To help reduce the risk of complications, you may be prescribed antibiotic and/or anti-inflammatory eye drops to take in the days leading up to your surgery. Since you will not be able to drive immediately following the surgery, plan ahead to arrange a ride home from your operation.
Do I have to take eye drops before cataract surgery? You will begin taking eye drops about 2 days before cataract surgery. There are three types of drops: an antibiotic and two anti-inflammatory medications. We will ask you to take each of the three drops starting 3 days before surgery.
Most eye surgeons recommend that their patients start their medicated eye drops a few days before cataract surgery. There are several reasons that this may be beneficial. The antibiotic eye drop may decrease the number of bacteria living in your eye and reduce the risk of infection.
You may be instructed not to eat or drink anything 12 hours before cataract surgery. Your doctor may also advise you to temporarily stop taking any medication that could increase your risk of bleeding during the procedure.
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.
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.
Most patients respond extremely well to dropless cataract surgery. Most likely, you will not need drops after surgery, but it is possible you may need a prescription for anti-inflammatory eye drops if you develop more than average inflammation after surgery.
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.
Generally, you'll be provided with enough eye drops to last you for four weeks, and should continue using them until you run out. If you run out before the four weeks is up, then your GP will usually provide you with additional eye drops.
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.
Cataract surgery is not painful. While patients are awake during surgery, there is little or no discomfort involved. A mild sedative may be administered before the surgery, which calms the nerves, and eye drops are used to numb the eye.
During early recovery, patients will be able to see, but not in clear, but rather, soft vision. Within 48 hours, many cataracts patients see significant improvement in their vision. It is possible that your vision could take one to two weeks to adjust and settle.
Although increased IOP after cataract surgery—especially in the immediate postoperative period—is a potential cause of pain, I have found that the most common cause of postoperative pain is drying of the ocular surface from the preservatives in perioperative drops, exposure during surgery, and wound creation.
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.
To ensure optimal recovery and results, our Chicago eye care specialists usually wait to operate on the second eye. We want to give the first eye enough time to heal and for vision to stabilize before performing another surgery. It's a simple, common-sense precaution to ensure good vision and eye health.
A long-term consequence of cataract surgery is posterior capsular opacification (PCO). PCO is the most common complication of cataract surgery.
Most people undergo cataract surgery in both eyes on separate days, referred to as delayed sequential bilateral cataract surgery (DSBCS). An alternative procedure involves operating on both eyes on the same day, but as two separate procedures, known as immediate sequential bilateral cataract surgery (ISBCS).
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.
The foods that you will want to avoid are the ones that are generally associated with poor eye health, including foods that are high in sugars or are high in refined carbohydrates (such as bread, pastas, chips, cereals, etc.).
You can shower or wash your hair the day after surgery. Keep water, soap, shampoo, hair spray, and shaving lotion out of your eye, especially for the first week. Do not rub or put pressure on your eye for at least 1 week. Do not wear eye makeup for 1 to 2 weeks.
However, optometrists advise that you avoid alcohol for 1 week after your surgery if possible. This is to ensure that your body's healing process can take full effect and to avoid dehydrating your eyes. Alcohol could also interfere with any drops or medications you are given to use for the first week after surgery.
Do not eat anything (including gum, candy, or mints) after midnight the night before surgery. Do not drink anything except for clear water after midnight the night before surgery. If you do not fast, we will need to cancel your surgery.
EVERYONE: 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.)