What Precautions Should Be Taken After Cataract Surgery?

Cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure that involves the removal of the damaged and clouded natural lens. This is replaced with a new artificial lens known as an intraocular lens (IOLs). The technique of performing cataract surgery has improved tremendously over the years. Phacoemulsification, MICS (Microincision Cataract Surgery), and Laser-assisted cataract surgery are the modern techniques that are commonly used. While it’s a visually disabling disease affecting people above 40, young people could also be affected. It could be due to cloudiness caused by trauma to the eye, or increased exposure to UV rays and radiation. 

Cataract surgery helps to restore your vision effectively by replacing the damaged lens. Usually, recovery takes around 4 to 6 weeks for the complete healing of the operated eye. Meanwhile, some postoperative precautions should be followed to reduce the risk of side effects and to ensure quick restoration of your vision. 

What Are The Restrictions/Precautions to be taken?

Recovery is an important part of your surgical journey since it decides the fate of your visual outcome and everyone has a different timeline for recovery. Follow the below-mentioned precautions and restrictions:

• Do not miss the eye drops prescribed by your surgeon and apply them with clean hands. These are very important for healing and reducing postoperative complications. These include :
  • Antibiotic eye drops- help to eliminate harmful bacteria to prevent and reduce the risk of post-surgical infections . Glaucoma eye drops may be prescribed in case the pressure inside the eye increases post-surgery. 
  • Steroid eye drops- help to reduce pain, inflammation, and redness around the operated eye. 
  • Lubricating eye drops – are used to prevent dryness of the eye.
  • Anti-inflammatory eye drops- are prescribed to reduce pain and swelling.

Also, remove the excess medicine left on the eyelashes with sterile cotton. 

• Do not rub, touch or massage your treated eye for at least a week. This may damage the new IOL.
• Keep away from harsh lighting for a day after surgery. This could be the light from your laptops, computer, television, bright lights of home, or other smart gadgets. Instead, prefer dim lamps and bulbs. 
• Avoid going outdoors without your tinted sunglasses as the ultraviolet rays (both UV-A and UV-B) may damage your cornea. Better to avoid going out to work for a day or two to avoid dust and UV rays. 
• Do not sleep without a protective eye shield at night. This protects your eye from accidental rubbing or trauma (due to accidentally poking the eye) when asleep.
• Maintain proper eye hygiene by cleaning it twice a day. Avoid splashing water directly into the operated eye as it leads to the development of infections. Keep the area around the eye clean and dry. Never allow polluted water to enter them. In fact, washing eyes with normal water is not allowed for 10 days. 
• Do not use any soap to wash your face at any cost. The chemicals present in the soap can cause irritation in the treated eye. 
• Do not take bath for at least 24 hours after surgery as the chances of infections are more during this time. After a day, you can have a bath but avoid soap and other chemicals from entering your eyes. You can instead choose to wipe your face with a napkin. A shower bath should be avoided for at least 10 days. 
• Avoid crowded places since the dust and pollution present can increase your risk of eye infections. This may delay the healing. Also, keep your household clean and free of dust.
• Avoid driving for at least a week following cataract surgery as you may have blurry vision. The blurry vision will subside after some time but you may still have a glaring, the presence of halos, and difficulty in seeing at night, hence it is best to avoid driving at night for a month after surgery. You should also not fly during recovery.
• Do not perform any strenuous exercises, bending or lifting heavy objects until allowed by your eye surgeon. This may put unnecessary strain/pressure on your treated eye and could misplace the sutures, leading to the need for a second surgery! Further avoid sneezing, deep straining cough, and straining while passing stools. 
• Avoid cooking for around a week after your surgery. This may otherwise cause:
  • Accidents, cuts, or falls due to blurred vision.
  • Harm to your artificial lens due to the steam.
• Avoid using eye makeup for at least 2 weeks post-surgery.
• Avoid going swimming and using hot tubs or saunas for 4 weeks after surgery to protect your lens from water and sweat entering your lens and causing infections. Also, avoid engaging in contact sports to prevent injuries. 
• Reading, watching TV, or staring at the screen are allowed only for a limited duration. 
• Shaving should be careful without the need for washing the face. 
• Resume sexual activities only after proper doctor consultation. 
• Do not miss your regular follow-ups with your surgeon and give your eyes proper rest for no less than a month.

