Preparing Yourself For Cataract Surgery
The blurry vision became too much to deal with so your eye doctor suggested cataract surgery to clear up your vision. This outpatient procedure is done on a regular basis to address the loss of vision due to a foggy lens in the eye. You may even have a slight correction of your vision as a result of the surgery. Here is how to prepare yourself for this procedure and what you can expect from it.
Get Some Help
You'll want a friend or relative to take you to the eye clinic and then back home after the procedure. Certain medications that the doctor puts in your eye will make driving unsafe for a few hours. You may also want to rest for the remainder of the day after the surgery, so ask your helper if they can stay with you for a few hours once you get back home. Having someone available to help around the house will give you the chance to relax after the visit to the eye clinic.
What Happens During the Cataract Surgery
Once you get checked into the eye clinic, you'll be given the option of taking a medication to help you relax. If you're anxious about the surgery, the medication will calm you down, relieve any tension, and make the procedure easier for the eye doctor to perform.
You'll be seated in a comfortable chair. The doctor will move a large microscope in front of you through which they will view your eye as they do the procedure. Other instruments involved may include an ultrasonic probe and a laser probe. While these instruments look daunting, they make little sound during the surgery, and you'll feel no pain or discomfort.
The doctor will put drops in your eye to anesthetize the area and to dilate the pupil, making it easier to work on the eye. Once the eye is numb, the doctor will make a small incision in your eye over the cataract. They will then use the ultrasonic tool to break up the cataract into tiny fragments and remove it from the lens. The small tissue sack that enclosed the lens is left in the eye for the artificial lens.
If you've had the cataracts for some time, a larger incision may be required and the lens extracted in one piece. This used to be the typical procedure performed, but breaking up the lens into smaller pieces for removal has become the standard practice.
With the cataract removed, an artificial lens is inserted into the remaining tissue sack. The intraocular lens (IOL) will include some vision adjustment so you'll see clearer once your eye has healed.
Normally, no stitches are required to close the incision. However, if your cataracts are advanced and a larger incision is required, you may have one or two tiny stitches in your eye.
After the surgery, you'll be taken to a darkened room to rest for awhile. The doctor will check on the incision, and when they are satisfied with your eye, you'll get to go home.
Recovery at Home
Your eye may ache slightly for a few days as it heals. Over-the-counter pain and anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen, will help. If your eye itches while healing, the doctor will give you an eye shield to wear to prevent you from rubbing your eye. As the swelling in your eye subsides, your vision will become clearer. You may still need reading glasses to see objects close up, but the blurry, foggy vision that you had with the cataract will be gone.
For more information, contact Midwest Eye Care PC or a similar location.
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