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.
In general, it's safe to do light exercise the first week after cataract surgery. This includes walking and stretching without bending at the waist. By the second week, you can resume moderate-intensity activity. At 4 to 6 weeks, you should be fully healed.
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.
Avoid rigorous exercise and activities that require heavy lifting for a couple of weeks to lower the chances of increasing your eye pressure. “High eye pressure can interfere with the incision before it fully heals,” says Eghrari.
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.
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.
You can read or watch TV right away, but things may look blurry. Most people are able to return to work or their normal routine in 1 to 3 days. After your eye heals, you may still need to wear glasses, especially for reading.
Several hours following the surgery, most patients are able to watch some television or look at a computer screen for a short period of time. It's important however that you don't over-exert your eyes during the first 24 hours post-surgery. You can expect to return to most normal activities during the first week.
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.
After cataract surgery, your eyes are more susceptible to infection and complications. Swimming is a bad idea because water is a place where bacteria can grow. Since your eyes aren't at their best, you're more likely to get an infection from the water.
Wear sunglasses outdoors for one week after surgery. It is optional to wear them indoors.
Don't lift heavy objects for the first two weeks after surgery. Strenuous activity (like lifting something) can increase your eye pressure levels. Elevated intraocular pressure is one of the most frequent complications for patients that have cataract surgery.
Examples of strenuous exercise include jogging, running, aerobic dancing, jumping rope, single tennis, cycling at a speed faster than 10mph. Swimming, fast dancing, gardening with heavy digging, shovelling snow are some of the daily activities that can also be termed strenuous activities.
Do not participate in strenuous activities or rough contact sports for at least 2 weeks or until your surgeon tells you it is safe to do so. Refrain from shooting, ATV riding, mowing the yard and shoveling snow for 2 weeks.
Do not do any strenuous exercise such as contact sports, jogging, tennis, sexual activity, or body conditioning (weightlifting, push-ups, sit-ups, etc.) for at least two months after you go home. Talk to your hepatobiliary doctor or nurse before you resume these types of activities.
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.
While vision fluctuations are normal during cataract surgery recovery, your eyesight should stabilize within two to three months. Expect another follow-up visit within this timeframe to check your vision and make sure your eye has fully healed.
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.
Wear comfortable clothes and avoid cosmetics.
You'll be given a gown to wear over your clothes and will not need to get changed for the procedure. Avoid wearing any makeup, perfume or cologne, aftershave, spray-on deodorant, or hairspray to the surgical center.
Washing Your Face and Hygiene after Cataract Surgery
You can resume activities such as washing your face the day after surgery, as long as you are careful to not touch the eye. You shouldn't splash water directly on your face and instead, use a washcloth to carefully clean.
You may drink clear water up to 3 hours before you are due to arrive at the Eye Surgery Center. You may brush your teeth in the morning before surgery. You may wear your hearing aid or dentures. Bathe or shower the morning of surgery to minimize the chance of infection.
During the day you do not need the shield, but we ask that you do not rub the eye. Once the shield has been removed you are safe to take a shower and wash your hair once you return home from our office on the day after surgery.
On the morning of surgery (or the night before), be certain to take a shower or bath –making certain to wash your face and shampoo your hair. Do not wear eye makeup on the day of surgery.
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.