Dr Ring has personally performed over 15,000 cataract operations and his expertise in cataract surgery, developed over many years of practice, makes him a highly sought after eye surgeon in this area.
Cataract surgery is a transformative experience and is also one of the safest medical procedures performed today. Dr Ring’s passion is to restore sight to those who have been robbed of it by cataracts. Regarded as the one of the best in his field, Dr Ring prioritises safety, high patient care and achieving excellent results for each cataract patient above all else.
 Read Jennifer's first hand ReSTOR experience with Dr Ring
 Read Trish's first hand Cataract Surgery experience with Dr Ring
As cataract surgery in New Zealand has changed over the years; Dr Ring’s practice has grown. His father, Dr Calvin Ring, was a leading Ophthalmologist and considered a pioneer in cataract surgery. Dr Ring continues this family passion for eye care by practicing all the latest technological developments in the cataract refractive field (he pioneered posterior chamber intraocular lenses for cataract surgery) and engaging in cutting-edge research.
Severely longsighted, Jennifer Aston wore glasses from the age of two. “My parents used to tie them to me because I was always pulling them off,” she says. “I was known as ‘four eyes’ at school.” At 16 she was determined to have contact lenses even though her optometrist at the time informed her that because her eyesight was so poor, the contacts would have to be thick and could cause damage to her eyes.
She was given hard contact lenses, which were the best lenses for her at the time. In the years she wore them from age 16 to 61, she scratched her cornea on many occasions and could not wear contacts for some time while reverting to glasses. To add insult to injury, she had to recuperate from every corneal scratch in a dark room for the first 24 hours. Because she and her husband are avid travellers, it also used to be a mission to take contacts everywhere she went, packing all the equipment in lots of little plastic bags.
On her first visit to Dr Ring, he recommended ReSTOR intraocular lenses, where Jennifer’s natural lens would be taken out and an artificial one put in, removing her lifelong dependence on contacts. Her new ReSTOR lenses have made the crucial difference in many aspects of her life. Jennifer cannot help but extol the life-changing nature of her surgery. “Even now, I wake up in the morning and I think, wow, I can see!”
“It was lovely to deal with Dr Ring and Jasha’s team,” says Jennifer. “You feel as though you are not going to be rushed into anything. It’s not simply about performing the surgery: they will only do it if it is right for the particular patient. They were very professional.
“I had absolutely terrible eyesight – if they can fix my eyes, they can fix almost anyone’s.”
Born severely short-sighted and with astigmatism in both eyes, Trish Wallace had worn glasses since she was three years old, with her right eye being particularly ‘myopic’. Because she hated wearing clunky, “milk-bottle” glasses, she moved to hard contact lenses which also helped with her astigmatism and wore them for 30 years.
While Trish was working in her office job in the past couple of years, her eyesight began to deteriorate significantly so she had to have her lens prescription increased over time. “Work started to become problem. I noticed that while using the computer I really strained to see things; graphs in particular seemed ‘foggy’,” says Trish. “It was really a disadvantage with presentations and business events.”
“I live in the country on a side road that merges into a main road and was having difficulty judging how far away cars were while waiting to turn into this main road. My concern over safety finally broke the camel’s back,” adds Trish. “So when I discovered I had cataracts, it was a shock. I certainly didn’t think of myself as being old at only 60!”
“On my first visit to Dr Ring and his team, I was quite excited to find out cataract operations were really a simple procedure. Even better than that, they advised me that they could put in toric lenses so it was as if I was going to have cataract and laser eye surgery in the same operation,” says Trish. “The team that took care of me were true professionals and yet genuinely down-to-earth, nice people. Dr Ring’s approach is that the patient should be in full control of the procedure and have all the options.”
Trish admits that the procedure has made a huge difference to her overall quality of life.
“I’ve never had this kind of vision. I had always had trouble seeing distance and now I feel like I can see through hills,” she says.
