How Long Between Cataract Surgery On Each Eye – Cataract surgery is one of the most common eye procedures performed in the United States. It is a safe, effective way to improve vision and help restore a patient’s quality of life. Cataract surgery involves removing the cloudy lens from the eye and replacing it with an artificial one. Many people wonder how long they will have to wait between cataract surgery on each eye. Generally, cataract surgery is performed on both eyes at the different time and the recovery period is usually two to four weeks. However, the amount of time between the two surgeries can vary depending on a number of factors, including the particular eye condition, the severity of the cataract, and the patient’s overall health. In this article, we will explore why the timing of cataract surgery can vary and what to expect during the recovery period.
When will I get my second Eye Surgery done?
The difference between the two eyes surgery depends on various factors like on the surgeon, on how advanced the other eye cataract is, also how good your healing is. Usually a gap of 1 week is sufficient between the two eyes. Some people prefer to wait for a month, some people even wait for 3 months but it is quite safe to go through a second cataract surgery after 1 week.
Generally, it requires 1-3 months for complete recovery after eye surgery. You can expect your eyes to stabilize 2-4 months after the procedure. At that stage, it is prudent to have a follow-up visit with the Ophthalmologist to assess your vision and get a new glasses prescription if necessary.
How To Plan For Cataract Surgery Of Both Eyes?
Cataract is clouding of the natural lens. Most common cause of Cataract is aging. Cataract occurs in both the eyes. It can have asymmetrical presentation. One eye may be more affected than the other eye. If the cause of Cataract is some other cause like aging, use of steroids or some other cause. It is always advised to do both eye Cataract surgery, but it is better to avoid simultaneous 1 sitting Cataract.
Should I Get Cataract Surgery in One Eye or Both?
Some people are better treated with cataract surgery in both eyes, and other people are better treated in one eye. If the character is very severe in both eyes almost every patient chooses to have cataract surgery in both eyes. If a patient is very young and gets a traumatic cataract from an injury like one of my patients who was hit by a baseball causing a cataract, and the other eye has no sign of cataract then. They’re there probably in most every case better served with just cataract surgery in one eye. Some people that have a cataract in one eye and if if we make the eye see very well without glasses, then some people can wear a contact lens in the second eye and then avoid having the second eye cataract surgery. When there’s an imbalance if if the eye is very nearsighted very farsighted has a lot of astigmatism. And the person can’t wear a contact lens and doesn’t like the imbalance, then often we will plan to operate on both eyes. Sometimes patients are nearsighted where they can see to read, but they can’t see in the distance, and they get a cataract in what I but not the other eye and when we treat the first eye to see well in the in in the distance. Then they find that when I will see in the distance, the other eye will see to read they don’t need glasses for anything and they enjoy having monovision. Other people don’t like mono vision. So the decision whether to do surgery in one eye or both eyes is individual and based on the needs of each individual person.
How long does cataract surgery take?
How long does cataract surgery take well cataract surgery now that we performed keyhole surgery takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes and it’s a painless procedure and what patients often worry about is the fact that they have to lie completely still for that period of time and of course that’s not the case often patients particularly if they’re elderly may find that their backs a little bit stiff or they need to move their legs and patients can do that so there’s no need for patients to be concerned that the operation would be so long that they get in an uncomfortable position or their neck will be sore and the procedure as I say is 10 to 15 minutes
How long after cataract surgery until my vision is restored?
Cataract surgery restores vision very quickly nowadays after the surgery. It used to be that with the larger incisions and sutures we had to wait four months. For the vision to stabilize and we had to wait cutting the sutures removing the sutures and then your vision of course was subject to significant amounts of Correction with glasses after the surgery. As the incision has shrunken the results have improved dramatically. So that you can expect good vision just two or three days after cataract surgery in most cases. In cases where the cataract has been advanced and difficult to work on and to break up, since we break up the cataract inside the eye and remove the fragments, that would mean a little bit more swelling on the cornea which then means that you’ll be long the recovery period
Do you ever operate on both eyes together for cataract surgery?
Do you ever operate on both heights together for cataract surgery ? Historically cataract surgery was always performed on one eye at a time. And one waited in a patient with bilateral contracts for the first time to fully heal before operating on the second eye. As cataract surgeries become more and more sophisticated and is now essentially keyhole surgery through a tiny in the eye. First of all we used to separate surgery by a month so we do the second eye a month after the first eye and then we reduced it to two weeks and then we reduced it to a week. And now many surgeons including myself operate on both eyes at the same time in certain patients. Now one would only do that in a patient whose eyes were otherwise healthy who didn’t have any other eye disease like glaucoma or diabetic retinopathy. But many patients find that a satisfactory solution. It’s particularly helpful for patients, who have a need to get back to driving quickly, they may be the only driver in the family and so doing both eyes together will rehabilitate them quickly. It’s also particularly useful for patients who’ve got thick spectacle lenses. Because following surgery, the first eye that’s operated on will no longer lead a spectacled lens for distance typically. So if the other eye needs a spectacled lens it’s very unbalancing for a patient. They won’t be able to drive because they won’t be able to judge distances, and if they’re the sole driver in the family the sooner that second eye can be operated on the better. Now as the results of surgery and the risk of infection is low and the complications are now low, approximately 20% of patients are choosing to have a bilateral cataract surgery, which means that their rehabilitation back to driving getting near reading glasses and functionally is much much quicker.
Will I have surgery on both eyes at the same time?
Typically we’ll operate on one eye at a time. The reason for that is we like to make sure that the eye is healed up and doing well before we do surgery on the second eye. We like to keep patient safety first and foremost in our mind. And the usual routine would be to do the second eye one to two weeks after we do the first eye.
If you have cataracts affecting both eyes, it is necessary to undergo two separate surgeries, usually spaced two to six weeks apart. This timeline allows the first eye to heal before the second procedure, thus allowing your vision to be restored in the initial eye before the second surgery.
Conclusion
The causes of cataract include aging. Diabetes and high blood pressure, although only a small number of people who get these conditions develop cataracts. There are also other causes, including infections, exposure to toxic chemicals, and even an inherited condition that makes the lens cloudy. Other eye diseases that can lead to cataracts include glaucoma, infections, an eye injury, and certain tumors. Sometimes it may be the case that a cataract is in one eye and there’s no sight in the other eye then you can have monovision in both eyes. In most cases though you can do an operation on one eye, have an operation on the other eye, and have both eyes see equally well. If you are concerned about your vision and would like to make an appointment with an ophthalmologist, contact an ophthalmologist office near you.