Dos and Don’ts After Cataract Surgery – After having a cataract surgery, it is important to follow your doctor’s instructions for a successful recovery. There are certain activities that should be avoided after cataract surgery, to ensure the best possible outcome. Though there are some activities that should be avoided after cataract surgery, there are also certain things that you can do to help speed up the recovery process. Below some recommendation after cataract surgery from the eye doctor that usually care the cataract patients.
Today I’ll be talking about the do’s and don’ts after cataract surgery. So now my cataract surgery is done, what happens next ? Usually there’s no pain after cataract surgery you may feel some gritty sensation and some discomfort. The vision may be blurry ,it may be wavy but that is normal.
The next question will be when can you go home ? You will need to rest about one to two hours after your cataract surgery. You will need to sit down or lie down to relax. Do not shake your head or bow down. Your lens may move especially if you’re a high prescription patient prior to your surgery. For your transport home I do recommend you to pre-plan your journey home, as you may not be able to drive after surgery. Because you may feel slightly giddy or nosier or even vomiting at times. The blurring of vision may last for one day and you may want to have a designated driver, get a taxi or pre-plan a grab driver for yourself.
Now here comes the most commonly asked question the don’ts after cataract surgery.
- Do not rub your eyes after a cataract surgery, as they may cause a wound leak. The lens may also move as well do not leave heavy objects as it may cause the straining into your eyes and the wound may leak. The object not to carry is about 10 kg or a pail of water.
- Do not bow down as the lens may move within the first two weeks of your surgery.
- And do not splash water into your eyes, especially when you’re bathing or washing your face, just use a towel to wipe your face or your rice area.
- Next thing not to do is not to swim as swimming waters are dirty and it may cause a high risk of infection.
- Do not do heavy exercises as well such as mountain biking, jogging, badminton, gym, or even tennis. You can do brace walking or stationary cycling as for preparing meals i wouldn’t recommend you to cook just ask your loved ones to prepare meals for you. If you have to prepare a meal for yourself get something light.
- The next thing not to do is to go dusty places such as construction sites or wet markets.
- Do not do gardening or painting as well as irritants or pollens may go into the eye and cause irritation to be high.
- Not recommend to have sexual intercourse after your cataract surgery as well as this may cause a wound leak for the lens to move.
Here are some special circumstances that you may like to know,
- in a sleeping position you may sleep to your left to your right or sleep straight but not in a prone position.
- You may use ipads or your hand or watch tvs but not in a prolonged period of time. Give it a rest since you just did your surgery.
- You may feel some dry eye symptoms when you watch too long.
So what is the recovery period of a cataract surgery, it ranges from just days up to months. But the usual time will be one month. In a mature cataract or complicated cataract surgery, it may take a longer time for you to recover. It differs from person to person. There may be some factors that may prolong a cataract surgery recovery, such as dry eyes, a swollen cornea, diabetic patient, or very old patient.
What are the things that will happen during your follow-up with us after your surgery. The doctor will be checking your vision every time you come back to follow up with doctor to make sure that you can see. You will also check your intraocular pressure to make sure that it’s not high and is within the normal limits. This is because the medication that is given to you may cause a side effect of high intraocular pressure or it could be high due to retained gel in the eyes during the cataract surgery or it may be due to a normal post-op inflammatory process.
The doctor also check the wound to make sure that it’s healing properly and there’s no signs of infection. The doctor will look into the general well-being of the patient as well make sure you’re doing fine. Next about putting in your eye drops, you need to put your eye drops according to the operating surgeon. Usually you’ll be provided with antibiotics and steroid drops.
The doctor may tell you to reduce your eye drops as the day progresses. You will need the medication up to one month period. Remember to wash your hands before putting in your eye drops. This is to show how to instill medication into someone else’s eye open the cap of the bottle using your right hand with a little finger and instill the medication into the eye or the lower eyelids of your patient. One drop is good enough just close the cap after that. Next is to show how to put medication into your own eyes. Open the bottle cap as usual and pull your own lower eyelid, looking into the tip of the medication, tilt your head back and instill just one drop of medication into your eyes. You can blink a few times close the bottle again. Will help you understand more about cataract surgery thank you. (Explained by is dr Chan Janbon from isaac kl.)
Precautions After Cataract Surgery
I congratulate you to have undergone a successful eye surgery. And hope you’re recovering quite well. The doctor will be giving you the instructions that need to be followed after your surgery. The doctor have explained to you the medications that need to be put in your eye and you can start putting them right away, as soon as you get home. The prescription of medication has been given to you and you’ve been explained the frequency of the drops that have to be instilled in your eye. Also the doctor will be instructing you how to install these eye drops or you can follow this particular link in order to see how to install an eye drop in your eye.
Certain do’s and don’ts after your surgery that need to be followed. Those would include :
- stick to the medication schedule as has been advised to you and put the drops at regular intervals as has been advised to you.
- Do wear the protective glasses that have been provided to you and continue wearing them indoors and outdoors till we instruct them to stop wearing them.
- For the first couple of days it would be advisable that you wear these protective glasses even through the night. So that you prevent any inadvertent rubbing of your eyes at night.
- It is also important that you report to us immediately if you feel there is excessive pain, watering or irritation in the eyes.
- Do not get scared if there is any issue with your eyes.
The doctor are available for your treatment the whole time. Certain don’ts would include :
- Please avoid any water going in your eye for the first few days after your surgery.
- And avoid hair wash for four to five days after your surgery. You can watch television or read a book if you’re comfortable to do so right from the same day of your surgery. There is no restriction in terms of light activities such as cooking, walking around and moving out for your routine activities.
- However it is advisable to avoid lifting heavy weights for the first few days after your surgery.
- Also avoid rubbing your eyes or touching your eyes with any cloth, if you feel that you need to wipe your eyes use style gauze, pieces or tissue papers to wipe any tears or to wipe off the excessive drop that is there in your eye.
Certain general instructions need to be followed is that report to us immediately if you have any trouble in your eyes or come to us immediately if there is any trouble. Follow the post-operative medication schedule and also your follow-up schedule needs to be followed regularly properly. (explained by dr. Jatin Ashraf from Mumbai Eye Care)
Conclusion
After having cataract surgery, it’s important to follow your surgeon’s instructions carefully to ensure a successful outcome. Here are a few things that you can do to help ensure a successful recovery: Take it easy – it’s normal to feel some discomfort, but it’s important to rest after the surgery. Avoid strenuous activities and follow your surgeon’s instructions for any follow-up treatments. Wear sunglasses – the bright light can be too intense for your eyes after surgery, so make sure to wear sunglasses when outdoors. Drink plenty of water – staying hydrated helps the eye heal and will reduce any discomfort. And here are a few things you should not do after the surgery: Rub your eyes – this can cause damage to the eye and increase the risk of infection. Wear contact lenses – you should wait at least 3-4 weeks after surgery before wearing contacts, as they can disrupt the healing process. Avoid swimming – swimming pools are a breeding ground for bacteria, so it’s best to avoid swimming for at least a week after the surgery. By following these simple tips, you can ensure a successful recovery after cataract surgery.