At 68 years old, my mother was diagnosed with cataract.
Cataract affected her overall lifestyle, which made it difficult for her to read bus signages and cross streets. She would even enter men’s toilets and give excess payments at the supermarket. We could no longer let her live with it, so we sought the expertise of Dr. Robert Ang, Asian Eye Institute’s refractive and glaucoma specialist and comprehensive ophthalmologist.
Under Dr. Ang’s care, we had a clearer understanding of my mother’s eye condition. Cataract is the clouding of the eye’s natural lens that usually develops in people age 60 and above. Through time, it causes blurry vision, difficulty seeing at night and sensitivity to light and glare. It may lead to reversible blindness, if left untreated. Cataract can only be removed through surgery – it is broken, removed and replaced with an artificial lens called intraocular lens (IOL).
With the advent of technology, cataract surgeries these days are more precise, faster and safer. He explains, “We now have the Victus Femtolaser Cataract Surgery, a laser surgery that performs the three critical steps in cataract surgery, including breaking the cataract into small pieces. It uses less energy to break and remove the cataract, which means patients can experience faster healing and have lower chances of getting eye inflammation. It also allows a more stable position to place the IOL, leading to better vision.”
At present, Asian Eye Institute is the only eye care facility in the Philippines that uses the Victus technology.
The IOL varies depending on the preference, needs or lifestyle of the patient. In my mother’s case, Dr. Ang made it clear that after the operation, my mother would still need to wear her reading glasses. After the discussion, she had the utmost confidence to undergo the surgery.
Everything was totally stress-free during the day of her surgery. One thing I noticed is that they are really organized – starting from registration to pre-operative assessment to post-operative care. Asian Eye strictly follows its standard operation procedures to ensure the safety of their patients. The staff conducted last minute checks to make sure the patient was stable. They also gave an overview of the process so patients and their companions would know what to expect before, during and after surgery.
While it is true that the idea of someone touching your eyes is scary, my mother felt relaxed with the help of anaesthetic. But what made her more comfortable was Dr. Ang’s assurance and guidance on where to channel her energy. The procedure was actually fast and nearly painless. It also helped that they have an excellent, caring staff who practice faultless aftercare. She allowed her to rest after her surgery, and upon leaving the clinic, they assisted us until we reach our car.
Today, she reads newspaper with ease (and has come back to doing her daily activities). Thank God for the gift of technology, and thank you to Dr. Ang and Asian Eye Institute for the successful surgery of my mother. We never had second thoughts choosing Asian Eye Institute. As they say, entrust your peepers only to the experts.
Good news for all OFWs! You can now pay for your loved ones’ checkup or surgery even while abroad. Asian Eye Institute and Philippine National Bank (PNB) offer you and your families 15% off on cataract screening and cataract surgery. All you have to do is to remit the payment to Asian Eye through any PNB remittance centers and send a copy of the receipt to your family member. Your family member shall present the receipt on the day of his or her visit.
Asian Eye Institute (Philippines)
Rockwell (Main Clinic)
8th to 10th Floor, PHINMA Plaza, Rockwell Center, Makati
Tel: (02) 898-2011 to 20
Mobile: 0918-8982020
Fax: 898-2002
