Cataract Surgery in Lokhandwala – Divyajyoti Eye Hospital, Andheri West
A large share of the cataract enquiries we receive from Lokhandwala begin with an adult son or daughter rather than the patient. The pattern is familiar: a parent living in one of the complexes has quietly stopped reading in the evening, has started avoiding the drive to the market after dark because of glare from headlights, and insists nothing is wrong. Someone in the family decides it is time to get it looked at. What usually helps is that the whole sequence can happen after office hours. Our OPD is open Monday to Saturday, 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM, so the person doing the arranging can be present for the examination and hear the explanation first-hand rather than receiving it second-hand over the phone. From Lokhandwala the drive down to J.P. Road and the 7 Bungalows depot is straightforward, and a car can pull up at the entrance. We are also empanelled for cashless mediclaim with TPAs, which is usually the next question asked.
Reaching us from Lokhandwala
Divyajyoti Eye Hospital, Andheri West is roughly 10 to 15 minutes south from Lokhandwala Complex, depending on traffic.
Lokhandwala Complex lies north-west of us, and the usual approach is to come down past Swami Samarth Nagar and the Andheri Sports Complex stretch on to J.P. Road, then continue to the 7 Bungalows bus depot. By auto that is generally a 10 to 15 minute ride, longer if you set out during the Lokhandwala Market rush. Residents here mostly live in tall apartment complexes with in-house parking, so many drive down; if you do, allow a few extra minutes for street parking near Jyoti Apartment, or have someone drop you at the door. The area has a large population of young professionals, media workers and families whose parents live with them, which is why we see LASIK enquiries and cataract cases coming from the same buildings. Our 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM OPD suits both.
Nearby landmarks
- Lokhandwala Complex
- Lokhandwala Market
- Andheri Sports Complex
- Swami Samarth Nagar
- Link Road
Jyoti Apartment, Ground Floor, Opp. 7 Bungalows Bus Depot, J.P. Road, Andheri (West), Mumbai - 400 053
OPD Mon - Sat 5 p.m. - 8.30 p.m. (closed Sunday)
About Cataract Surgery
Clouding of the eye's natural lens, treated by micro-incision phacoemulsification with a lens implant chosen to suit your eyes.
Who is this for?
Surgery is usually advised once the cataract begins to interfere with things you need to do. You may be a candidate if:
- Blurring, glare or faded colour is affecting driving, reading, screen work or cooking.
- Your spectacle prescription keeps changing and new glasses no longer help.
- A cataract has been found on examination and is progressing at follow-up.
- The cataract is limiting your doctor's view of the retina, which matters in diabetes and glaucoma.
There is no need to wait for a cataract to ripen. A very hard, long-delayed cataract is more difficult to remove and can take longer to recover from, and in extreme cases can itself cause raised eye pressure.
Candidacy, lens choice and timing are decided only after a full examination at our Andheri West OPD. We are empanelled for cashless mediclaim through TPAs; please share your policy details with us in advance so cover can be checked. [TODO: client to confirm price range]
What the procedure involves
- A pre-operative check: vision, eye pressure, a dilated retina evaluation, and biometry using the IOLMaster 500 and, where the cataract is too dense for optical readings, ultrasound A-scan, to calculate your lens power.
- The eye is numbed with anaesthetic drops or a local anaesthetic. You stay awake and general anaesthesia is not usually needed.
- A micro-incision of about 2.2 mm is made at the edge of the cornea.
- The phacoemulsification probe breaks the cloudy lens into fine fragments using ultrasonic energy and removes them from the eye.
- The folded intraocular lens is introduced through the same incision and unfolds into the natural lens capsule.
- The incision is checked; it is self-sealing, so stitches are usually not needed.
- Surgery is carried out in our sterile operating theatres maintained to NABH guidelines, and you go home the same day.
Recovery and follow-up
Many patients notice clearer vision within a day or two, although it is normal for vision to fluctuate for a while as the eye settles. Mild grittiness, watering and glare during the first week are common.
You will be given antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drops on a tapering schedule and asked to continue them exactly as directed. Many people return to light indoor activity and desk work within a few days, but your surgeon will tell you when to resume driving, swimming, the gym and dusty or heavy work.
Avoid rubbing or pressing the eye, and keep soap and unclean water out of it. Your final spectacle power is usually checked a few weeks after surgery, once vision has stabilised. Contact us promptly if you develop increasing pain, spreading redness or a sudden drop in vision.
Months or years later, the capsule holding the implant can turn cloudy. This is posterior capsular opacification, not the cataract returning, and it is treated in the OPD with a YAG laser capsulotomy.
Common questions about Cataract Surgery in Lokhandwala
There is no need to wait for a cataract to "ripen" before it can be removed. The practical test is functional: surgery is generally advised once the clouding starts interfering with things you do every day, such as reading, night driving, recognising faces or working comfortably. If your vision is still adequate for your daily life and there is nothing else in the eye needing attention, waiting and reviewing at your next check-up is perfectly reasonable. Your surgeon will advise after examining you.
Before surgery your eye is measured with the IOLMaster 500, an optical biometer that records the length of the eye and the curvature of the cornea without touching it. Where a cataract is dense enough to block that optical measurement, an ultrasound A-scan is used instead. These readings determine the power of the intraocular lens implanted, and their accuracy matters more than almost anything else for how you see afterwards. If you wear contact lenses you will usually be asked to leave them out for a period before the measurements are taken.
The cataract itself cannot return, because the clouded natural lens has been removed. What can happen months or years later is that the thin capsule holding the implanted lens turns cloudy, which causes similar blurring. This is treated in the OPD with a YAG laser procedure, available in-house at Divyajyoti Eye Hospital. It does not involve a return to the operation theatre.
The cost depends mainly on which type of intraocular lens is chosen and on what your policy covers, so a written estimate is given after your examination rather than over the phone. [TODO: client to confirm price range]
Divyajyoti Eye Hospital offers cashless hospitalisation and is empanelled with major TPAs and insurance companies. Bring your insurance or TPA card, policy number and photo identity proof to the OPD and reception will begin the pre-authorisation process with your insurer. Approval is not instant, so bring the papers early rather than on the morning of surgery.
Yes. Our OPD is open Monday to Saturday from 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM, so you can accompany them after work and hear the examination findings first-hand.
It is generally a 10 to 15 minute ride down to J.P. Road and the 7 Bungalows bus depot, longer during the evening market rush.
We are on the ground floor of Jyoti Apartment opposite the 7 Bungalows bus depot. A car can pull up at the entrance to drop a patient off before parking nearby.
Ask us about Cataract Surgery
OPD runs Mon - Sat 5 p.m. - 8.30 p.m. (closed Sunday). Call or WhatsApp us and our front desk will help you. Cashless mediclaim and TPA empanelment available.