Your actions will go a long way ensure your recovery from cataract surgery goes smoothly. Cataracts affect over 700,000 Australian's and is one of the most common reasons people require eye surgery. Surgery success rates are over 99% in Australia and in the 1% of complications, only 1 in 500 of these are severe.
However, in that 1-2 percent, there is still some risk when it comes to cataract surgery. Even though the procedure is almost always safe, it is important for patients to be aware of what might go wrong.
Cataract surgery poses certain risks. You may need to stop taking medications prior to surgery, which could put your health at risk. After surgery, your eyes need to heal, and you'll have to wear an eye patch for several days. You might experience itching, discomfort, or pain during this process.
Serious complications from cataract surgery are very rare. If vision loss does occur, it is likely the result of infection or bleeding within the eye. It is possible that in a small number of patients, vision does not improve after their cataract surgery.
Is cataract surgery high risk? In the vast majority of cases the operation is successful and vision improves immediately. In a small number of cases complications occur but these are all uncommon and can usually be treated. However, on rare occasions they are serious enough to cause permanent visual problems.
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.
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.
Straight after surgery, patients will usually see in soft focus. The following day vision should be clearer. Some patients see the improvement in several hours, though most take 24-48 hours. It can occasionally take 1-2 weeks for vision to settle while the eye adapts to the new intraocular lens implant (IOL).
Only about 1% to 3% of people who have cataract surgery develop macular edema. 13 Still, it's the most common cause of vision loss after cataract surgery. This swelling happens much more often than retinal detachment or endophthalmitis.
The most important thing following cataract surgery is to protect the eye from infection, so it's important not to rub or touch your eye and avoid dusty, dirty or windy environments. DO: Wear your eye shield overnight and remove it the morning after your surgery.
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.
How long should you wear an eye shield after cataract surgery? People may need to wear an eye shield for 1 week after surgery.
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.
“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.”
If you're unable to get hold of them, visit your local optometrist or GP, or go to a hospital emergency. Red flags include: Loss of vision, whether increasing blur or entire areas of black/grey in your visual field. Any discharge from the eye.
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.
Your eye may look pinkish after cataract surgery and there may even be some bright red localised bruising.
Protective glasses are prescribed after cataract surgery. But for the purpose of reading, you can use your old glasses for up to 3 weeks until the refractive power of the operated eye stabilises, after which your doctor will prescribe new glasses.
Most people feel little or no pain during or after cataract surgery. You'll receive a topical anesthetic (eye drops) to numb your eye during the surgery. Shortly after surgery, your eye may feel gritty or slightly tender, but over-the-counter pain medicine should improve this.
It's estimated that around 80% of patients see colours during their cataract surgery. The most common colours are blue and red, although pink, yellow, green, purple, turquoise and orange have also been reported. Nearly all patients who see these colours during their cataract surgery say that it's a pleasant experience.
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.
During surgery, your eye doctor will remove the cloudy lens from your eye and replace it with an artificial lens (called an intraocular lens, or IOL). The surgery lasts about 1 hour and is almost painless. Usually, you'll be awake during cataract surgery.
Aside from blurriness, some individuals also experience a temporary vision imbalance known as anisometropia. Anisometropia typically lasts just a few days after surgery and can lead to double vision or issues with depth perception.