What to Expect

After Laser Cataract Surgery

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If you are reading this document there is a strong possibility that you have had cataract surgery with lens replacement today. Although cataract surgery is considered a 'modern-day miracle,' it is far from a magic trick. Just like any other surgical procedure, patients will experience symptoms and signs of normal postoperative inflammation. Dr. Stewart has created this quick information guide to help explain what to expect immediately after surgery and over the next few days. Today might be your first experience with cataract surgery, or it may be your second. We hope that this information will help you understand the postoperative course. Patients are usually scheduled to be seen in our office or with their referring eye care doctor 1-5 days following surgery.

Dr. Stewart does not require you to wear a patch after surgery, but he would like for you to avoid rubbing your eye for the first 24 hours. It is ok to blot excess tears or drops from your eye, but try your best not to push hard on your eyelid.

After Cataract Surgery Video

(English)

Post-Surgery Day 1 (same day)

What to Expect:

Vision in operated eye might have a pink or red coloration
Blurry Vision - (this varies from patient to patient)
Scratchy or foreign body sensation
Flashes of light or new floaters in vision
Redness or small amount of blood on white part of eye
Sensitivity to light
Excess tearing
Brow-ache or mild to moderate headache
Occasional nausea from anesthesia

What we want you to do:

Place one drop of Steroid drop in operated eye before going to bed (shake bottle)
Use the artificial tear drops 3-4 times in the operated eye throughout the day. You can use as many teardrops as you need

What we do NOT want you to do:

Drive a vehicle - ( do not drive on same day of surgery): You may drive the following day if you feel comfortable with the vision
Do not press on your operated eye with force

What you CAN do:

Gently blot the eye with tissue after administering drop(s)
Shower and you may gently wash your face
Watch TV or use a computer - you might need to use reading glasses

Post-Surgery Day (2 -14 days)

What to Expect:

Morning after surgery expect vision to be a little better — this varies from patient to patient; and some patients will notice a fog over their central vision, which gradually clears over the next few days
Improvement of any scratchiness or foreign body sensation
Some patients continue to have light sensitivity
Some patients notice occasional flashes of light or a dark ring in the periphery of their vision. This improves over time.

What we want you to do:

Start directed protocol on postoperative drops

What you CAN do:

Resume your regular daily activities if you feel you can see a marked improvement in vision out of operated eye. The following are things that you CAN do:

Drive a car
Shower and wash face
You may bend over or lift anything you could before surgery
Return to work

How to use Durezol Drops:

After surgery you may use your steroid drop “Durezol” before going to bed; and you may use your artificial tears any time you would like. The normal drop protocol is below:

Durezol: 1 drop at night before bed in operated eye
Durezol: 1 drop in the morning and 1 drop at night for a week; then once in the morning for a week.
Artificial Tears can be used at any time, from 3x per day to every hour. The drops can be used when needed.
CONTINUE: If you are taking any other drops DO NOT stop them, Example: Glaucoma drops should be continued until your eye doctor or Dr. Stewart tells you to discontinue them.

Explanations

Do not expect to see perfectly immediately after surgery:

Removing a cataract requires energy to be used inside the eye. The more dense or “hard” the cataract is, the more energy it takes to remove. In general, the harder the cataract the longer the postoperative blurry vision will take to clear. In most cases patients are seeing better the following day after surgery, with daily improvements after starting their drops.
Because we are replacing your natural lens (cataract) with a new “man made” lens, we aim (in most cases) for you to see better in the distance (or near) with less dependency on glasses. Many patients will notice that they will not see clearly out of their old glasses. This is normal.
In most cases, but not all, patients will notice a large improvement in their vision. But if you notice your vision is worse a few hours after surgery or the following morning; do not panic; this usually means that your cataract was more dense and it is normal for the vision to be cloudy. Starting the day after surgery you can go back to your NORMAL activities; including: taking a shower, driving, exercising, lifting, bending over, and wearing old glasses. NOTE: If you wore glasses before surgery; it is ok to put them on to read something; but expect vision to be blurry in the newly operated eye. If this is your second eye; then you might need reading glasses for up close vision; or you might not need glasses after both eyes have had surgery.

Day of surgery:

Dr. Stewart advises that on the day of surgery you should take it easy and return to your regular activities the following day. