Now cataract surgery in little over two minutes

Chaminda PERERA

A Sri Lankan eye surgeon has found an easy method of performing cataract surgery within two minutes and 20 seconds based on his vast experience in the field of eye surgery. This will help treat over 100,000 persons who are diagnosed with cataract each year in Sri Lanka.

According to consultant eye surgeon Dr. Chamantha Amaragunga, the whole process which includes the insertion of lens, takes only two minutes and 20 seconds.

Dr. Amaragunga has performed 35,000 cataract surgeries in addition to 10,000 other types of surgeries within four years. Over 12,000 patients underwent cataract surgeries in remote areas under his care.

He recently launched an ebook showing how cataract surgeries can be performed within two minutes and 20 seconds.

According to the Ministry's latest statistics, Sri Lankan hospitals perform only 80,000 cataract surgeries a year and 20,000 patients are deprived of an opportunity of undergoing cataract surgery.

A ministry official added that this methodology can easily be used to ease the congestion in government hospitals particularly at the National Eye Hospital for cataract surgeries.