We will give you a light sedative so you can relax during the surgery. Then, we apply a local numbing agent to the eye so that you don't feel anything and are less inclined to blink. We will then fit a special device that prevents your eyelids from moving while we apply the laser.
An eye holder gently keeps the lid open during the procedure to prevent blinking. Although this may sound alarming, there is usually little to no sensation from the lid holder because the eye gets numbed before its use.
BD Visitec™ Disposable Instruments - Eye Speculum
Description: Used to keep the eyelids open during procedure.
A nurse will then cleanse the skin around the eye with an antiseptic (Povidone iodine). After this is done, you will be covered with a sterile drape which covers your face and upper body. This can be a little claustrophobic but the drape is very light and there is plenty of air underneath.
For surgical site preparation in cataract surgery, a drop of 5% povidone-iodine should first be instilled in the operative eye (see Watch It Now). Next, the eyelashes and eyelid margins are carefully scrubbed with cotton-tipped applicators soaked in 10% povidone-iodine.
It is not uncommon for a patient to develop upper eyelid ptosis after cataract surgery. Ptosis can also be caused by injury to the oculomotor nerve (the nerve that stimulates the levator muscle), or the tendon connecting the levator muscle to the eyelid.
Luckily for surgeons and patients, lid drooping after cataract surgery is often short-lived. “Most transient ptosis resolves by 6 months, but there has been one reported case of spontaneous resolution 11 months post-operatively,” she said.
Then, we apply a local numbing agent to the eye so that you don't feel anything and are less inclined to blink. We will then fit a special device that prevents your eyelids from moving while we apply the laser. Some involuntary movement is not a problem. The laser has a powerful tracking system to follow your eye.
It's estimated that around 80% of patients see colours during their cataract surgery. The most common colours are blue and red, although pink, yellow, green, purple, turquoise and orange have also been reported. Nearly all patients who see these colours during their cataract surgery say that it's a pleasant experience.
Rest your hands on the patient's face or head during the surgery. By coupling your hands to the patient's head, any movement of the head will also move your hands and hopefully keep the instruments relatively immobile in relation to the eye. Take the surgery seriously and devote 100% of your attention to the patient.
Stitches may be used to close the tiny incision in your cornea at the completion of the procedure. Making an incision in the eye and removing the lens in one piece. A less frequently used procedure called extracapsular cataract extraction requires a larger incision than that used for phacoemulsification.
Sometimes, an intravitreal injection of antibiotics and steroids is given as part of routine cataract surgery. This avoids having to use drops after surgery.
Laser cataract surgery is more precise and requires less recovery time than traditional cataract surgery, while premium IOLs can be used to improve vision so that you don't need glasses after your cataract surgery.
Immediately following your surgery, you will be given time to rest so the anesthesia can wear off. Your eye may be taped shut at this point and should remain that way until you've been instructed to remove it, usually when you're at home.
You had cataract surgery. It replaced your cloudy natural lens with a clear artificial one. After surgery, your eye may feel scratchy, sticky, or uncomfortable. It may also water more than usual.
For just about all of our patients having cataract surgery, they are awake and quite aware of what is going on in the operating room. Every once in a while a patient will be curious about what they will actually see during the cataract procedure since they are awake.
Cataract surgery is known to have the potential to exacerbate or induce dry eye disease. Dry eye disease is its own condition, which can cause sensations ranging from a mild dryness of the eye to debilitating pain. Your body's natural response to any surgery is inflammation and wound healing.
Don't: Eat or Drink Right Before the Surgery
While under sedation, there is a chance of stomach acid going into your lungs, which can cause damage.
Some patients see the improvement in several hours, though most take 24-48 hours. It can occasionally take 1-2 weeks for vision to settle while the eye adapts to the new intraocular lens implant (IOL).
An often over-looked complication of routine cataract surgery is post-operative ptosis. This form of ptosis is often transient, although persistent ptosis may require surgical intervention. The causes include eyelid edema and hematoma, anesthesia myotoxicity, and use of a lid speculum or bridle suture.
How long after cataract surgery should you wait to have upper lid blepharoplasty? Answer: Generally, cataract surgeons recommend waiting 6 weeks or so before proceeding with additional surgery.
Apraxia of eyelid opening can result from involuntary inhibition of levator function, prolonged contraction of the orbicularis, or both. The classic finding of inability to open the lids after closure is postulated to be caused by persistent contraction of the activated orbicularis oculi muscle.
Although it's never too late to have a cataract removed, it is better to have cataracts removed while they are immature, as this reduces the length of surgery and the recovery time.
Traumatic cataracts may be difficult to remove if the trauma affected the lens zonules, or the cataract is very dense.
Traditional and laser-assisted cataract surgery are both safe, complications are rare, and both methods produce clear vision with little discomfort.