Andrea, 56, said: “I’ve worn glasses for the past 20 years for both driving and reading, and I have Type 2 diabetes, so I have been having regular eye tests with Oliver at Judge Opticians for many years. When I heard that Oliver himself had his cataracts treated at Optegra in Leicester I had no hesitation about going to my local Optegra Eye Clinic Nottingham for surgery.”
Andrea was told by Oliver in 2023 that she had cataract in both eyes but they were small and not affecting her vision at that time. Over the course of the following year however, she had two optician visits and new lenses in her glasses as her vision had deteriorated. By February 2025 she knew it was time for surgery.
“I am a sales rep for a company that supplies ergonomic monitoring arms for computers to desk manufacturers, which means I spend a lot of time in the car,” she said. “I started to notice some glare around oncoming headlights and realised that I was struggling to see the TV screen clearly. I was also enlarging text on my phone.”
A second eye test confirmed that her cataracts had progressed rapidly. “It’s possible that my diabetes may have contributed to the speed in which my cataracts had developed. I didn’t feel safe driving anymore, which affected my ability to work, so I was 100% ready for surgery.”
Within a few weeks Andrea was at Optegra Eye Clinic Nottingham for her pre-op checks and shortly after that, she attended for the surgery itself. “On the day I was feeling stressed about work which actually took my mind off the procedure. The staff were all so lovely, calm and reassuring, so I immediately felt at ease. It was painless and over so quickly.”
Andrea was treated by consultant ophthalmic surgeon Magdalena Edington, who said “Diabetes can cause a rapid progression of cataracts and deterioration in visual acuity. However, it is important to keep in mind that visual acuity is not always an accurate measure of the impact that cataract is having on a patient - glare, colour disturbance, light sensitivity, and difficulty with night driving are all common symptoms.
“Cataract surgery can really transform people’s lives and is a painless procedure. I was delighted to hear that Andrea had such a positive experience at Optegra and is now benefitting from excellent vision.”
Following her surgery, Andrea noticed an improvement straight away and over the next few days was able to read writing on the TV. “One of the biggest differences is the vibrancy of the colours – I can’t believe how bad my eyesight was before! I now don’t need to wear my glasses for general pottering around which is a revelation for me.
“Now I don’t need to worry about driving long distances and returning home in the dark as my vision is so much better. To be able to see so clearly is like I’ve turned the clock back 20 years! The end result is absolutely worth it – I am over the moon.”