Your cataract surgery recovery should be quick and straightforward, as long as you follow your surgeon’s post-operative instructions and schedule all necessary follow-up appointments with your eye doctor.
Uncomplicated cataract surgery often takes less than ten minutes to complete. You will relax in a recovery area immediately following a cataract surgery until you are no longer drowsy from sedation or anesthesia. This typically takes between 30 and 60 minutes.
You must arrange for someone to drive you home following the treatment. You’ll be provided with sunglasses to shield your eyes from strong light and glare on the flight home.
If you feel drowsy or exhausted when you return home, you may choose to spend a few hours in bed. Depending on your cataract surgeon’s instructions, you may be able to remove the protective shield that was placed over your eye many hours after the treatment. learn more about contract surgery uncommon symptoms at http://acupuncture4wellness.net/uncommon-things-to-know-about-cataract-surgery/
Simply keep in mind that you will need to tape the shield back over your eye at night or during naps to provide protection for at least several days as you recuperate from cataract surgery.
What is the normal healing period following cataract surgery?
When you initially remove the eye cover, your eyesight may appear foggy, fuzzy, or distorted. It may take some time for your visual system to acclimatize to the cataract removal and the intraocular lens used to replace the natural lens in your eye.
During this period of acclimation, some patients report experiencing “wavy” eyesight or other visual abnormalities. If this phenomenon occurs, it should last little more than an hour or two.
Additionally, red and bloodshot eyes may occur as a result of temporary injury to blood vessels on the “white” of the eye (sclera) after cataract surgery. The redness should subside within a few days as your eye recovers.
If you had an anesthetic injection into the bottom region of your eye via the skin, you may observe some bruising comparable to a black eye. This, too, should dissipate over the course of a few days.
Several hours following cataract surgery, many patients report having clear eyesight. However, each individual heals differently, and it may take up to a week or two before you see the finest pictures.
Typically, the day after the treatment, you will have a follow-up consultation with your cataract surgeon to ensure there were no issues. If your foggy vision does not improve in the days following this appointment, or if you experience eye pain or considerable discomfort, you should notify your surgeon.
Occasionally, individuals report experiencing dry eye or “scratchiness” following cataract surgery. These feelings should lessen as your eye recovers unless you previously suffered from dry eyes.
Your whole cataract surgery recovery should take around a month, once your eye has recovered fully.
How to ensure the greatest possible recovery from cataract surgery?
You may be amazed at how well you feel and how quickly you can resume routine activities the day following cataract surgery.
However, you need to take a few measures within the first week or so following cataract surgery to avoid problems.
Typically, your eye doctor will prescribe antibiotic eye drops to help prevent infection and anti-inflammatory eye drops to assist in reducing any interior irritation. For about the first week following surgery, you will need to apply the eye drops several times daily.
Depending on the severity of your postoperative inflammation, you may require the drops for up to a month. As with any medication, use these eye drops precisely as directed.
If necessary, oral pain medications such as acetaminophen may be administered. However, you should often have relatively little pain following cataract surgery.
Follow these suggestions for a safe and rapid recovery from cataract surgery:
1. Avoid driving on the first day after surgery.
2. Avoid heavy lifting and hard activities for several weeks.
3. Avoid leaning over immediately following the surgery to avoid placing additional strain on your eye.
4. Avoid sneezing or vomiting immediately following surgery, if possible.
5. Take caution when walking about the following surgery to avoid colliding with doors or other objects.
6. Avoid swimming or using a hot tub during the first week following cataract surgery to minimize the risk of infection.
7. Avoid irritants such as dust, dirt, wind, and pollen for the first two weeks following surgery.
8. Avoid rubbing your eye following surgery.
In general, you should be able to resume the following activities within a few hours of surgery:
- Computer work
- Occasional television viewing
- Bathing or showering
To ensure the greatest possible recovery from cataract surgery, carefully follow your doctor’s specific instructions on how to safeguard your eye following the treatment. Typically, these instructions will be provided to you in the form of a pamphlet that you may take home with you on the day of surgery.
If you require cataract surgery in both eyes, your surgeon will often wait at least a few days to two weeks for your first eye to heal before proceeding with the second eye.
Recovery after cataract surgery and usual results
Cataract surgery is one of the most safe and common surgical procedures performed in Australia. Each year, over 3 million cataract procedures are performed in Australia, and the majority of patients have great results with no problems.
• Almost 96 percent of eyes with no other problems such as other eye diseases prior to a cataract procedure achieved at least 20/40 uncorrected distance visual acuity, which is legally acceptable for driving without eyeglasses or contact lenses.
• Almost 90 percent of all eyes, including those with pre-existing eye conditions other than cataracts, had favorable outcomes.
• Less than 2% of eyes that undergo cataract surgery experience sight-threatening complications.
In rare instances, sight-threatening cataract surgical problems such as endophthalmitis – inflammation of the interior of the eye caused by an eye infection — can develop.
Serious consequences are frequently associated with other health problems, such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
A moderately common but typically manageable consequence of cataract surgery is posterior capsular opacification (PCO), which can cause your vision to become blurry months or even years following cataract removal. Typically, a simple laser operation called a posterior capsulotomy may eliminate the cloudiness and restore clear vision.
