Wear comfortable clothes and avoid cosmetics. Flat shoes with good, non-slip treading are best. 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.
KEEP YOUR SHIRT ON Cataract patients appreciate keeping their clothes on during surgery. To save time and ease the stress of surgery, we don't ask cataract patients to remove their clothing before surgery.
At the beginning of surgery, your ophthalmic surgeon will clean the skin around the eye and place a plastic cover on the eyelid so that partially covers your face and if your surgery is under local anaesthetic you have some oxygen to breathe and space around your mouth to feel comfortable and non-claustrophobic.
For certain patients, particularly those with uncontrolled tremor, there is a clear need for head stabilisation during cataract surgery. Armstrong suggested taping the patient's head in conjunction with a donut-shaped headrest to minimise head movement during cataract surgery [10].
What happens if you blink during a cataract operation? An eye holder gently keeps the lid open during the procedure to prevent blinking.
For face-to-face surgery, the patient sits upright and comfortable on the surgical chair. The microscope is rotated forwards to face the eye, and the surgeon sits (or stands) facing the patient.
Nearly all patients who see these colours during their cataract surgery say that it's a pleasant experience. In summary – although you'll have your eyes open during cataract surgery – all you'll actually be able to see is a bright light and, if you're lucky, lots of different colours!
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.
[1] Closing the eyes with surgical tape with or without instillation of eye ointment is a routine, inexpensive method of eye protection during general anesthesia. [2] However, such a measure can cause trauma to the eyelids, resulting in eyelid edema and bruising.
At SightMD, over 90 percent of cataract surgery is done with simple eye drop anesthesia because we feel it is safest. There are still doctors who use needle injections around the eye for cataract surgery, but we feel that this increases the risk of complications such as bleeding.
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.
take it easy for the first 2 to 3 days. use your eye shield at night for at least a week. take painkillers if you need to. bathe or shower yourself as usual.
In the first day or two after cataract surgery
Your vision will seem hazy as your pupil will remain dilated for 24-48 hours after cataract surgery. Sunlight and artificial light will seem a lot brighter than normal as the dilated pupil lets in lots of light.
On the morning of surgery wash face thoroughly and DO NOT apply moisturizer or makeup. Men should shave. You may brush your teeth. Dentures, Glasses, Hearing Aids, Etc.
Immediately after cataract surgery
You will need to have a family member or friend with you to take you home. Once you get home, it is recommended that you rest your eyes and nap. Several hours post-surgery, most people are able to watch some television or look at a computer screen for a short period of time.
Upon completion of your cataract surgery, a clear, plastic shield will be placed over your eye. It is important that you wear the shield as instructed by your doctor. This eye shield is more protective than a standard eye patch, guarding your eye from dust or any potential injury as you heal.
Moving your eye will not cause any problems during your surgery; however, it is important to keep your eyes fixed on the target.
Restraining arms during general anesthesia to prevent injury remains a wise practice. However, to avoid injuring the brachial plexus while the arms are restrained, extra caution must be used to prevent unexpected patient movement and to ensure gentle emergence.
Do You Wear Clothes During Surgery? During surgery, you wear a hospital gown. After you've recovered and are ready to be discharged from the facility, you can change into the clothes you wore when you first arrived. You may want to bring a change of underwear and some toiletries to freshen up before going home.
No solid food for 6 hours prior to your surgery. No thick liquids after midnight (Milk, cream, orange juice, prune juice.) 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.
Some Don'ts: Things to Avoid
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. Avoid getting irritants in your eyes.
Most people feel little or no pain during or after cataract surgery. You'll receive a topical anesthetic (eye drops) to numb your eye during the surgery. Shortly after surgery, your eye may feel gritty or slightly tender, but over-the-counter pain medicine should improve this.
Your doctor will also give you eyedrops to help your eye heal. Use them exactly as directed. You can read or watch TV right away, but things may look blurry.
Cataract surgery is done to improve the vision, mild discomfort should be expected after the surgery and such discomfort will get reduced within few weeks to months after the surgery. Those with pre-existing dry eyes should continue using the lubricating eye drops to minimize such occurrences.
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.