MEDICATIONS To minimize the risk of blood loss during your surgery, you must avoid or stop taking medications that contain aspirin, that are anti-inflammatory medications, or contain blood thinning agents. These should be discontinued 7-10 days prior to your surgery.
Take all your regular medications, including diabetic medication, on the day of your surgery unless told otherwise by your surgeon. If you are currently using eye drops, ask your surgeon for specific directions about stopping these before surgery.
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 may drink clear water up to 3 hours before you are due to arrive at the Eye Surgery Center. You may brush your teeth in the morning before surgery. You may wear your hearing aid or dentures. Bathe or shower the morning of surgery to minimize the chance of infection.
Wear your eye bandage, patch, or shield for as long as your doctor recommends. You may only need to wear it when you sleep. You can shower or wash your hair the day after surgery.
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.
You can't wear deodorant during surgery because it can leave a residue on your skin that's difficult to remove. This residue might make it challenging for the surgeon to cut through the incision site or accurately assess your skin circulation during surgery.
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.
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.
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.
Take Care of Laundry and Other Chores Ahead of Time
These activities can increase pressure in the eye, so it's best to avoid them.
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.
“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.”
Inflammation. 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.
You can discard your eye shield the morning after your cataract surgery, but it's still advisable to sleep on your back for a couple of weeks so your eye doesn't come into contact with your pillow and pick up any particles from it. This will help your eye to heal and reduce the risk of infection.
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.
Water is one of the best things you can put into your body, especially while it's healing. After cataract surgery, your eyes may need a few days to get used to their new normal. They may even feel a little drier than you're used to. This is another way that drinking enough water is incredibly beneficial!
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.
Showering will help prevent surgical site infections. You may shower the night before and the morning of your surgery, but avoid aggressively scrubbing the area of the surgical site. Wash your hair with shampoo first. Using a clean washcloth for both showers, wash your body with a liquid antibacterial soap.
A nurse will then cleanse the skin around the eye with an antiseptic (Povidone iodine). After this is done, you will be covered with a sterile drape which covers your face and upper body. This can be a little claustrophobic but the drape is very light and there is plenty of air underneath.
Strenuous activity and exercise after cataract surgery
Most people can do very light exercise the day after surgery, including walking.
Once the shield has been removed you are safe to take a shower and wash your hair once you return home from our office on the day after surgery. Just please do so carefully, and try to avoid getting soap, dirty water, or forceful sprays of water in the eye for the first few days after surgery.
You should continue to wear sunglasses for at least a few weeks after your surgery. This will help to protect your eyes as they heal. After a few weeks, you can start to wear them less often.