Mr Robert Petrarca MD (Res) FRCOphth

Written by a private patient at Ashtead Hospital

I recently underwent two cataract operations at Ashtead Hospital in July ‘21. Before the first surgery on my right eye, I met with Mr Petrarca for a consultation when he explained exactly what would happen, from arriving at the hospital through to completion. He said that the actual procedure would be painless - all anaesthesia being given by drops directly in the eye - completely quashing any wild imaginings of injections of any sort! On arriving at Ashtead Hospital I was shown to my room and all relevant checks were made, extra care being taken due to Covid19. I was given a gown to wear over my clothes along with non-slip socks for walking to theatre. Shortly afterwards a tiny pellet was inserted in my eye to dilate the pupil. About an hour later I was taken to theatre where I met with Mr Petrarca and his team. Every member was friendly and efficient and put me at ease. Further security checks were made to make sure I was still who I was meant to be (!), and my ‘good’ eye was covered with a screen so that I couldn’t see what would be taking place. Mr Petrarca once again explained exactly what would be happening and he calmly talked me through the various stages whilst operating. He was absolutely right, there was no pain whatsoever, just a very strange sensation - a kaleidoscope of bright white and coloured light. I am totally amazed at the sheer cleverness of the procedure - cataract removed and a brand new lens inserted in about 15 minutes, with no pain and no stress. On completion, my eye was then covered with a clear plastic patch which I was told to wear overnight, just to prevent any accidental rubbing, and I was prescribed drops which I had to administer four times daily for three weeks. I had a ride back to my room in a wheelchair and was rewarded with a tray of sandwiches, juice, tea and biscuits. Mr Petrarca popped in to see me a bit later, and then I was discharged and allowed to go home. The whole time spent in Ashtead Hospital was about 4 hours. A nurse from the hospital called me the following day to ensure that I was doing ok. Every single person I met during my stay was efficient, polite, caring, kind and friendly. I had no post-op ill-effects at all, just an awareness of bright lights and sunshine for the day or so. Following a further telephone consultation from Mr Petrarca to ensure that I had recovered well, I returned to Ashtead Hospital two weeks later for repeat procedure #2 on my left eye. This experience was just as smooth and stress-free as the first, and I am now another five weeks further down the line. I am thrilled with the results of my surgery, and although I had ‘standard’ lens replacement (not multi-focal), the benefits are huge, and I find I barely need reading glasses anymore, only for very close print or the minuscule type found on food jars etc. I would whole-heartedly recommend Mr Petrarca for cataract surgery. He is extremely skilfully, professional, whilst being very approachable, understanding and patient. I also spoke several times with his secretary, Caroline, who is charming, and for whom nothing is too much trouble. All in all, a great experience, which, as Mr Petrarca pointed out, now that I have brand new lenses, I will NEVER have to repeat again !

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Written by a NHS patient at Ashtead Hospital

Mr. petrarca is a very pleasant person, and so are his team. I needed the cataracts in both eyes removed, he examined my eyes ad decided that the right eye needed doing first, as there was some pressure behind it. That was duly done in January, and I was at Ashead Hospital for about 4 hours. I felt well after the procedure. I had a plastic mask put over the eye to be taken off the next morning. I was given eye drops, and told that I would have a phone conservation with him 3 weeks later. That duly occurred , and I was given lots of info. about any problems I might have , and an emergency number to phone if need be. I was put on the list for the left eye to be done, and got a letter in March 2021 that I could be seen. That procedure also went well, and Mr Petrarca phoned me again to check that I had had no trauma with either procedure. I now have 2 eyes through which I can see very well, and only need glasses for reading. I couldn't have asked for anything better! Di Harris.

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Written by a private patient at Ashtead Hospital

Really pleased with the positive results of my two cataract operations, the improvement in vision has exceeded my expectations as I have clear vision and only use glasses for close work and reading. Both Mr Petrarca and Ashtead Hospital are worthy of high praise for their customer focus and delivery of patient care including follow up phone calls after the operations. Everyone I met at the hospital was professional, friendly and took time to introduce themselves and explain what they were about to do. During my initial consultation with Mr Petrarca, I found him to be both professional and friendly, he really helped to create a feeling of confidence, taking time to explain my eye problems using appropriate language and discussing the alternatives whilst also answering all my queries. Three weeks after each operation Mr Petrarca’s follow up consultation over the phone t was equally relaxed. I also found Caroline his secretary, to be knowledgeable, friendly and an excellent communicator again creating a feeling of confidence. For the eye operations, the hospital offered me an arrival time and an informative booklet about what to expect during the operation. On each occasion I was in the hospital for around four hours with around an hour and three quarters taken by pre operation checks and preparation. I was in the operating theatre for 20 to 30 minutes before a wheelchair took me back to my room. During the operation the liquid anaesthetic worked well, whilst I was aware of something being done to my eye I felt no pain with very little discomfort. In the days following my operation my eyes were a little sensitive to touch but not uncomfortable even when outside.

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Written by a private patient at Ashtead Hospital

Mr Petrarca clearly explained what to expect for my cataract operations The operations were done very quickly, in only about 15 - 20 mins. He explained what was happening during the procedure and his manner was very calming. My eyesight is now sharp, and clear and I haven't used glasses yet although I have booked an eye test at the opticians as instructed by Mr Petrarca. I would recommend Mr Petrarca to anyone who has cataracts, and to have this operation.

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Written by a NHS patient at Ashtead Hospital

Mr Petrarca was easy to get on with and explained as much about the 2 cataract operations (each eye - 8 weeks apart) as I asked, and gave me a very good feeling of confidence with his answers. The support at Ashtead Hospital was very good and I was in for no longer than 4 hours each time with the operations taking about 20 minutes each eye. There were also later follow up phone calls from the Hospital to see how I was and further phone consultations with Mr Petrarca. Mr Petrarca used liquid anesthetic in my eyes and there was no pain and very little discomfort during the operations. He also told me what he was doing as he went along which was very interesting. The results for me are quite astonishing with sharp, bright vision and glasses only required now for close reading.

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