Recovery from Cataract Surgery

Patients who undergo routine cataract surgery usually recover quickly. The following is a list of symptoms you may notice right after your surgery. These typically resolve within a few days of surgery.

Temporary Symptoms Commonly Noticed Immediately After Cataract Surgery:

Blurry Vision

Fluctuation in Vision

Burning in the Eye

Scratching or a feeling like something is in the eye

Mild aching

Tearing

Mild bleeding on the “white part of the eye”

Redness that improves after surgery

Pupillary Dilation

Mild Light Sensitivity

Dysphotopsias (an arcuate-shaped temporary shimmer in your peripheral vision)

Follow-up After Surgery

The standard schedule for follow-up visits after your surgery is one day, one week, and between three and four weeks. These may be adjusted if your specific post-surgical care warrants it.

One-Day Postoperative Visit

At this visit, your eye shield will be removed. Your vision and eye pressure will be checked. Your doctor will look at your eye to make sure no problems have arisen overnight. Your instructions will be reviewed, including your eye drop instructions. The dosing schedule will depend on the specific drops your doctor prescribes. Be sure to get these in written form so you can refer to them at home.

For several reasons, your vision may be a bit unpredictable on the first day after surgery. Your pupil may still be dilated, which will make your vision blurry and cause light sensitivity. In addition, you may have some swelling and inflammation, which can also lead to blurry vision. Therefore, your vision on the first day after surgery is not a good indicator of what your visual outcome will be when your eye has healed and you have been fitted with your new glasses. The important thing to remember is that your vision should not worsen after your first postoperative visit. So, if you notice a decrease in vision, you should report this to your surgeon immediately. The following is a list of symptoms you should immediately report to your doctor if you have undergone cataract surgery:

Decreased Vision

Severe Pain

Increasing Redness

Discharge from the Eye

Pressure

Severe Light Sensitivity

Many New Floaters

Flashes of Light

Curtain or Shade Over Your Vision

Eye Injury

One-Week Postoperative Visit

This is usually a quick visit to check vision and eye pressure. Your doctor will evaluate your eyes to make sure they are healing properly. Unless you had a dense cataract, or have another coexisting eye disease that predisposes you to increased swelling and inflammation, your vision will be approximately where it will remain until you get your new glasses. Your eye-drop schedule will be adjusted on this visit.

Three-to-Four-Week Postoperative Visit

This will be a longer visit. At this time, your vision, pressure and eye will again be checked. You will also undergo a refraction test (be measured for glasses) and your pupil will be dilated to allow for examination of your optic nerve and retina. If you are not having surgery in the other eye, you will receive your glasses prescription on this visit. If you are having surgery on the other eye, you will still undergo a refraction test. This is so your surgeon can determine whether or not adjustments need to be made to the IOL selection for your second eye. You will get your glasses after your second eye has healed from cataract surgery.

If you have other eye diseases, or your surgery was complex, you may have a longer recovery time. If you fall into this category, your doctor will discuss it with you. Try not to compare your surgery and recovery to others you know. Each surgery and every eye is different, including the surgery performed on each of your eyes. Many patients will even notice differences in their experiences between eyes.

Returning to Work After Surgery

You will need to discuss this with your operating surgeon. When you may safely return to work depends on what type of work you perform. If you areable to keep your eye clean and dry, and avoid heavy lifting, you can usually return to work in a day or two. However, this should be determined on an individual basis, and you should discuss this with your particular surgeon who knows your exact circumstances.

These are general guidelines that will vary from place to place, and from eye to eye. Remember to follow your doctor’s instructions, as they are tailored specifically to you. If, at any point, you have questions, you should ask.