What to Expect Before, During, and After Cataract Surgery
Patients and doctors will each have different expectations for what to expect before, during, and following surgery. You should talk with your ophthalmologist in Calgary and understand your situation regarding the treatment. However, before moving along with the treatment, read this material thoroughly, and then talk to your doctor about your expectations using the checklist.
What is Cataract Surgery?
A cataract removal procedure is a short, painless procedure to get rid of a hazy lens that is impairing vision. A new intraocular lens is given to you that treats both near- and farsightedness. Only if cataracts prevent you from performing your regular tasks will you need surgery. 97% of patients report improved vision after surgery. Most people don’t experience any difficulties.
Before Cataract Surgery
When you have cataracts, your eyesight usually becomes foggy, and the colors look less vivid. Cataracts may continue to grow in size if left untreated, resulting in vision loss and possibly blindness. Wearing glasses no longer improves your vision since cataracts obstruct the lens within your eye.
It can be irritating or even terrifying to lose your vision. The removal of cataracts from your eye and replacement of your lens with a new, clear one, however, is a reasonably straightforward and successful in-office operation thanks to today’s cutting-edge laser technology and the ability of an ophthalmologist in Calgary.
You could benefit from cataract surgery if you have any of the following vision issues:
- Vision that is cloudy or hazy
- Responsiveness to light
- Difficulty watching TV or reading
- Colors are dim and drab.
Your doctor will thoroughly examine your eyes, talk about your general health, and assess the size and placement of your cataracts to get you ready. They will also measure your eye to choose the appropriate intraocular lens (IOL) for you. The new IOL replaces your natural lens after cataract surgery, enabling you to see well and frequently without the use of glasses.
To reduce your risk of infection after cataract surgery, you might also need to stop taking some medications and start using antibiotic eye drops before the procedure.
During Cataract Surgery
In order to make the process painless for you, your cataract specialists near you will numb your eye using a local anesthetic. Despite being awake, you won’t be able to see what is happening to your eye during the operation.
First, your eye surgeon will use a laser to make a tiny incision in your cornea, close to the edge of your cornea. Next, they will use ultrasound to emulsify the cataract and your natural lens. Through the little incision, they will remove the emulsified component of your old intraocular lens and replace it with a new, clear intraocular lens. This portion of the operation takes around 15 minutes, but you’ll need to stay in the office longer to get your eye ready for surgery and for the recovery period that follows.
After Cataract Surgery
Once your new IOL is in place, it becomes an indelible component of your eye and offers long-term vision improvement. Make arrangements for a friend or member of your family to drive you home, as you won’t be able to drive right away.
As your eye heals following surgery and adapts to your new lens, your vision may initially be fuzzy. Following surgery, colors could seem more vibrant because cataracts usually make colors appear dull and dirty. A few days after cataract surgery, you’ll be visiting your cataract eye surgery near you again to keep track of your recovery.
Contact Our Eye Doctors at Seema Eye Care
Your eye may feel scratchy or inflamed in the days immediately following surgery, but that’s totally normal. For a few nights, you might need to sleep with a shield covering your eyes. You should be careful not to wipe your eye or engage in any intense activity for roughly a week while using the eye drops your doctor has advised. Although it may take a month to fully recover following cataract surgery, you’ll typically notice an improvement in your vision a few days after the procedure.
It’s crucial to visit an eye doctor annually. The doctor will examine the anatomy of the eye in order to determine the eye’s health and search for cataracts, in addition to doing tests to determine vision acuity.
If you need help or have questions about this, feel free to call us today!