Don't lift heavy objects for the first two weeks after surgery. Strenuous activity (like lifting something) can increase your eye pressure levels. Elevated intraocular pressure is one of the most frequent complications for patients that have cataract surgery.
If redness in the eye is accompanied by pain, light sensitivity and/or a change in vision, see your ophthalmologist right away.
When cataract pieces (or lens fragments) remain in the eye after surgery, a severe inflammatory reaction can occur that may cause high pressure in the eye, swelling in the center of the retina and cornea, and even potentially permanent visual loss.
Intraocular lens (IOL) dislocation is a very rare condition that affects patients who have undergone cataract surgery and consists of the displacement of the implanted lens towards the vitreous cavity of the eye.
Occasionally, the lens implanted during cataract surgery moves out of place. This dislocation of the lens happens if the capsule surrounding the lens bursts. IOL can occur within days of the surgery or years later. 17 Being hit in the eye increases the risk of your lens being dislocated.
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.
If you need new glasses, you will not be able to order them until your eye has completely healed, usually after 6 weeks. Cataract surgery has a high success rate in improving your eyesight and should allow you to return to your normal activities, like driving.
Answer: Once your IOL (or artificial intraocular lens) has been placed inside of your eye there is very little chance that any damage can occur to it, especially a year and a half after surgery. There are a few very uncommon conditions that can harm your implant, but they are very unlikely.
Endophthalmitis is a serious complication of cataract surgery involving microorganisms that gain entry into the eye. Risk factors for the development of endophthalmitis include rupture of the posterior capsule or the need for anterior vitrectomy during the procedure, age greater than 85 years, and male sex.
You should also avoid lifting anything that weighs more than 5 to 10 pounds. Because heavy lifting and other strenuous activities involve a temporary increase in blood pressure, these actions put particular pressure on your eyes.
If severe side effects develop, such as throbbing pain or a sudden deterioration of vision, these should be reported to one our experienced eye doctors as soon as possible so that surgical complications can be ruled out.
Several hours following the surgery, most patients are able to watch some television or look at a computer screen for a short period of time. It's important however that you don't over-exert your eyes during the first 24 hours post-surgery. You can expect to return to most normal activities during the first week.
Your body is using energy to heal itself, so you may feel more tired than normal - this is perfectly normal. Most patients however are very happy with the improvement in their vision.
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.
Remove the eye shield in the morning and start your drops. Please wear sunglasses or your normal glasses during the day, to help protect your eye. Please wear the eye shield you have been given at night for the next 5 nights. You can secure it with medical tape or sellotape.
Do not rub or put pressure on your eye for at least 1 week. Do not wear eye makeup for 1 to 2 weeks. You may also want to avoid face cream or lotion. Do not get your hair coloured or permed for 10 days after surgery.
An intraocular lens implant is usually placed in the eye after cataract surgery and may occasionally become malpositioned or dislocated. This may occur as the result of trauma at the time of surgery, previous trauma to the eye that damaged the natural lens or becasue of a systemic disease.
Just like with strenuous activity, bending over can cause a rush of blood to your head that interferes with your recovering eyes. If you need to pick something up, ask a friend or keep your head upright squat down without lowering your head.
Don't Lift Until You're Told It's OK
Excessive straining of any sort (including working out at the gym) may not only cause wounds to open, but it can also invite infection into the areas of broken or disrupted skin.
Do not lift anything that weighs more than 10 to 15 pounds (no more than a gallon of milk) until six weeks after the surgery. This includes babies, children and groceries. After six weeks, you may gradually begin to lift heavier items if it does not cause discomfort around your incision.
Light housekeeping includes tasks such as dusting open surfaces; sweeping and mopping floors (damp mops – small areas and hard surface floors); vacuuming around furniture; wiping down counters; washing and putting dishes away; cleaning bathrooms and kitchens; taking out the trash; changing sheets and making the bed; ...
Examples of very vigorous activities include: lifting heavy weights. circuit training. sprinting up hills.
It's recommended to rest for 72 hours before working out the same muscle group again. This gives your body the time it needs for muscle recovery and growth without risking injury from overtraining or under-recovery.