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.
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.
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.
Dislocated Intraocular Lens (IOL)
The IOL is the artificial lens your doctor puts in your eye during surgery. It can slip out of place, causing blurred or double vision. It can also lead to more serious issues like bleeding and swelling.
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.
How long does it take to recover from cataract surgery? In most cases, full recovery from cataract surgery takes four weeks. But people often notice improvement in their vision within a few days. There should be little pain or discomfort during this period.
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.
Residual refractive error is a common reason for patient dissatisfaction after cataract surgery. Fortunately, this can be corrected with a pair of glasses or contact lenses or with a corneal refractive procedure.
What should I do with my old glasses? Are they safe to wear? You will not harm your eyes by wearing your old glasses. However, you may prefer not wearing them since, in most cases, your vision will have improved after surgery, in particular your distance vision.
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.
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.
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.
Most people do exceedingly well with cataract surgery. Its success rate is about 99 percent. Complications from cataract surgery are rare but may include corneal swelling and/or inflammation in the eyes.
Is cataract surgery always successful? Like we said before, cataract surgery is a common surgery with a high success rate of 98%.
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.
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.
Post-surgery, it's common for vision to be blurry for a few days. Many people can drive again within 24 hours. However, it's highly recommended you do not drive until you've seen your eye doctor after the surgery. Your ophthalmologist may recommend you wait a few more days before driving.
As such, most surgeons recommend that you opt to have the procedure performed one eye at a time and allow the first to heal fully and your vision to stabilize before having treatment on the other. This normally means a minimum of a few weeks between surgeries.
Often, it's a good idea to purchase a pair of glasses for use as needed after cataract surgery. To see your best at all distances, progressive lenses often are the best solution. If sensitivity to light is a problem, photochromic lenses that darken automatically in sunlight usually are a great choice.
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.
As you blink, the drops spread over your eye, numbing the surface. This allows you to feel no pain or discomfort during the surgery. When the eye is completely numb, an instrument will be used to hold your eye open while the procedure is completed.
Don't: Eat or Drink Right Before the Surgery
While under sedation, there is a chance of stomach acid going into your lungs, which can cause damage. You will need to fast for about 12 hours before surgery to ensure you are safe from this effect.
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.