About Paul Ursell
Mr Paul Ursell MBBS MD FRCOphth
A specialist in cataract and refractive surgery, Mr. Ursell is a fully trained NHS Consultant Ophthalmologist at St. Helier, Sutton and Epsom Hospitals in Surrey, UK. Private clinics are also held in Surrey at Ashtead Hospital, St Anthony’s Hospital (Cheam) and The Clockhouse Medical Practice in Epsom.
Mr Ursell was trained at St Mary’s & St Thomas’s Hospitals, London where he wrote his doctorate on modern cataract surgery. After this he went up to Oxford University as Clinical Lecturer in Ophthalmology. He spent a year’s sabbatical at the Lion’s Eye Institute, Perth, Australia, specialising in cataract and refractive surgery and has been practising ophthalmology for over 20 years. He became a Fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists in 1995. His techniques include modern ‘no stitch’ phako cataract surgery which uses a special no-needle anaesthesia.
Mr Ursell was the first consultant eye surgeon in the UK with an MD degree in modern phakoemulsification cataract surgery. He has held many NHS posts including departmental audit chairman (representative for implementing the Government’s patient choice program for cataract surgery in South West London), lead clinician for ophthalmology, director of the trust undergraduate ophthalmology course.
Mr Ursell’s life’s work is to improve cataract surgery. One of his main advances has been the introduction of ‘No needle anaesthesia’ which greatly reduces the anxiety of surgery and premium implant cataract surgery which cuts considerably the reliance of distance, near and astigmatic glasses after surgery.
Local anaesthetic drops are administered just prior to surgery. Clear drapes are placed gently over the eye to prevent infection and calming music is played. Patients often say that they can see pretty lights during the operation but feel no pain.
Last year over 98% of all cataract surgery performed by Mr Ursell used local anaesthesia using this technique.
At the end of the operation the numbness is still strong enough to allow antibiotics to be administered to prevent infection. This is a distinct advantage over using just drops.
He is a member of the UK, Ireland, European and American Societies of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons.
Mr Ursell has published over 20 papers on cataract surgery in ophthalmic medical journals, click here to see them. They have been presented at international meetings such as ASCRS, ESCRS, UKISCRS and APACRS, this work has won many awards.
The results of his work led to a major change in clinical practice. The material from which the IOL is made from has a significant effect on the incidence of posterior capsular opacification. This in turn led to one particular intraocular lens used in cataract surgery becoming the world’s most commonly implanted lens.
