New clinic is seeing good results at Pilgrim Hospital

The new eyelid cyst clinic at Pilgrim Hospital aims to carry out assessment and surgery in the same appointment, with patients able to go home within the hour.

Those who are referred to the clinic within the Royle Eye Department aim to be seen within a few weeks by oculoplastic advanced care practitioner Carmen Clark.

Ms Clark. who has been carrying out similar procedures for more than 15 year and began at Pilgrim in May, said:“Generally, the whole appointment takes around 30-45 minutes from start to finish. I have also been able to identify other conditions and made the necessary referrals for patients during the assessment.

“I am treating patients in a hospital setting which means if other problems are identified they are in the right setting to get further treatment.”

The surgery only takes 10 minutes to carry out.

The clinic has received positive feedback from patients who feel safe, confident in Carmen’s care and pleased with the speediness of the process.

Patient Diane Turner, 52, from Boston, said: “I’m really pleased with the procedure. The anaesthetic was a little bit painful but I didn’t feel anything after that.

“I’m really glad to be able to have it all done in one day.”

Conditions treated include chalazions and meibomian cysts which are painless bumps inside the upper or lower eyelid caused by blockage of oil glands in the eyelid and eye lid papillomas which look like a skin tag and can be solitary or multiple, smooth or rough and is similar in colour to adjacent skin and skin tags.

Clinics run fortnightly and Carmen has treated 22 patients since May.