Cataract Surgery Recovery And Typical Outcomes
Cataract surgery is one of the safest and most commonly performed surgical procedures in Nigeria. In the United States, more than 3 million cataract surgeries are performed each year, and most people have excellent outcomes with no cataract surgery complications.
Your cataract surgery recovery should be short and uneventful, as long as your health is good and you don’t have other major eye problems. Statistics also show that your chances of a good outcome and sharper vision after surgery are excellent.
Uncomplicated cataract surgery often takes no longer than about 10 minutes to perform. Recovery takes about 30 minutes to an hour.
You’ll be given a pair of sunglasses to wear on the trip home to protect your eye from bright light and glare.
If you are sleepy or tired when you get home, you might want to rest in bed for a few hours. Depending on your cataract surgeon’s advice, you may be able to remove the protective shield placed over your eye within several hours after the procedure.
Just remember to tape the shield back over your eye at night or during naps, for protection while you recover from cataract surgery, at least for several days.
What Is The Typical Cataract Surgery Recovery Time?
Don’t be alarmed if your vision seems cloudy, blurry or distorted after you first remove the eye shield. It can take some time for your visual system to adjust to the removal of the cataract and adapt to the intraocular lens used to replace your eye’s natural lens.
During this adaptation period, some patients even report seeing “wavy” vision or distortions. This phenomenon, if present, should last only an hour or so.
As your eye heals, any redness or bloodshot eyes should dissipate very quickly within several days.
Many patients report clear vision within several hours after cataract surgery. But since each person heals differently, you may need as long as a week or two before you see images in their sharpest focus.
Typically, you will have a follow-up appointment with your cataract surgeon the day after the procedure to make sure there are no complications. Report any fears or concerns to the surgeon
Sometimes people report some dry eye or “scratchiness” after cataract surgery. These sensations should subside as your eye heals, unless you already had problems with dry eyes prior to having the procedure.
Your cataract surgery recovery should be complete in about a month, when your eye is completely healed.
How Can You Achieve The Best Cataract Surgery Recovery?
For a safe and speedy cataract surgery recovery, follow these tips:
- Don’t drive on the first day.
- Don’t do any heavy lifting or strenuous activity for a few weeks.
- Immediately after the procedure, avoid bending over, to prevent putting extra pressure on your eye.
- If at all possible, don’t sneeze or vomit right after surgery.
- Be careful walking around after surgery, and don’t bump into doors or other objects.
- To reduce risk of infection, avoid swimming or using a hot tub during the first week.
- Don’t expose your eye to irritants such as grime, dust and wind during the first few weeks after surgery.
- Don’t rub your eye, which is a good idea even when you aren’t recovering from surgery.
Generally speaking, you should be able to perform these activities within a few hours of your surgery:
- Computer work
- Light TV watching
- Showering or bathing
For the best cataract surgery recovery possible, follow your doctor’s detailed instructions about how to protect your eye following your procedure. Usually these instructions will be given to you as a handout that you can take home with you on surgery day.
If you need cataract surgery in both eyes, your surgeon usually will wait at least a few days to two weeks for your first eye to recover before performing a procedure on the second eye.