Cataract Surgery – Seeing young again
Cataract Surgery is one of the safest and most successful surgical procedures performed today in any branch of medicine. Dr Ring and his team will lead you carefully through the consultation and you will be advised if you are more suited to a Monofocal Intraocular lens, premium Toric Intraocular lens for astigmatism or a premium ReSTOR Multifocal Intraocular lens for distance and near vision. (click in this box to read more or hide)
The process - quick and painless
Cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure, meaning that you will be in and out of surgery in one morning or afternoon, so there is no need to spend time overnight in hospital. Surgery is undertaken with local anaesthetic. You’ll be enjoying your newly-restored eyesight by the very next day.
During the surgery you will be looked after for by our highly experienced and caring cataract theatre team.
Read Trish's first hand Cataract Surgery experience with Dr Ring
ReSTOR intra-ocular lens surgey is typically used for regular vision correction, but they are also suited to those with cataracts. Unique to this procedure is its ability to maintain ‘binocular single vision’ in the long-sighted person. Unlike other procedures, this option means you don’t lose your depth of vision.
In January 2009, Dr Ring placed his 500th ReSTOR lens. To read more about Dr Ring's 500th ReSTOR click here (pdf news article).
ReSTOR is a particularly specialised field, and Dr Ring is one of the few surgeons in New Zealand to offer it. In comparison to other procedures, which work by having one eye short sighted and the other longsighted, ReSTOR gives the patient both distance and near vision in both eyes. After ReSTOR, you can read a book, work on the computer, drive a car or play tennis or golf without worrying about which glasses to wear or not wear for which activities. Patients who have undergone ReSTOR with Dr Ring are always overjoyed with their newfound visual independence.
As a patient your eyes are assessed to meet all of the required safety measures and protocols. All the options for vision correction are discussed with you and the best treatment options selected. Before you come into Eye Institute we send you a comprehensive information pack including a DVD.
Read Jennifer's first hand ReSTOR experience with Dr Ring
Download our pdf of facts and information on ReSTOR here.
Dr Ring’s Patient Care Philosophy
The cornerstone of Dr Ring’s practice is a commitment to provide each patient with the most appropriate treatment for his or her cataracts.
Patients are often presented with a myriad of confusing choices which can seem daunting. The choices they make must be the best for them in the long term. That is why Dr Ring and his team believe in carefully informing their patients of all the options and coming up with a tailor made solution. This solution takes into account as to whether they are short or long sighted, their age, the health of their eyes and what their job requirements are.
Dr Ring’s focus on patient care and broad expertise leads cataract patients of all ages to come to see him, to restore their vision to what they had once enjoyed. Before patients come into the Eye Institute we send them a comprehensive information pack including a DVD. When you come in to see us, your eyes are assessed to meet all of the required safety measures and protocols, all the options for surgery are discussed with you and the best treatment options are selected.
Dr Ring has performed cataract surgery on fellow Ophthalmologists, other respected professionals in the medical industry, as well as a number of well-known New Zealand personalities.
Meet The Ring Team
 Jasha Morarji
Cataract and refractive technician and vision correction educator.
Jasha has worked with Dr Ring for 30 years and her skill and knowledge have been acknowledged by becoming a foundation member of the Eye Institute team.
Other practices often have larger teams, which may mean seeing various team members from consultation to consultation. Patients under Dr Ring and Jasha’s care only see them and so are guaranteed personalised and consistent care.
"Jasha’s technical knowledge, teaching and communication skills and personal attributes make her an integral part of my practice,” says Dr Ring. “She has the ability to pass on her extensive knowledge to a patient so they are always reliably informed and understand the different treatment options, the likely outcomes and any potential risks associated. Her passion for the field of ophthalmology has been to the practice’s benefit as she keeps up with the latest technology in addition to attending national and international meetings and presenting papers.”
Having had a ReSTOR intra-ocular lens implant herself, Jasha can readily appreciate the needs and anxieties of patients surrounding the decision to undertake surgery and this has led to many referrals being passed on from former patients.
