Post-Operative eye care is one of the most important things to think about during cataract surgery recovery.
Knowing what to expect before undergoing surgery can help you prepare for your recovery.
In this article, we will share some tips for eye care after cataract surgery.
Here at Texan Eye Care, we are experts in educating our patients in how to properly look after their eyesight after cataract surgery.
Read in to learn more about:
- The immediate post-operative care
- The long term eye care strategies
- Common compilations and when to seek medical attention
- The importance of regular check-ups and monitoring
Let’s get into it!
Immediate Post-Operative Care
It is important to know what to expect right after cataract surgery, in order to prepare for your aftercare. It is often best to have preparations in place before your surgery.
What To Expect:
Right after your procedure, you will not be able to drive home. Your eyesight will be very limited in the first 24–48 hours while your eyes recover.
You will be given an eye shield to wear, which you should use in order to protect your eyes.
You will also be prescribed eye drops which help to lubricate your eyes, and protect them from infections. It is important that you use these.
Once the numbing eye drops used in surgery begin to wear off, you may experience some pain and discomfort.
This is the time when you should use painkillers to help manage the recovery. You will also likely experience light sensitivity, particularly if you go outside.
In the first few days, it is important to rest, and let your body recuperate.
How To Manage:
- Arrange transport back home. Have a loved one come and pick you up from the clinic and bring you home.
- Have help at home. This includes having someone help bring you food and water, and navigate getting to the bathroom while your eyesight is limited
- Have pain medication on hand, along with any prescription eye drops you may need.
- Avoid getting water in your eyes
- Buy sunglasses to help manage light sensitivity
- Stock up on healthy foods, and have clean bedsheets to help you rest and recover
Long-Term Eye Care Strategies
If you suffer from cataracts, you will know just how important our eyesight is to our quality of life.
It is important to know how to care for your eyes after surgery, in order to protect your eye health and protect our vision.
Many problems with vision can be avoided, or minimized with the right lifestyle adjustments. These include:
- Scheduling regular eye tests: Eye tests can check for early signs of eye disease. This allows doctors to treat any eye problems before they get worse
- Sun protection: There are some basic things you can do to protect your eyes from the damaging effects of the sun. These include wearing sunglasses, sunhats and avoiding looking directly into the sun.
- Quit smoking: If you are a smoker, it is important that you try to reduce, or better, quit. Many eye diseases are caused, and worsened by smoking
- Diet: A diet rich in leafy green vegetables, and omega rich foods such as fish, help to protect our eyes from diseases which can rob us of our vision
- Exercise: Exercises can help with almost everything our bodies do. Exercise helps to lower blood pressure, which protects our eyes.
Common Post-Surgery Complications and Management
While cataract surgery is deemed low risk, there is still a chance of complications. Your doctor at Texan Eye Care will inform you of these, and when to seek help.
Some common complications include:
- Posterior Capsule Opacification: This occurs when the back part of the eye begins to cloud over and cause blurry vision. If this happens, the treatment is a simple procedure that involves a laser to remove the cloudiness. If you have cloudy vision that returns to the weeks or months following the surgery, it is important to talk to an eye doctor.
- Infection: Like any surgery, the main risk involved with surgery is infection. If you are experiencing swelling, pain and discharge from the eye, and potentially a fever, it is important to seek medical attention. A course of antibiotics is usually prescribed and helps to clear the infection.
- Glaucoma: If pressure builds up in the eye, there is a risk of damage. It is important to seek quick medical attention if you are experiencing severe eye pain, headaches, nausea or vomiting. Doctors can prescribe medications to drop the pressure in your eyes.
Regular Check-ups and Monitoring
After your cataract surgery it is important to attend regular check-ups and attend follow-up appointments.
The doctors at Texan Eye Care will check your eyes and make sure there are no complications following the surgery. They will let you know how your recovery is going, and prescribe any medications that you may require.
During these appointments, the doctor will look into your eyes, and test your eyesight. This will help them see if you are recovering successfully, and what they can do to make your recovery smoother.
Conclusion
Following your cataract eye surgery, there are a few things you should do to ensure that your eyes heal properly.
In the first day or two, you should expect your vision to remain very blurry.
It is at this time when you will need support from family and friends. It is important to shield your eyes from water, the sun and to use the eye drops you are prescribed.
Later on, it is important to know what complication to look out for, and when to seek help. If you are concerned about eye recovery, or the potential for bad outcomes it is important to seek medical attention.
If you are looking for follow-up care, you can Book Your Follow-Up Appointment here. The doctors at Texan Eye Care are experts in follow-up care after cataract surgery, and will make sure you are healing correctly.
