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Postoperation Manegement
When the operation is over,
the surgeon will usually
place a protective shield
over your eye. After a short
stay in the outpatient
recovery area, you will be
ready to go home. Plan to
have someone else drive you
home.
A protective patch will be
placed over your eye
following cataract surgery.
You will need to administer
eye drops, as prescribed by
your surgeon, several times
daily during the next few
weeks after the procedure.
You also will need to wear
your protective eye shield
while sleeping or napping,
for about a week after
surgery. You will be given
sun shades to help protect
your eye in bright light.
During at least the first
week after surgery, it is
essential that you avoid:
-
Strenuous activity and
heavy lifting (nothing
over 25 pounds).
-
Bending, exercising and
similar activities that
might stress your eye
while it is healing.
-
Water that might splash
into your eye and cause
infection. Keep your eye
closed while showering
or bathing. Also, make
sure you avoid swimming
or hot tubs for at least
two weeks.
-
Any activity such as
changing cat litter
boxes that would expose
your healing eye to
dust, grime or other
infection-causing
contaminants.
Although the basic
postoperative instructions
are similar among most eye
surgeons, each surgeon may
have specific instructions
depending on the outcome of
your surgery. Always follow
your surgeon's specific
postoperative instructions,
which are given to you prior
to your discharge from the
outpatient facility.
Astigmatism Correction
during Cataract Surgery:
-
Approximately 15% to 20%
of cataract patients
have more than 1.50
diopters (D) of
keratometric
astigmatism, refractive
astigmatism, or both.
-
Reducing this
pre-existing astigmatism
may further improve
visual outcome after
cataract surgery.
Possibilities of astigmatism
correction include:
-
Various cataract
incisions.
-
Astigmatic keratotomy.
-
Excimer laser
keratectomy.
(PRK,LASEK,LASIK)
-
Astigmatism correction
with toric IOLs.
-
Combination of
techniques.
After a period of time
following cataract surgery,
some people may need a
simple laser procedure to
clear up cloudiness within a
membrane (posterior capsule)
that is the back surface of
the eye's original natural
lens. The intraocular lens
is positioned on top of this
membrane, which is purposely
left in place during
cataract surgery.
Occasionally, this membrane
becomes cloudy (called a
posterior capsular opacity)
and causes symptoms similar
to those that were present
with the original cataract.
When a cloudy membrane
causes compromised visual
acuity, a high energy YAG
laser is used to open up the
membrane. This procedure is
simple and painless and need
be done only once in a
lifetime if the membrane
becomes cloudy following
cataract surgery.
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