President, Ophthalmological Society of Nigeria (OSN), Dr Bade Ogundipe said through cataract surgery, there is at least a 95 per cent chance of individuals seeing better just as Eleta Eye Institute says it performs 5000 cataract surgeries yearly.
Dr Ogundipe spoke at the inauguration of ultra-modern cataract surgery suites and lasers as well as the ceremonial launch of SKT-ALCON phaco training centre at the Eleta Eye Institute.
He said cataract surgery is probably the most performed surgery all over the world, provided there is no problem in the eye and it can improve sight.
The OSN president stated that every individual stands an increased chance of developing cataract with age.
Before the surgery, he said the ophthalmologist would have prevented any contraindications or infection that may prevent a successful cataract surgery,
Eleta Eye Institute’s Group Managing Director, Dr Benedictus Ajayi, said that cataract remains a leading cause of preventable blindness and visual impairment in people of all ages in the country.
He said that the newly equipped training institute would help address the problem of medical tourism and contribute towards the goal of tackling and preventing cataract blindness in the country.
According to him, the ultramodern cataract surgery suite and lasers will provide the phacoemulsification “phaco” and laser-assisted cataract surgery, which is currently the most common type of cataract procedure performed in the developed countries.
He stated, “This is Phase One, and within the next few months, Eleta will acquire a Vitreo-Retinal equipment, which costs about 250000 dollars, to increase its reach in eye surgery.
“Once this has been acquired and installed, Nigerians would no longer need to travel outside the country for any type of eye surgery because eye care destination tourism will be here in Ibadan.”
The ophthalmologist said that Eleta Eye Institute has trained over 100 ophthalmologists since its inception to address the shortage of skilled manpower in eye care and increase access to quality eye care and timely intervention.
According to him, a lot of people suffer from visual impairment and go blind due to low access to quality eye care and about half of the cataract procedures are performed by herbalists.
The managing director of SKT Pharmaceutical, Dr Dung Nuhu, said that the phaco procedure commonly known as a Drive-in Drive Out (DIDO) surgery is performed within 90 minutes without overnight hospital stays.
He added: “Phaco cataract surgery is one of the safest and most effective surgical procedures for tackling the scourge of cataracts. It is called the drive-in drive-out procedure because it promotes faster healing, reduces risk of postoperative astigmatism and complications like retinal detachment.”