Same Day At Home. Resume your normal walking, climbing of stairs, avoid strenuous activity and no lifting greater than 20 pounds for the first 7-10 days. Resume any medication you were taking from other doctors as ordered when you get home. Your eye may feel scratchy and itchy.
“High eye pressure can interfere with the incision before it fully heals,” says Eghrari. “Positions that put your head below your waist, such as bending over, can also increase eye pressure and should be avoided initially after surgery.”
Do not do any rigorous exercise and/or heavy lifting. Avoid driving until your eye doctor examines and say it is safe to resume driving. Follow your ophthalmologist's orders related to administration of any antibiotic or anti-inflammatory eye drops or medications. Try to stay away from dirt and dusty areas.
However, it's very important that you take it easy and rest for the first two or three days following the operation. During this time, avoid doing strenuous activities, such as housework or exercise after cataract surgery. This will give your eyes the time they need to heal.
How long after cataract surgery can you bend over? While it may seem an odd question, bending over or leaning forward for any length of time can put pressure on your eye. This can affect the healing process. Try to avoid bending over for the first two weeks after surgery.
You can read or watch TV right away, but things may look blurry. Most people are able to return to work or their normal routine in 1 to 3 days. After your eye heals, you may still need to wear glasses, especially for reading. This care sheet gives you a general idea about how long it will take for you to recover.
It is very common to have blurry or unclear vision in the days and sometimes even weeks after cataract removal. Most of the time, this is caused by normal swelling in the eye which occurs as a part of surgery. Patients with larger, denser and/or firmer cataracts are more likely to experience more inflammation.
Patients with a dislocated IOL may experience a decrease or change in vision, diplopia, and/or glare. Additionally, they may report ocular pain or headaches from intermittent angle-closure and/or inflammation. Some patients also report seeing the edge of the IOL.
Cataract surgery has a fast recovery rate with only a few restrictions to contend with. With the day of surgery excepted, no bed rest is required. Most patients can return to normal activities the following day.
You should continue to wear sunglasses for at least a few weeks after your surgery. This will help to protect your eyes as they heal. After a few weeks, you can start to wear them less often.
Most doctors recommend wearing sunglasses after cataract surgery for at least a week—and many doctors recommend up to a year. The truth is wearing sunglasses is always a good idea whether you've had cataract surgery or not. Protecting your eyes from the sun's damaging rays keeps them healthier longer.
Can this cause any problems? Answer: Today's cataract wounds are very secure and coughing or sneezing should cause no problem.
After cataract surgery, your eyes are more susceptible to infection and complications. Swimming is a bad idea because water is a place where bacteria can grow. Since your eyes aren't at their best, you're more likely to get an infection from the water.
Simple diversions like reading, watching TV, writing, and walking are okay to resume as soon as you feel up for it after your eye surgery. Still, the healing process needs to run its course and vision may fluctuate slightly for the first few weeks before fully stabilizing.
Complete healing usually takes around 8 weeks. Here are some precautions to follow in the first week after surgery to avoid infection or eye injury: Don't drive on the first day of recovery. Avoid heavy lifting or vigorous activities.
You should not bend over after cataract surgery for at least 2 weeks. Bending over will place pressure on the eye and this may cause unnecessary complications to your eye.
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.
You can take a shower or bath 24 hours after your surgery. Do not get water or soap in your eye. Keep your eye closed while you shower. Use a clean washcloth every time and normal tap water to clean secretions from your lashes or the corner of your eye.
Washing Your Face and Hygiene after Cataract Surgery
You can resume activities such as washing your face the day after surgery, as long as you are careful to not touch the eye. You shouldn't splash water directly on your face and instead, use a washcloth to carefully clean.
Yes, cataract surgery improves your night vision to a larger extent. Night vision improvement will enable you to drive, walk in low lights too. As the cataract advances the vision loss worsens, surgery might help restore your vision back.
After the procedure
Colors may seem brighter after your surgery because you are looking through a new, clear lens. A cataract is usually yellow- or brown-tinted before surgery, muting the look of colors.
Those looking for a more budget-friendly option might choose Optix 55 Wraparound Night Driving Glasses to reduce headlight glare and improve vision clarity while driving or operating machinery. LensCovers offers polarized wraparound sunglasses that provide 100% UV protection.
Wear comfortable clothes and avoid cosmetics.
You'll be given a gown to wear over your clothes and will not need to get changed for the procedure.