Remove all eye makeup the night before your surgery Get a good night's sleep, and avoid wearing perfume or cologne or anything that may irritate your eyes. On the day of surgery, you can wash your face but refrain from wearing makeup and moisturizers around your eyes.
Avoid wearing any makeup, perfume or cologne, aftershave, spray-on deodorant, or hairspray to the surgical center. Thoroughly remove any traces of these, especially from around your eyes, the night before your procedure.
Yes, it is ok to brush your teeth prior to cataract surgery. If you have been asked to fast prior to the surgery, you should use as little water as possible and try to not drink anything during or after brushing your teeth.
Remember to thoroughly clean your face and remove all traces of makeup. Don't apply makeup the night before surgery, and even facial creams should be left off of your skin. Basically, make sure that you're coming in with a clean face, with no foreign substances near your eyes.
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.
In particular, chicken, fish and eggs are great for wound healing and tissue regeneration, as are beans, nuts and legumes. Vitamin C is also said to speed up the healing process, and you can eat more citrus fruits, strawberries and bell peppers to increase your vitamin C intake.
Lying down: Lie face down on a pillow; have the recovering side of your face hang off the edge of the bed. This helps reduce pain and keeps pressure off your operated eye. Anytime: Use special equipment that can make it easier to stay face down or sideways.
Sleep on your back or on the opposite side of the eye that was operated on to decrease your risk of infection and irritation after surgery. If you turn over in your sleep, your eye shield should help protect your eye from significant damage.
The actual procedure takes around 20 minutes to complete. However, we usually recommend our patients to allow for about 4 hours, as there is a preparation required before surgery, and recovery time afterwards.
BATHING A bath or shower should be taken with antibacterial soap the evening before or the morning of surgery. You should wash your hair. No facial makeup should be worn the day of surgery. Body lotions and creams should be avoided as well.
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. You will need to fast for about 12 hours before surgery to ensure you are safe from this effect.
Avoid pools, hot tubs, saunas, and lakes for at least 3 weeks. Avoid watching TV, reading, or using the computer for the first 24 hours as these activities may strain your eyes. Avoid rubbing your eyes. Avoid eye makeup.
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.
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.
Take nothing by mouth after midnight the night before. This means that you cannot drink any liquids, eat food, chew gum, smoke a cigarette, or have a mint. If you brush your teeth, do not swallow any water. If your surgery is late in the day, please ask the nurse or anesthesiologist about having a light breakfast.
Strenuous activity and exercise after cataract surgery
Most people can do very light exercise the day after surgery, including walking. For activities like biking, running, tennis, golf and sex, wait one week after your procedure.
Sunglasses provide comfort by reducing the total amount of light reaching the eye. It is, therefore, extremely important to wear a good pair of sunglasses after any type of eye surgery including LASIK, laser eye surgery, cataract surgery, ICL surgery, refractive lens exchange and keratoconus treatment.
After cataract surgery, you should wait at least 24 hrs before you can bathe and shower. After this you can shower and bathe as normal. When bathing and showering it is important that your eyes are closed, you do not rub your eyes and that you are very careful to not get any shampoo or soap into your eye. .
Whatever the reason you may want to cry, natural tears won't harm your eyes or delay the healing process. Crying may actually keep your eyes lubricated and that helps the healing process. In fact, many patients cry immediately upon sitting up after LASIK.
After your cataract surgery, you will likely feel tired for a few weeks as your body recovers. During this period, cooking and washing dishes may seem too exhausting. Developing a meal plan before cataract surgery can help you stay healthy and strong as you heal.
You will need to commence your posturing position as soon as possible following your operation. You will need to adjust your posture as instructed during the day; you can have a 10 minute break every hour. You need to ensure correct posturing throughout the night.
Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID)
Naproxen is a longer acting NSAID and is prescribed twice a day; in the morning at breakfast, and before bed in the evening (roughly 12 hours apart). Ibuprofen OR Naproxen taken alongside Paracetamol works very well for MILD or MODERATE pain.
There are some foods that can slow down your recovery or increase your risk of complications after surgery. These include alcohol, processed foods, caffeine, and foods that are high in sugar.
Before and after your LASIK procedure it is advised that you avoid caffeinated drinks, including coffee. Caffeine can cause your eyes to feel dry, which can make it more difficult for you to fully relax during and after the procedure.