Dr Zine Housseini

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Dr Zine Housseini Trusted Ophthalmology expertise: eye care, surgeries and treatments.

World Sight Day is observed every year on October 8 — and the statistics it highlights are ones every person should unde...
08/10/2026

World Sight Day is observed every year on October 8 — and the statistics it highlights are ones every person should understand.

According to the World Health Organisation, at least 2.2 billion people globally live with some form of vision impairment. Of these, at least half have a condition that was either preventable or remains treatable but has not yet been addressed.

In the UK, around 2 million people are living with sight loss significant enough to affect daily life. Conditions such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and cataract account for a significant proportion — all manageable when detected and treated early.

The common thread: most preventable sight loss arises from conditions that are silent in their early stages. There are no symptoms until vision is already affected. In some conditions, by that point, damage is irreversible.

This is why comprehensive eye health assessment matters — not just when vision changes, but as part of routine healthcare. A vision test alone does not screen for the structural diseases most likely to cause preventable sight loss.

On World Sight Day, the message is this: sight loss is not inevitable. But protecting your vision requires early detection and access to appropriate specialist care.

Most conversations about laser eye surgery focus on short-sightedness (myopia). But a significant number of patients who...
05/10/2026

Most conversations about laser eye surgery focus on short-sightedness (myopia). But a significant number of patients who come to see me are farsighted — and many are surprised to learn that laser correction is equally applicable.

Hyperopia occurs when the eyeball is shorter than average or the cornea is less curved than it should be, causing light to focus behind the retina rather than on it. Contrary to what many people assume, hyperopia does not always mean "trouble reading only." In higher degrees, it causes difficulty at all distances, significant eyestrain, and headaches after sustained visual tasks.

Laser procedures for hyperopia work by steepening the central cornea to bring the eye's focus forward onto the retina — the reverse of the approach used for myopia correction. LASIK and Trans-PRK can both treat hyperopia effectively within appropriate prescription ranges.

There are important clinical distinctions compared to myopia correction. Recovery time can be slightly longer. Patients with higher degrees of hyperopia benefit from particularly detailed corneal mapping and careful surgical planning to ensure sufficient tissue.

Prescription stability over time is also an essential consideration — hyperopia can change as the eye's natural focusing ability shifts with age.

If you wear glasses or contacts for farsightedness and are curious about laser correction, a full pre-operative assessment will determine whether you are a suitable candidate.

One of the most common questions I hear from patients after cataract surgery: "Can the cataract return?" The answer is n...
01/10/2026

One of the most common questions I hear from patients after cataract surgery: "Can the cataract return?" The answer is no — but there is an important nuance worth understanding.

In cataract surgery, the cloudy natural lens is removed and replaced with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL). Since the natural lens is gone, a true cataract cannot reform. The IOL itself does not cloud.

However, a significant proportion of patients — roughly one in five within a few years — develop posterior capsule opacification (PCO). During surgery, a thin membrane called the posterior capsule is deliberately preserved to support the IOL. Over time, residual lens cells can proliferate on this membrane, causing it to become hazy. The result: a gradual return of blurred, hazy vision similar to the original cataract.

PCO is not a recurrence of the cataract. It is a secondary development — and entirely treatable.

Treatment is straightforward: YAG laser capsulotomy. A quick, painless outpatient laser procedure creates a small opening in the hazy membrane and restores clear vision. It takes minutes, requires no incisions, and results are typically immediate.

If your vision is deteriorating after previously successful cataract surgery, PCO is the most likely explanation — and the solution is simple.

Contact lenses offer effective visual correction — but they carry ongoing risk, cost, and inconvenience that accumulates...
28/09/2026

Contact lenses offer effective visual correction — but they carry ongoing risk, cost, and inconvenience that accumulates over years of daily use.

Prolonged contact lens wear is associated with real clinical risks: chronic corneal hypoxia, increased susceptibility to infection, and conditions such as microbial keratitis — corneal ulceration — particularly with overnight wear. Beyond the health considerations, many long-term wearers develop dry eye intolerance that makes lens wear increasingly uncomfortable over time.

Depending on your age, prescription, and corneal anatomy, several surgical alternatives may offer lasting freedom from lenses:

Laser eye surgery (LASIK or Trans-PRK) — for patients with stable prescriptions within the treatable range and corneas of adequate thickness.

ICL — suitable for younger patients with higher prescriptions or thinner corneas where laser correction is not appropriate.

Refractive Lens Exchange — for patients over 45, or those with presbyopia, replacing the natural lens with a premium IOL can address near, intermediate, and distance vision simultaneously.

Not every contact lens wearer requires surgery. But every long-term lens wearer deserves to understand what alternatives exist — and whether any of them are appropriate for their eyes.

A comprehensive consultation is the right starting point.

For patients who have had — or are planning — an ICL or EVO+ ICL, here is an honest guide to what recovery looks like.Im...
26/09/2026

For patients who have had — or are planning — an ICL or EVO+ ICL, here is an honest guide to what recovery looks like.

Immediately after surgery. Vision improvement is typically noticeable within a few hours. Some patients experience mild blurring, light sensitivity, or haloes initially — this is expected as the eye settles.

First week. A follow-up appointment checks intraocular pressure, lens position, and wound healing. Antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drops are prescribed and must be used exactly as directed. Avoid swimming, eye rubbing, and dusty or smoky environments.

First month. Vision continues to improve and stabilise over two to four weeks. Most patients return to normal daily activities — including driving — within one to two days, once your surgeon confirms it is safe to do so.

Long-term. The ICL sits quietly in front of the natural lens with no ongoing maintenance required. Unlike contact lenses, there is nothing to clean, insert, or remove daily. Regular follow-up appointments monitor lens position, intraocular pressure, and the health of the natural lens beneath.

One important distinction: the ICL is removable. If your prescription changes significantly over time, the lens can be exchanged by a surgeon — a reversibility that distinguishes it from other refractive procedures.

This is one of the most common assumptions I encounter — and one of the most important to address directly.A refraction ...
25/09/2026

This is one of the most common assumptions I encounter — and one of the most important to address directly.

A refraction test measures how well your eyes focus. It does not assess the health of your optic nerve, your retina, your lens, or your intraocular pressure. These are entirely separate things.

Glaucoma causes no change in your glasses prescription as it silently damages the optic nerve. Early diabetic retinopathy, developing macular changes, and elevated eye pressure do not alter refraction. A patient can have a perfectly stable prescription for a decade while progressive glaucomatous damage accumulates throughout that period.

Optometrists play a vital role in primary eye care and are often the first to flag signs of disease. But a comprehensive ophthalmic examination evaluates the structural health of the eye: the optic nerve, retinal layers, macular integrity, and intraocular pressure. This is a medical assessment — not a vision test.

How often this level of monitoring is needed depends on your age, family history, systemic conditions, and individual risk factors. Not simply on whether your prescription has stayed the same.

If your glasses still work, that is good. It is not the same as knowing your eyes are healthy.

Vitreous haemorrhage occurs when blood leaks into the vitreous — the clear gel filling the inside of the eye — from dama...
23/09/2026

Vitreous haemorrhage occurs when blood leaks into the vitreous — the clear gel filling the inside of the eye — from damaged or abnormal blood vessels. It can range from a mild increase in floaters to a sudden, dense obscuration of vision.

Common causes include:
— Diabetic retinopathy: abnormal new vessels in advanced diabetic eye disease are fragile and prone to bleeding
— Retinal tear or detachment: a tear may bleed as the vitreous separates from the retina
— Retinal vein occlusion: a blocked retinal vein can cause haemorrhage into the vitreous
— Trauma, or less commonly, bleeding disorders

Presentation depends on severity. Minor bleeding may produce a dark shower of new floaters. Significant haemorrhage can cause a red or dark visual haze — or in severe cases, near-complete visual loss in the affected eye.