These precautions or restrictions will be advised by your surgeon.  Your recovery timeline will depend on the severity of the damage, the type of IOL implanted, and the surgical procedure involved.  

What Complications Can Occur If Proper Precautions Are Not Taken?

Cataract surgery is a safe, outpatient procedure done under local anesthesia. The advanced techniques available guarantee far more precision and accuracy. However, certain postoperative complications can occur following surgery, if you do not take proper precautions and follow all restrictions. These are:

• Endophthalmitis – This occurs if there is a severe infection or inflammation of the tissues in the eyeball caused by bacteria or fungi. This is a medical emergency and if not treated timely, it can lead to complete loss of vision .
• Glaucoma– This complication arises when there is increased intraocular pressure in the eye which can cause damage to the optic nerve and lead to vision loss. 
• Retinal detachment– In this condition, the tissue at the back of your eye pulls away from a layer of the blood vessel which provides oxygen and nourishment. This can be a severe complication causing macular edema (swelling in the middle of your eye) or can even lead to loss of vision.
• Broken lens pieces may get stuck inside the eye – This complication may require a re-surgery to remove the fragments causing trauma to other surrounding structures.
• Increased sensitivity to light– This complication usually occurs for around for some days after surgery and then subsides by itself. If you experience sensitivity to light even after 4 to 6 weeks, then it is important to consult your surgeon as it may be due to infection. Not following all guidelines of the surgeon may lead to extreme sensitivity to light. 
• Increased pain, redness, and swelling– These are temporary side effects after surgery and will resolve with medications within 3 to 5 days, post-surgery. If they persist after a week of surgery and are increasing in severity, it may indicate an underlying infection. You would need to consult your surgeon immediately.
• Ptosis– This means drooping of eyelids and is normally triggered after cataract surgery. Its exact cause is still unknown but it subsides by itself after some time. If ptosis still persists after 6 months of surgery, it is advisable to consult your surgeon.

Following all precautions and abiding by all restrictions will protect you from such complications and allow a smoother and quicker recovery.

Important Symptoms To Watch Out For

Mild redness of the eye, blurred vision, double vision, and watery eyes are common after cataract surgery. However, there can be some symptoms you need to watch out for as they may indicate more serious problems:

• Severe, throbbing pain that does not reduce with medications.
• White floating spots in front of your eyes.
• Severe nausea and vomiting.
• Glare in the eyes.
• Sneezing and coughing uncontrollably.
• Unable to identify objects.
• Sudden complete loss of vision.
• Significant watering soon after surgery. (It could mean some leaky wound)
• Increased redness and/or eyelid swelling.

In case you experience any of the above symptoms, contact your eye surgeon immediately for further assessment and treatment.

Takeaway

Cataract surgery helps to restore your vision by removing the damaged and clouded lens and replacing it with new IOLs. Recovery after surgery plays an important role in healing and preventing post-op complications. It is very important that you follow the instructions given by your eye surgeon after cataract surgery. 

For further clarifications related to cataract surgery, consult our eye surgeons at Medfin. Our specialists ensure a proper diagnosis of the condition with advanced surgical intervention for positive visual outcomes.

Disclaimer: 

The content on this site is the copyright of Medfin and is intended for informational and educational purposes only. This should not be considered as a substitute for medical and surgical expertise. Results from any treatments or surgeries are subjective to an individual patient and the type of procedure/ surgery performed. Please seek professional help regarding any medical concerns. Medfin will not be responsible for any act or omission arising from the interpretation of the content present on this page.