It’s absolutely amazing to consider how cataract surgery has evolved since I first began my career as a cataract surgeon in 1993. I don’t miss those days when I think about what we can accomplish now with the latest techniques. It is hard for many patients to believe that their vision can be painlessly restored in about ten minutes, and they can almost immediately resume any activity. In my practice I still encounter many patients with common misconceptions about cataract surgery. I’d like to present a summary of the discussion I have with patients before surgery to prepare them for a comfortable experience.

Your Cataract Surgery Experience

Your cataract surgery will be done in the EyeHealth Surgery Center on the Eastside, by Sunnyside and 205. You have a map in your cataract surgery packet to help your driver. We will call you with an exact time of arrival two days before surgery. You will be at the surgery center about two hours altogether.

When you arrive, the nurses will begin preparing you for surgery by giving you eye drops to numb and dilate your eye so that the surgery will be pain free. When I’m actually doing the surgery, we need you to hold very still for about ten minutes, so the anesthetist will give you some relaxing medicine in your IV which may make you very sleepy and forgetful (many patients have no memory of the surgery the next day). You will be given the appropriate medicine for your needs; every patient is unique. Our goal is for you to have a comfortable experience.

During the surgery itself, you may be able to see a bright light, sometimes multi-colored. You will not see the actual surgery, which involves completely dissolving and removing the cataract lens inside the eye and replacing it with the clear lens implant. Because the incisions and surgical instruments are so small (similar to the end of a pen tip), there are no stitches and no bleeding; therefore it is OK to remain on aspirin or other blood thinners before surgery.

Your Recovery

When the surgery is completed you will be able to walk out of the operating room. During your recovery you will be able to eat immediately and most patients are discharged shortly thereafter. An eye patch may be worn the first day and during sleep for a week as a reminder not to rub your eye. However, you can resume normal activities the day after surgery. I will check your eye the first day after surgery and again a few weeks later. Most patients heal very quickly and feel either normal or a mild scratchiness in the eye the first day after surgery. It is extremely rare to have any kind of serious complication after cataract surgery. The rate of infection, one of the most serious possible complications, is less than 1 in 4000 at EyeHealth surgery center. My personal rate is even lower. Even if an extremely rare complication occurs, secondary treatment is readily available and very effective at preventing vision loss. An EyeHealth Northwest surgeon is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Your Next Step

By two weeks after the first cataract surgery, most patients have decided to have their cataract removed from their other eye. Typically there is a dramatic improvement in colors, clarity, and brightness after the cataract is removed. In addition, many patients experience a focusing imbalance between the two eyes when only one has had cataract surgery. This is because cataract surgery greatly improves the focus of our eyes. Quite often some or all of these factors are present even the first day after cataract surgery and many patients ask if we can proceed immediately with the second cataract surgery. It makes sense to wait a few weeks to ensure good healing in the first eye before proceeding with the second.

Your Follow Up Care

A few weeks after both eyes have had cataract surgery you will return to the office to get measured for a new pair of glasses to match the new focus of your eyes. Typically these will be much weaker than your old glasses. Quite often they are needed only for reading or near work. If you have chosen a Deluxe Lens Implant you will of course be even less likely to need glasses after surgery. You can expect to be checked again about 4-6 months later to ensure good long term healing. In virtually all cases, once the cataract has been removed and the lens implants have been placed, you can expect stable vision for years to come. I recommend a yearly exam to check for other eye conditions such as Glaucoma and Macular Degeneration that can be treated if caught early. Our goal for cataract surgery is to give you good vision you can enjoy the rest of your life.