Cataract surgery is a standard procedure where the actual lens of your eyes is removed and replaced by an artificial lens. The process is usually performed within a day, and the patient is free to go back home afterwards. However, it is a surgery, and you need to be extra-cautious before and after the procedure. So, here is a brief guide to pre and post-cataract surgery.
PREPARING FOR CATARACT SURGERY
1. Pay Attention To Your Eye Health
When there are two to three weeks left for your surgery, take note of your eye health. Your eyes need to be clear and healthy for the procedure to be successful. So, inform your doctor if you notice any redness or discharge.
2. Discuss Your Medicines With The Doctor
You might already be taking medicines that interfere with the surgery by causing excessive bleeding or offering unsuccessful results. So, your doctor needs to know all about the medication you are taking. They might ask you to stop taking the medicines for the time being or change the dosage.
3. Do Not Forget The Eye Drops
Your doctor must have given you antibiotic eye drops to use in the days leading up to your cataract surgery. So, do not forget to put those drops in your eyes as per instructions. Remember that you are preparing your eyes for the procedure by doing this.
4. Avoid Wearing Contact Lenses
It would be best if you stopped wearing contact lenses at least four days before the surgery. Lenses might irritate your eyes and interfere with the surgery. So, wear your glasses and give some rest to your eyes.
PRECAUTIONS AFTER CATARACT SURGERY
1. Give Ample Rest To Your Eyes
The best thing you can do on reaching home after the surgery is to lay down and take a nap. You need to wait for a couple of hours before you get some screen time. Also, make sure there is someone to take you home.
2. Adjust To The Slight Discomfort
Your vision would be a bit blurry for a few days. You have nothing to worry about because that is your eyes trying to adjust. It is entirely normal for the eyes to feel a bit itchy and be mildly discomforting. Also, it helps to wear an eye patch at night to avoid rubbing your eyes.
3. Pay Attention To The Symptoms
There are specific symptoms that need immediate attention from the doctor, such as:
- Excessive coughing, vomiting, and nausea
- Various spots or light flashes in front of the eyes
- Pain that stays despite using over-the-counter medications
- Loss of vision
4. Stay Away From Certain Activities
You are not supposed to do intense workouts or any other strenuous activity for a couple of weeks after the surgery. After that, you should ask your doctor about when it would be an appropriate time for you to start driving.
Cataract surgery is a pretty simple procedure, and you have nothing to worry about. Relax, sleep well, and reach on time for the surgery.
10 Responses
Timely post shilpa, very relevant for me now, i am planning for a surgery in the coming months. Thanks for the guide to pre and post cataract surgery, will keep all of this in my mind.
With advancement in medical science, cataract surgery has become a standard procedure now but it is still a surgery and need to be taken seriously. And like any other surgery, pre and post care is very important.
Oh this is a great guide for those with cataract surgery. My friend’s in laws had gone through this surgery and she was quite busy with that.
Eye health us something we should not neglect. Redness and dryness of my eye is worrisome. I am going to consult a doctor after reading your post.
This is quite a helpful guide for pre and post-cataract surgery care. I will share this information with my family. A close family member may have to go through the surgery in the next month, they will surely find it helpful.
Such an informative post Shilpa and you have shared all pre and post operative care measures so well in this post. my father is going to under cataract surgery within next few months. will share these pointer with him to take proper care before and after surgery.
I am so glad you shared this Shilpa, my mother in law’s cataract surgery is impending and these points shall really help us prepare better.
These are indeed beneficial pointers for everyone looking for guidelines before going for cataract surgery. However, this post must reach more comprehensive readers.
My Father in law is supposed to get the cataract surgery soon, this post came right on time, sharing the post with all the family ones, hope they get better understanding after reading it. Thank you
Excellent advice. I’ve had both eyes done and your instructions are in line with the specialist hand out sheet given before each operation 🙂