 Reception and Administration Support Team
Dr Ring’s two other team members are Sandra Dobbs and Aaron Sheldrake, who job share the support role for Dr Ring and Jasha. They can help you with your initial appointments, surgery bookings and discuss payment options. You will find them friendly, efficient and always willing to help you.
Recent Presentations
In addition to his practice at Eye Institute, Dr Peter Ring each year has presented at various prestigious international and national events.
He has published over 27 papers in peer reviewed journals and contributed to numerous educational courses for Nurses, Orthoptists, General Practitioners, medical students, Optometrists and trainee ophthalmologists.
In January 2009 Dr Ring and Jasha presented two major research papers at the Asia ARVO scientific conference Hyderabad, India: “Visual Outcomes and Higher Order Aberration Differences between Spherical and Aspheric ReSTOR multifocal IOLs” and “Femtosecond versus microkeratome LASIK”, the former was given the “Best Scientific Paper” award for the session.
Dr Ring’s Training and Principal Qualifications
- MB ChB (Otago)
- FRCS Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, England
- FRCOphth Fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, England
- FRANZCO Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists
- DO (Lond) Diploma of Ophthalmology, London
Dr Ring carried out his post-graduate training in Ophthalmology in London at the prestigious institutions of: Guy’s Hospital, St Thomas’ Hospital and Moorfield’s Eye Hospital.
Special Positions Held
- Examiner for the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists 1994 -2005.
- Former President Ophthalmological Society of New Zealand.
Membership To Professional Societies
- Fellowship of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (FRANZCO) – Member.
- New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Blindness – Member.
- Ophthalmological Society of New Zealand – Member.
- Asian Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology – Original Council Member.
- International Society of Refractive Surgeons – Member.
- New Zealand Society of Contact Lens Practitioners – Member.
- Asian Pacific Intraocular Implant Association – Foundation Member.
- American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons – Member.
- European Society of Ocular and Plastic Reconstructive Surgeons – Member.
Family life and Passions
Dr Ring is married to Alison. They met when she was a ward sister at Moorfields Eye Hospital where he was training. Together they have two grown children: Charlotte and David, and are a close-knit family.
Apart from his family, Dr Ring’s other passions vary, from rugby, tennis and Formula One racing to cooking, reading and relaxing at the beach. He has also clocked up more than one hundred hours flying with a PPL license and is a Designated Medical Examiner for Civil Aviation.
Dr Ring also holds the sporting distinctions of an Otago University Blue and a New Zealand University Blue in fencing.
Photo Gallery
Dr Ring and his team.
Dr Ring and senior members of the theatre team after operating on his own technician, Jasha, the Vision Correction Educator. Jasha had a ReSTOR lens implant.
Dr Ring performing a Cataract Operation
Dr Ring using the new IFS technology for laser vision correction
Happy 500th patient on the second day after ReSTOR Intraocular Lens Implant
Dr Ring and Jasha with prize for best 'Best Scientific Paper Award'
Jasha attended the ReSTOR meeting at the San Francisco townhall 2009
Following the Asia-ARVO conference the Rings and McGhees accompanied by Jasha, undertook an exotic journey through Southern India stopping at numerous palaces, temples and ancient cities from Bangalore to Goa while being fed and pampered on the "Golden Chariot" train.
Dr Peter Ring and his wife Alison Ring with Jasha Morarji at the railway station in India.The team were welcomed at this Heritage site by the local community.
Contact Dr Ring and his team today - together they will ensure that you have the best treatment possible, especially tailored for you. Request an appointment with Dr Ring by email
, call 0800 BEST VISION (0800 237 884), or click below to fill out our quick and easy online enquiry form.
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Dr Ring is an Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer in the Department of
Ophthalmology at the School of Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health
Sciences.
Pre-empt cataracts – never worry about having cataract surgery
