On 30 January, ITV’s This Morning spotlighted lifechanging cataract surgery at Moorfields Eye Hospital, City Road in their live show.
TV doctor and GP Nighat Arif visited the hospital and interviewed Ted Taziveyi, a council worker from London, who already had sight loss in one eye. He had suddenly lost the sight of his ‘good’ eye the week before, and was diagnosed with a rapid onset cataract by consultant ophthalmologist Chris Leak in A&E.
A cataract is when the lens, or front of the eye, clouds over, making the vision blurry. They are usually caused by aging, but typically form slowly. Whether they form slowly or rapidly, they can only be treated by surgery, which replaces the clouded lens with a clear, artificial one.
Cataract surgery is quick and can greatly improve vision. Ted was interviewed on the two and a half hour show before and after he went into theatres.
Before his operation, he could only make out the outline of Dr Arif’s face. Afterwards, he could see her fully.
“Now I can see completely through the eye again,” said Ted, after his operation. “I can go back to work and can cook again. I just want to say thank you to Moorfields, I appreciate all the hard work the staff have done.”
“I’ve been witnessing miracles here this morning,” said Dr Nighat. “A week ago, Ted couldn’t see – now he can, this is completely lifechanging!” She also suggested that patients with concerns should search up Moorfields, where “cataracts are easily corrected”.
Mr Chris Leak also carried out Ted’s operation after seeing him in A&E. He said: “This was a tricky procedure, but it went very well, and Ted was the perfect patient.”
We offer surgical care, including cataract surgery, at 10 different sites across London and Bedford. We aim to see NHS patients for cataract surgery within 8 weeks from referral, with historically low waiting times at many of our surgical sites including Moorfields at St Ann’s and Moorfields at Stratford.
We provide fully comprehensive eye care, with a 24/7 accident and emergency walk-in service, supported by video consultations 9.00am-9.00pm 7 days a week and a nurse-led eyecare helpline. You can be safe in the knowledge that if you have any concerns after your surgery, we will be there for you with support and advice.
The 30 January edition of ITV Morning Live is now available on ITVX. The Moorfields coverage is from 14:30 to 18:10, and 1:21:00 to 1:25:10.