Yes, you will need to fast for the procedure: no food or drink for 6 hours prior to your admission time for intravenous sedation. You may have clear fluids only (water, black tea or coffee, clear apple juice) up until 2 hours prior to surgery.
No solid food for 6 hours prior to your surgery. No thick liquids after midnight (Milk, cream, orange juice, prune juice.) Up to 2 hours before surgery, we encourage you to drink clear liquids (coffee, tea, apple juice, water, soft drinks or meat broth.) Sugar in your coffee and tea is okay, but no milk products.
Do not eat anything (including gum, candy, or mints) after midnight the night before surgery. Do not drink anything except for clear water after midnight the night before surgery. If you do not fast, we will need to cancel your surgery.
Contact lenses put you at higher risk for irritating your eye, which could impact or delay the cataract surgery. On the day of your surgery, you should avoid wearing makeup, facial lotions or creams, or aftershave. Simply wash your face with soap and water prior to your cataract surgery.
YOU MAY TAKE ALL OF YOUR REGULAR MORNING MEDICATIONS THE DAY OF SURGERY. 5. YOU MAY HAVE A LIGHT BREAKFAST TWO (2) HOURS PRIOR TO YOUR ARRIVAL TIME, SUCH AS CEREAL, TOAST, BREAKFAST BAR, COFFEE, OR JUICE.
Caffeine can cause your eyes to feel dry, which can make it more difficult for you to fully relax during and after the procedure. Prior to your surgery, Dr. Boozalis recommends that you avoid caffeine for a few hours.
take it easy for the first 2 to 3 days. use your eye shield at night for at least a week. take painkillers if you need to. bathe or shower yourself as usual.
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.
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.
This can start well in advance of your scheduled surgery when you take steps like eliminating tobacco and alcohol and adopting a healthy, balanced diet. The best meals before surgery will include a balance of lean protein, unprocessed carbohydrates, vegetables, and healthy (mainly plant-based) fats.
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.
“Give yourself at least one night of sleep before showering, and prevent the stream of water from hitting your eyes directly,” says Eghrari. “Ask your doctor when it is safe to begin swimming or using a hot tub. In most cases, that will be a few weeks.”
Resume most of your usual activities – walking, watching TV, reading and going out to dinner are fine. Please wear either glasses or the protective shield at all times. Wear the shield at night for protection. Resume taking your regular medications and prescribed eye drops about 4 hours after your procedure.
Immediately following cataract surgery, it is, in fact, normal to have blurry vision. Many patients are back to their regular activities the day after cataract surgery. This applies to most activities except for driving. Driving isn't allowed until your cataract surgeon has okayed it.
As the eyes heal from cataract surgery, a person should focus on maintaining a diet that supports overall health and avoids processed foods, fast foods, excess salt, sugar, tobacco, and alcohol. According to the National Eye Institute (NEI) , most people have cataracts or have had cataract surgery by age 80 years.
Follow the doctor's advice on fasting.
Unless otherwise instructed by Dr. Silk, do not eat or drink past midnight on the day before your appointment. It's also important to abstain from consuming any alcoholic beverages (like wine, beer, or liquor) for at least 24 hours prior to cataract surgery.
When the eye is completely numb, an instrument will be used to hold your eye open while the procedure is completed. This instrument ensures that you will not blink during cataract surgery. Cataract surgery is one of the safest, most successful surgeries involving the eye.
How long before you can sleep on your side after cataract surgery? People should try to avoid sleeping on the same side of the operated eye for 1 week. However, if they wear a protective shield securely overnight, their eye should have enough protection, even if they unintentionally end up sleeping on that side.
Most patients wear it for a day. Wear your eye shield at night or while napping so you don't rub your eye while sleeping. Your doctor will tell you how many nights to do this. For most people it's from 1 to 7 nights.
Sleep is an essential part of any healing process and healing from cataract surgery is no different. You should try to avoid sleeping on your side while you're recovering from surgery.
Strenuous activity and exercise after cataract surgery
Most people can do very light exercise the day after surgery, including walking.
Before Cataract Surgery
Here's how we do it at The Eye Clinic of Florida. You can eat a light breakfast up to 4 hours before cataract surgery. We suggest that patients avoid caffeine and dairy products on the day of the surgery so that they don't have to go to the bathroom frequently.
Absolutely no alcohol before the operation, so if you're thinking of drinking to help you sleep and “relax” before the procedure, just ask your doctor for better options.