Diabetic student regains independence after life-changing cataract surgery

"I NO longer have to ask for help reading the labels on products at the grocery shop, and I don't have to zoom in on every word just to be able to read a simple text message.

- Atang Makhubedu

These were the words of 25-year-old student Atang Climantine Makhubedu after receiving eye surgery - an experience she says has given her a second chance at life.

Makhubedu jokingly calls herself a cataract survivor. Just weeks before, however, she was battling the harsh reality of unexpected vision loss, which Dr Sachin Bawa, an ophthalmic surgeon practising at Netcare Linkwood Hospital, describes as having significantly impacted Makhubedu's daily life.

Dr Bawa explained that cataracts involve the loss of clarity in the human lens. “The clear lens is found behind the eye’s pupil, and when it becomes cloudy, it can cause visual impairment. In Atang’s case, both eyes had become affected to the point where she needed ongoing help with daily activities from family members and was struggling with her studies.