All surgery entails risk. Fortunately, with favorable outcomes at approximately 98%, cataract surgery is highly successful. There is still potential for serious complications, however, some of which can result in pain, permanent loss of vision, or even loss of the eye.
As with all operations, you risk bleeding and infection. Additionally, Dr. Shenoy said, unique to the eye is the risk of retinal detachment, which occurs less than 5 percent of the time and can even occur months or years after the surgery. “It is a very safe procedure,” he said.
While many age-related eye conditions can irreparably damage your vision, like glaucoma or macular degeneration, having cataract surgery will restore your clear vision. If you can't see well because of cataracts, there's little reason not to have cataract surgery.
The Cons of Cataract Treatment
You might experience itching, discomfort, or pain during this process. Swelling and bleeding are also common side effects. It takes about eight weeks to heal from cataract surgery fully. Your eyes will need to adjust to the new lenses after surgery, which can cause discomfort.
The Safety of Cataract Surgery
However, in that 1-2 percent, there is still some risk when it comes to cataract surgery.
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. But each person recovers at a different pace.
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. The eye must adapt to the new intraocular lens that has replaced the lens.
Inflammation in the eye can happen after cataract surgery, but it is typically harmless. Any inflammation within the eye following cataract surgery is the body's natural response to having the eye's lens removed. This reaction causes blurry vision, but your eye doctor can prescribe medication to help.
Here are some things that you may want to avoid before and after cataract surgery to ensure that you heal properly. 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.
No, your vision generally doesn't deteriorate after cataract surgery unless other problems arise, such as macular degeneration or glaucoma.
Although it's never too late to have a cataract removed, it is better to have cataracts removed while they are immature, as this reduces the length of surgery and the recovery time. Earlier removal also means that you avoid the significant visual impairment associated with very mature (hypermature) cataracts.
The operation can be performed at any stage of cataract development. There is no need to wait until your cataract is “ripe” before removing it. Most people choose to have their cataracts removed when the change in their vision starts to cause them difficulties in everyday life.
When the eye's natural lens is replaced with an artificial lens, the fear of cataracts forming on the new lens is eliminated – in that sense, the results are permanent. Not only that, but the artificial lens is designed to last your entire life. That's what makes cataract surgery so effective.
While many people will obtain 20/20 vision from their IOL, 30 to 50 percent of people who choose a monofocal IOL will still require corrective lenses after surgery. Schedule a consultation with an eye doctor near you to see if you qualify for surgery.
Practice Breathing
Practice deep, even breathing before cataract surgery so you can remain calm and relaxed. Count as you breathe in, hold, and breathe out, and aim to count to the same number each time. You can also easily find tutorials for calming breathing exercises online.
We will give you a light sedative so you can relax during the surgery. Then, we apply a local numbing agent to the eye so that you don't feel anything and are less inclined to blink. We will then fit a special device that prevents your eyelids from moving while we apply the laser.
Anesthesia typically wears off after an hour or two, and you can go back home soon afterward.
Some known risks of cataract surgery include infection, eye floaters, scar tissue formation, inflammation, lens dislocation, glare, halos, droopy eyelid, high eye pressure, retinal tear, or retinal detachment.
All IOLs can provide excellent up-close vision without glasses. After cataract surgery, you can read without using reading glasses again. There's no need to hunt down your readers because your eyes can focus on objects near you.
However, as we usually do the operation on one eye at a time, this means that your eyes will be out of balance with each other until after the operation on your second eye. This vision imbalance is called anisometropia.
What Happens if You Bend Over After Cataract Surgery? 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. The main complication will be a delay in the healing process.
Mayo Clinic explains that most people still need to wear glasses, at least for some activities, following cataract surgery. Your vision should be greatly improved, but you will still need to get a new prescription for your glasses.
Nearly everyone who has cataract surgery will be given IOL s. These lenses improve your vision by focusing light on the back of your eye. You won't be able to see or feel the lens.