In most cases, people feel well enough to drive 24 to 48 hours after their cataract surgery, however, some will heal faster or slower than others. As a general guideline, it is a good idea to wait until your review appointment with your ophthalmologist before getting behind the wheel.
Most patients are able to resume driving 24 hours after cataract surgery. However, this completely depends on the individual patient. The day after your surgery, you will return to your surgeon's office for a follow-up appointment.
In the first day or two after cataract surgery
You may notice haloes or a circle around light, particularly after multifocal lens implants; this will settle. You should not feel severe pain after cataract surgery but your eye will feel gritty or scratchy, like a grain of sand irritating the eye.
Plan on taking one to three days off of work to be sure you have enough time to rest, but it is normal to resume most normal activities within a couple of days. Simple diversions like reading, watching TV, writing, and walking are okay to resume as soon as you feel up for it after your eye surgery.
It comes down to how your body handles it and how quickly it begins healing. Post-surgery, it's common for vision to be blurry for a few days. Many people can drive again within 24 hours. However, it's highly recommended you do not drive until you've seen your eye doctor after the surgery.
You are fit to drive as soon as your vision meets the DVLA driving standard. This can be the very next day, but can be delayed until your eyes are measured for your new glasses at 4 weeks. Before resuming driving, you will need to be fully recovered from your surgical procedure.
What Happens if You Bend Over After Cataract Surgery? You should not bend over after cataract surgery for at least 2 weeks. Bending over will place pressure on the eye and this may cause unnecessary complications to your eye. The main complication will be a delay in the healing process.
Cataract surgery has a fast recovery rate with only a few restrictions to contend with. With the day of surgery excepted, no bed rest is required. Most patients can return to normal activities the following day.
While home, you may be allowed to remove your eye shield, but you should wear it when sleeping for at least a week to prevent eye injury. Full recovery from cataract surgery should be complete in about a month, although it can take up to three months for your eye to be completely healed.
We recommend that you avoid any exercise for at least one week after cataract surgery. Any discomfort and tenderness from the surgery will settle within a few days and you can begin with some light to moderate exercise such as walking or stretching.
Additionally, try not to do any housework or cooking after cataract surgery for the first two weeks. If you cannot avoid this, wear your eye shield to reduce the risk of irritation and infection.
On the day after you have cataract surgery, your vision may be blurry or uneven. This is normal as your vision needs time to adjust and heal. Most cataract surgeons will ask you to come in for your first follow-up appointment the day after cataract surgery. It's extremely important that you attend this appointment.
In most cases, people feel well enough to drive 24 to 48 hours after their cataract surgery, however, some will heal faster or slower than others. As a general guideline, it is a good idea to wait until your review appointment with your ophthalmologist before getting behind the wheel.
Do not bend over or do any strenuous activities, such as biking, jogging, weight lifting, or aerobic exercise, for 2 weeks or until your doctor says it is okay. Avoid swimming, hot tubs, gardening, and dusting for 1 to 2 weeks. Wear sunglasses on bright days for at least 1 year after surgery.
Yes, after cataract surgery, you need to wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun. After surgery, your eyes are healing and are more sensitive to the sun's rays than usual.
Depending on the IOL you choose for your cataract surgery, it may take three to six weeks before your vision fully stabilizes. You may find it especially difficult to adjust to monovision.
The procedure itself usually lasts less than 15 minutes and is virtually painless. Typically, patients are awake during cataract surgery.
Exposure to water can put your eyes at risk of infection or irritation until your eye has healed from surgery. “Give yourself at least one night of sleep before showering, and prevent the stream of water from hitting your eyes directly,” says Eghrari.
What Are the Symptoms of a Dislocated Lens? The most common symptom of a dislocated intraocular lens implant is sudden, painless blurring of vision in one eye. The vision tends to be very blurry, but not blacked-out. Sometimes, the lens implant can be seen resting on the surface of the retina when laying on the back.
Here are some things that you may want to avoid before and after cataract surgery to ensure that you heal properly. Avoiding eating and drinking before your surgery. Don't wear makeup to the surgery appointment, and avoid wearing makeup until your ophthalmologist allows it so that you can better prevent infection.
Foods you should avoid are ones that are already associated with bad eye health and this includes foods high in refined carbs or sugars. These foods spike blood glucose levels and can lead to blood vessels in the eye being damaged. This will slow down your recovery time after surgery.
Up to 2 hours before surgery, we encourage you to drink clear liquids (coffee, tea, apple juice, water, soft drinks or meat broth.) Sugar in your coffee and tea is okay, but no milk products.
The requirement for fasting before surgery was recommended by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), which published updated guidelines in 2011 for patients undergoing general anesthesia to reduce the risk of aspiration pneumonia.
Endophthalmitis is a serious complication of cataract surgery involving microorganisms that gain entry into the eye. Risk factors for the development of endophthalmitis include rupture of the posterior capsule or the need for anterior vitrectomy during the procedure, age greater than 85 years, and male sex.