xWhen the operation is over, the surgeon will usually place a protective shield over your eye. After a short stay in the outpatient recovery area, you will be ready to go home. Plan to have someone else drive you home.
A protective patch will be placed over your eye following cataract surgery.
You will need to administer eye drops, as prescribed by your surgeon, several times daily during the next few weeks after the procedure. You also will need to wear your protective eye shield while sleeping or napping, for about a week after surgery. You will be given sun shades to help protect your eye in bright light.
During at least the first week after surgery, it is essential that you avoid:
Strenuous activity and heavy lifting (nothing over 25 pounds).
Bending, exercising and similar activities that might stress your eye while it is healing.
Water that might splash into your eye and cause infection. Keep your eye closed while showering or bathing. Also, make sure you avoid swimming or hot tubs for at least two weeks.
Any activity such as changing cat litter boxes that would expose your healing eye to dust, grime or other infection-causing contaminants.
Although the basic postoperative instructions are similar among most eye surgeons, each surgeon may have specific instructions depending on the outcome of your surgery. Always follow your surgeon’s specific postoperative instructions, which are given to you prior to your discharge from the outpatient facility.
Astigmatism Correction during Cataract Surgery:
Approximately 15% to 20% of cataract patients have more than 1.50 diopters (D) of keratometric astigmatism, refractive astigmatism, or both.
Reducing this pre-existing astigmatism may further improve visual outcome after cataract surgery.
Possibilities of astigmatism correction include:
Various cataract incisions.
Astigmatic keratotomy.
Excimer laser keratectomy. (PRK,LASEK,LASIK)
Astigmatism correction with toric IOLs.
Combination of techniques.
After a period of time following cataract surgery, some people may need a simple laser procedure to clear up cloudiness within a membrane (posterior capsule) that is the back surface of the eye’s original natural lens. The intraocular lens is positioned on top of this membrane, which is purposely left in place during cataract surgery.
Occasionally, this membrane becomes cloudy (called a posterior capsular opacity) and causes symptoms similar to those that were present with the original cataract. When a cloudy membrane causes compromised visual acuity, a high energy YAG laser is used to open up the membrane. This procedure is simple and painless and need be done only once in a lifetime if the membrane becomes cloudy following cataract surgery.