Cataract Surgery: What to Expect Before, During, and Afterward

Cirino Eye Center Blog Cataract Surgery: What to Expect Before, During, and Afterward

Every year, millions of Americans undergo surgery to remove cataracts and enjoy clearer vision. In fact, cataract surgery is the most common surgery performed in the United States, and it’s also among the safest.

That said, if you’ve never had cataract surgery, it’s normal to be a little nervous. Knowing what happens before, during, and after your procedure can go a long way toward helping you feel more relaxed and confident about your upcoming visit.

In this post, Anthony Cirino, DO, offers a quick overview of cataract surgery to help patients at Cirino Eye Center in Brunswick, Ohio, know what to expect.

Cataracts: a quick overview

Before delving into the surgery itself, it’s worth reviewing what cataracts are, how they affect your vision, and how surgery can help restore your eyesight.

A cataract occurs when your eye’s natural lens becomes cloudy and opaque. Cataracts become a lot more common as we get older and natural proteins in the lens start to clump together, but they can also form as the result of an eye injury. Some babies are born with cataracts. 

Like many vision issues, cataracts cause few noticeable symptoms at first, becoming more noticeable as the lens becomes more clouded. Eventually, cataracts cause symptoms that include:

Cataracts can make it difficult to do all sorts of activities, including close-up work like reading, and driving at night or in the evening. 

Cataract surgery: the basics

Unfortunately, cataracts can’t be cured with medicine. Instead, cataract surgery treats the problem by removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with a clear, artificial lens called an intraocular lens (IOL).

Before surgery

Before recommending cataract surgery, Dr. Cirino performs a comprehensive eye exam and reviews your medical history. If you take medication on a regular basis, you may need to alter your dose temporarily in the days leading up to surgery. Be sure to tell Dr. Cirino about all the medications and supplements you use during this initial visit.

Since cataract surgery involves your eyes, you’ll need to arrange to have someone drive you home after your surgery. You should also plan to take a couple of days off from work or other activities following surgery to give your eyes a chance to rest and heal. 

You’ll receive information about fasting prior to surgery, along with any other steps you should take. On the day of your surgery, wear comfortable clothing and don’t apply makeup, moisturizer, or sunscreen to your face.

During surgery

Just before your surgery, Dr. Cirino uses special eye drops to completely numb your eye, so you won’t feel anything during the actual surgery. An Anesthesiologist, will provide a twilight like anesthesia, to make sure you are comfortable.

Surgery is performed using a state-of-the-art surgical microscope, providing super-clear visualization of your eye. Once the eye is numb, Dr. Cirino makes a tiny incision and uses special instruments to extract the clouded lens, replacing it with a new IOL. 

The surgery typically takes 10-20 minutes or less. Afterward, you’ll go to a recovery area for a little while so we can observe you and provide you with followup instructions. 

After surgery

After surgery, we apply a special bandage to protect your eye in the initial stages of healing. We also prescribe special eye drops to relieve temporary scratchiness or soreness and prevent infection.

You’ll have to skip the shower for a day, and avoid tubs and saunas for a week or two to prevent getting water in your eye and causing infection or irritation. You’ll also need to avoid strenuous physical activity and heavy lifting for two weeks or so to avoid increasing pressure inside your eye.

You can expect gradual improvement in your eyesight as the area heals, and many patients find they don’t need to wear corrective lenses as much as they used to — some may be able to stop using their glasses or contacts altogether after surgery. 

Complete healing can take about two months. During that time, you need to be sure to attend all your followup visits so Dr. Cirino can monitor your progress. If you have cataracts in both eyes, each cataract will be treated in separate surgeries.

Learn more about cataract surgery

Cataract surgery is a lot simpler and more straightforward than most people realize. To learn more about the procedure, request an appointment online or over the phone with Dr. Cirino and the team at Cirino Eye Center.