Cataract Surgery: What to Expect Before, During, and Afterward

Orange County Cataract and Glaucoma Blog Cataract Surgery: What to Expect Before, During, and Afterward
Cataract Surgery: What to Expect Before, During, and Afterward

Doctors perform nearly 4 million cataract surgeries each year in the United States, making it the most common type of surgical procedure in the nation. Worldwide, about 20 million procedures are performed. As a result, cataract surgery techniques and technology have continued to improve over the years, offering a safe, effective way for people to restore clearer vision and reduce their dependence on glasses.

Still, just because millions of people have the surgery every year, if you’re not one of them (yet), it’s only natural to wonder what to expect. In this post, Anand Bhatt, MD, offers a quick overview of refractive cataract surgery for patients at Orange County Cataract and Glaucoma, including what happens before, during, and after the procedure.

Understanding cataracts

Before learning about the surgery, it’s important to know a little bit about cataracts — what they are, why they happen, and how surgery can help. A cataract develops when your eye’s natural lens becomes clouded and more opaque — an unfortunate consequence of aging for millions of Americans.

Your lens rests just behind your pupil, and when light enters your eyes, it’s your lens that helps focus it on the light-sensitive retina at the back of your eye. Normally, lenses are clear, but as you age, proteins inside the lens can clump together, clouding the lens and reducing the light that reaches the retina.

While cataracts may not cause symptoms in their earliest stages, you may notice symptoms as opacity increases, such as:

You can develop cataracts in one eye or both eyes. Your surgeon generally corrects one eye at a time.

Cataract surgery: Knowing what to expect

There’s no medication to cure cataracts — the only way to restore clear vision is to remove the clouded lens and replace it with a clear artificial lens. While some lenses correct for one specific distance (monofocal lenses), we perform refractive cataract surgery, using artificial lenses designed to correct for multiple distances, reducing or eliminating your need for eyeglasses.

Before surgery

Prior to your surgery, Dr. Bhatt examines your eyes and reviews your medical history to make sure surgery is a good fit. If you take medication or supplements on a regular basis, he may advise you to change your dose in the days leading up to your surgery.

You may need to fast for 12 hours before your surgery, and you’ll need to arrange to have someone drive you home afterward. Skip makeup and facial moisturizers on your surgery day and wear comfortable clothing. Plan to take 2-3 days off afterward to give yourself time to rest and your eye a chance to begin the healing process.

The procedure

While surgery on your eye might sound daunting, the procedure is straightforward and performed in an outpatient setting using a numbing medicine so you stay completely comfortable throughout.

Once your eye is numb, Dr. Bhatt makes a tiny self-sealing incision through the cornea. Next, he inserts a special ultrasound instrument designed to gently break apart the cloudy lens and remove it before inserting the artificial refractive lens and securing it in place. Surgery typically takes 15 minutes or less.

Recovering from surgery

Afterward, Dr. Bhatt places a special shield over your eye to protect your eye and keep you from rubbing it, so be sure to wear it as directed. You can expect your eye to feel sensitive and slightly scratchy, but prescription eye drops help provide relief and lubrication. 

Avoid heavy lifting and strenuous physical activity for a 2 weeks to avoid putting pressure on your eye. Avoid showering for the first day, and skip pools and hot tubs for a week or two to reduce the risk of infection.

Your vision will likely be blurry initially after surgery, with eyesight gradually improving over the next few days as your eye heals. Complete healing takes a couple of months, and afterward, many patients find they no longer need eyeglasses or they require them only occasionally. Be sure to come back for your follow-up visits so Dr. Bhatt can monitor your progress.

Enjoy clear vision as you age

If you’re dealing with the uncomfortable effects of cataracts, refractive cataract surgery could be the solution you’ve been looking for to restore your vision and even reduce your dependence on eyeglasses. 

To learn more about refractive cataract surgery and how it can improve your vision and your quality of life, request an appointment online or over the phone with Dr. Bhatt at Orange County Cataract and Glaucoma in Santa Ana, California, today.