Before Cataract Surgery
Surgical instructions vary widely between doctors. Here’s how we do it at The Eye Clinic of Florida.
You can eat a light breakfast up to 4 hours before cataract surgery. We suggest that patients avoid caffeine and dairy products on the day of the surgery so that they don’t have to go to the bathroom frequently.
Keep taking your usual medications, including blood thinners unless we specifically tell you not to. Many people stop taking their blood pressure medicines. That’s a mistake that can only delay things the day of surgery. Take your medicine!
Eye makeup, including mascara, shouldn’t be worn. It just gets in the way of our team. We ask that patients wash their faces completely clean before arriving at the surgical facility.
During Cataract Surgery
The first step is getting you relaxed just as you arrive.
No two people are the same with regard to preoperative anxiety. Usually oral, but sometimes IV medications are used depending on what we think will work best for you. We have many different options.
The next part is numbing the eye. Drops work great for many and the medications we use in the eye turn off the nerves that “feel”.
For patients who don’t want to see or feel anything, we can place lidocaine around the eye. This keeps the eye from moving, feeling, or seeing during the surgery. It wears off slowly two hours after the procedure. Patients who opt for a block will wear tape over the eye for about two hours after the procedure.
If you can’t lie flat or have other positional problems, we can work around it with special equipment and beds. We can take pressure off of the back for patients with chronic back pain and adjust the position during surgery for patients who easily become short of breath.
After Cataract Surgery
Patients shouldn’t drive home after cataract surgery because the brain may need a few hours to adjust to the new vision. All cataract surgery patients need to bring a driver along with them to the surgery. Usually, patients can drive safely the next day.
Our goal is no drops and no glasses after surgery for most patients. Most places prescribe several different drops after surgery. We don’t.
With our DropLess technique, most patients are on just one drop or none after surgery.
For patients with glaucoma, we can usually lessen the need for drops afterwards. We will give you specific instructions.
You can shower the day after cataract surgery. We recommend washing your hair so that the water falls down the back of the head, not into the eyes. For patients who swim, you can get in the water after cataract surgery, but don’t put your head under for about a week after the procedure.
For a few nights after cataract surgery, avoid wearing pressurized sleep apnea masks, as they can blow dirty air into the eyes.
Contact The Eye Clinic of Florida today to learn more about our unique approach and why thousands have trusted us for cataract surgery.