Cataract surgery how long

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It looks like your browser does not have JavaScript enabled. Please turn on JavaScript and try again. Important Phone Numbers. Topic Contents Your Recovery How can you care for yourself at home? When should you call for help?

Where can you learn more? Top of the page. Your Recovery You had cataract surgery. How can you care for yourself at home? Rest when you feel tired. Getting enough sleep will help you recover. You may have trouble judging distances for a few days.

Move slowly, and be careful going up and down stairs and pouring hot liquids. Ask for help if you need it. Ask your doctor when it is okay to drive. What are cataracts? Cataracts are when the lens of your eye, a small transparent disc, develops cloudy patches.

When we're young, our lenses are usually like clear glass, allowing us to see through them. Cataracts most commonly affect adults as a result of ageing. Find out more about age-related cataracts Do you need surgery? If you have cataracts, it's your decision whether or not to go ahead with cataract surgery. Before the operation Before surgery, you'll be referred to a specialist eye doctor for an assessment. During the assessment different measurements will be taken of your eyes and your eyesight.

The assessment is an opportunity to discuss anything to do with your operation, including: your lens preference, such as near sight or long sight the risks and benefits of surgery if you'll need glasses after surgery how long you'll take to fully recover If you're used to using 1 eye for distance and 1 for reading, which is called monovision, you can ask to stay that way.

The operation Cataract surgery is a straightforward procedure that usually takes 30 to 45 minutes. Otherwise, surgery is done 6 to 12 weeks apart to allow the recovery one eye at a time. If you received an injection of anesthesia through the skin into the lower portion of your eye, you may notice some bruising similar to a black eye.

This, too, should fade within a few days. Many patients report clear vision within several hours after cataract surgery. But each person heals differently, and you may need as long as a week or two before you see images in their sharpest focus.

Typically, you will have a follow-up appointment with your cataract surgeon the day after the procedure to make sure there are no complications. If you don't notice any improvement in blurry vision or you feel eye pain or significant discomfort in the days following this visit, you should report this to your surgeon. Sometimes people report some dry eye or "scratchiness" after cataract surgery. These sensations should subside as your eye heals, unless you already had problems with dry eyes prior to having the procedure.

Your full cataract surgery recovery should occur within about a month, when your eye is completely healed. You might be surprised at how good you feel and how easy it is to resume normal activities even the day after cataract surgery. However, you should observe a few precautions during the first week or so, to make sure you avoid any complications during your cataract surgery recovery.

Your eye doctor typically will prescribe antibiotic eye drops to prevent infection and anti-inflammatory eye drops to help reduce any internal inflammation. Cataracts are a clouding of the lens of the eye. Early signs include cloudy vision, difficulty seeing at night, light sensitivity, and seeing excessive glare.

As the condition progresses, eyesight in the affected eye will be impaired. Arm yourself with the knowledge to prepare to get the best surgical outcome — here are answers to frequently asked questions about cataract surgery. The best thing you can do before your procedure is to arm yourself with information. Here are some general answers about cataract surgery. In most instances, cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure. The total process, from the time a patient enters the office to when he or she leaves, is about two and a half hours.

The procedure itself typically takes less than 20 minutes. Generally, no, cataract surgery does not hurt. In addition to medication to relax you before your surgery, the anesthetist will numb your eye with anesthetic eye medication prior to the procedure.

An eye holder gently keeps the lid open during the procedure to prevent blinking. Although this may sound alarming, usually there is little to no sensation from the lid holder since the eye has been numbed prior to its use. The eye not receiving surgery can remain open or closed during the surgery and will not affect the eye undergoing surgery.

The most common side effect is clearer vision. Since cataracts block light, when they are removed the eye will detect more light and could feel more sensitive. There may be reduced pressure in the eye, as well. You may notice more floaters and there could be a dark crescent shape in the peripheral view, but the crescent shape usually goes away on its own in a few months.

The lens that the surgeon implants during cataract surgery is durable and will last a lifetime, according to Mayo Clinic.

During cataract surgery, the clouded lens of your eye is removed and replaced with an artificial lens. Cataracts cannot grow back after the natural lens has been removed and replaced with an artificial lens. When dealing with an ailment of the eyes, often the greatest concern is if your vision will be affected. Cataract surgery is designed to improve your vision, however, since it is surgery there will be some impact on your vision immediately following the procedure.