Identifying and treating the underlying cause is urgent, particularly in the setting of diabetic eye disease or retinal detachment, where delayed treatment can result in permanent vision loss.

When the fundus cannot be directly visualised due to blood, ultrasound B-scan is used to assess the retina. Management ranges from careful observation in mild cases to vitrectomy for persistent or dense haemorrhage.

If you notice sudden unexplained visual change — especially in the context of diabetes — please seek same-day ophthalmological review.

Many patients scheduled for cataract surgery are also told they have astigmatism — and wonder how this affects the surgi...
21/09/2026

Many patients scheduled for cataract surgery are also told they have astigmatism — and wonder how this affects the surgical outcome.

Astigmatism occurs when the cornea is shaped irregularly — more like a rugby ball than a sphere — causing light to focus at two different points rather than one. This produces blur and visual distortion at all distances.

A standard monofocal intraocular lens corrects the distance vision affected by the cataract. But it does not address astigmatism. After a standard implant, patients with meaningful uncorrected astigmatism often still need glasses for clear distance vision.

A toric IOL is a specialised intraocular lens designed with different refractive powers across different meridians. It is aligned precisely during surgery to match the orientation of your corneal astigmatism — correcting both the cataract-related refractive change and the astigmatism simultaneously.

The result: significantly reduced — and in many suitable cases, eliminated — dependence on distance glasses after surgery.

Toric lens implantation requires careful pre-operative corneal measurement and precise surgical placement. This is a conversation to have during your pre-operative consultation — before any procedure is agreed.

For patients with meaningful astigmatism considering private cataract surgery, a toric IOL is often one of the most impactful upgrades available.

One of the most common sources of pre-operative anxiety is simply not knowing what to expect. After more than 20,000 cat...
16/09/2026

One of the most common sources of pre-operative anxiety is simply not knowing what to expect. After more than 20,000 cataract procedures, here is my honest walkthrough of the day.

Before surgery. Pre-operative biometry (lens measurements) will already have been completed and your IOL choice confirmed. You will need someone to bring you home. Avoid contact lens wear in the days prior, as directed.

On arrival. Dilating drops are applied to prepare the eye. Local anaesthetic drops are used — no general anaesthetic is required for the vast majority of patients.

During the procedure. Cataract surgery typically takes 15–25 minutes. Using phacoemulsification, the cloudy lens is broken up with ultrasound energy and removed through a micro-incision. Your chosen intraocular lens is then implanted. No stitches are required.

Most patients describe the experience as strange rather than painful — some movement and light, mild pressure, no significant discomfort.

Immediately after. Vision may be blurred or hazy for the first day or two. Most patients notice clear improvement within 24–48 hours. Post-operative drops must be used exactly as prescribed. Swimming, strenuous activity, and rubbing the eye should be avoided during recovery.

Cataract surgery is one of the safest and most successful procedures in medicine. Knowing what to expect makes it easier.

11/09/2026

Anti-VEGF injections are one of the most significant advances in medical retina treatment of the past two decades — transforming outcomes for conditions that once carried a high risk of severe, permanent central vision loss.

Conditions treated include wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic macular oedema, and macular oedema secondary to retinal vein occlusion. In each case, abnormal blood vessel growth or leakage threatens the macula — the area of the retina responsible for sharp, detailed vision.

Anti-VEGF agents block the pathway that drives this abnormal vessel activity. The leakage reduces, the macula stabilises, and in many patients, visual function is preserved or meaningfully improved with consistent treatment.

The procedure itself takes under one minute, performed under sterile conditions with anaesthetic drops applied beforehand. Most patients describe pressure, not pain.

If you have been referred for anti-VEGF treatment and have questions about what the process involves, I hope this helps.

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