an extremely distressing symptom and makes the patient’s ability to see very difficult. They often have to close one eye in order to focus clearly.
Is squint surgery effective?
Dr Olivia Read has performed hundreds of successful squint surgeries in almost two decades of practicing as an ophthalmologist. In her opinion, squint surgery can be extremely effective for both children and adults. This is supported by medical studies around the world.
Does it take long to recover from squint surgery?
Recovery from squint surgery is relatively short. Patients don’t need to wear a patch or bandage at home, and can return to normal activities as soon as they feel ready to. Some contact sports and swimming should be avoided for at least a month after surgery. Chat to your doctor for their recommendations.
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What is Thyroid Eye Disease (TED)?
Thyroid Eye Disease (TED) is an autoimmune disease. Its exact causes are not known, but there are several risk factors that are common.
What are the symptoms of Thyroid Eye Disease (TED)?
Thyroid Eye Disease (TED) can result in swelling and inflammation of the eye muscles, eyelids and the fatty tissues behind the eye. It is also often referred to as Graves’ disease.
Treatment options for Thyroid Eye Disease
Your doctor will perform a test to determine if you have an overactive thyroid gland. If this is the case, it will be treated separately to your eyes.
Once the thyroid has been treated, and your thyroid function has returned to normal, your ophthalmologist can evaluate the effects on your eyes, and recommend various treatment options.
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