Take it easy for the first 2 or 3 days. Wear the eye protector at night for at least one week. Take pain medication if needed. Take a bath or shower as usual.
For the first month after cataract surgery, it's best to avoid getting soap and water in your eyes. It is recommended not to swim, not use a hot tub or visit a sauna or spa. This is because there is a small incision in the eye after the cataract operation and it should not be contaminated. Do not drive the first day after surgery.
Generally speaking, cataract surgery is a quick procedure that can result in minimal recovery time. Most patients can return to their usual activities a day or two after the procedure. Vision usually becomes clearer a few hours after surgery or a couple of days, depending on how long it takes for the eye to adapt to the new intraocular lens (IOL). Because cataract surgery is done eye to eye (if you need treatment for both eyes), the procedures will be spaced approximately two weeks apart to ensure proper healing.
Once you've completed cataract surgery, you'll be well on your way to a better lifestyle with the visual clarity you've yearned for for years. Cataract surgery is one of the safest and most common surgical procedures in the United States. The good news for these people is that, after modern cataract surgery, little aftercare is required and most people recover and can return to work within a few days of surgery. However, you should observe some precautions for the first week or so to ensure that you avoid any complications during your recovery from cataract surgery.
Rarely, sight-threatening complications from cataract surgery can occur, such as endophthalmitis, an inflammation of the inside of the eye, usually caused by an eye infection. However, it's important to ensure that there is an appropriate balance between the two eyes after cataract surgery. You may be surprised at how good you feel and how easy it is to resume normal activities even the day after cataract surgery. Less than 2% of eyes that undergo cataract surgery have sight-threatening complications after the procedure.
Keep the eye drops in the hand bag so that they can also be applied during the flight after cataract surgery. Recovery from cataract surgery should be brief and uneventful, as long as you follow the postoperative instructions you receive from the surgeon and attend all recommended follow-up visits with your eye doctor. You may also have red, blood-shot eyes due to temporary damage to the blood vessels in the white part of the eye (sclera) during cataract surgery. Compared to other notable eye surgeries, the recovery time from cataract surgery is relatively fast.
If you're considering cataract surgery for yourself or a loved one, contact us at Heart of Texas Eye Care for a free consultation. Full recovery from cataract surgery should occur in about one month, when the eye is fully healed. General health, healing capacity, and tolerance for cataract eye surgery may vary from person to person and from eye to eye. However, there are some do's and don'ts that people need to understand when considering cataract surgery.
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