Working Life: Patients want vision correction so they can see without wearing glasses

Brendan Cummings, ophthalmic surgeon, Wellington Eye Clinic, Dublin

Brendan Cummings, ophthalmic surgeon, Wellington Eye Clinic, Dublin.

6.40am

With two strong-willed little girls — Rosie (five) and Suzie (two-and-a-half) — it’s all hands on deck as my wife Lulu and I ready them for the day. The fun part for me is that I get to walk Rosie to school, as it’s right by the Luas, which I take to work in Sandyford.

8.45am

Days spent in theatre have an earlier start, but today is clinic day, so I’ve more time to ease myself in. I work with an amazing team of optometrists, and over the course of the clinic, we meet patients for pre-op consultations to guide them through options. Appointments last about two hours as we scan the patient’s eye in every possible way. The procedures we recommend are tailored to individual lifestyle visual needs. Usually, patients want vision correction so they can see without wearing glasses.

10am

I discuss Allotex with a man in his 50s for whom reading up close is becoming challenging. This procedure involves just one eye and it’s the go-to option for people with perfect distance vision whose up-close vision has weakened as part of the ageing process. It’s a reversible procedure, which adds a layer of reassurance.

12 noon

A young woman with very strong prescription glasses is considering Implantable Collamer lenses (ICL). This involves implanting a lens between the iris and the natural lens. It used to be reserved for extremely short-sighted patients, but we’ve had such predictable results we now use it to treat any prescription. With ICL, you can have 20/20 vision within a few days. It’s also reversible.

Lunchtime

My dad, Arthur Cummings, is also an eye surgeon and medical director at the Wellington Eye Clinic. We catch up over microwaveable oats. It’s such a privilege to be able to learn from him every day. I decline his offer for a cup of tea — it’s back to work.

3pm

An older gentleman is in to discuss multifocal lens surgery, which can restore vision at both near and long distances. It removes the need for glasses by replacing the natural lens with an artificial lens.

5.30pm

I spend an hour planning surgeries and then mentally rehearsing them on the Luas home. Back in Clonskeagh, I do bathtime and bedtime with the girls to give Lulu a break. Once they are settled, I usually do more surgical planning.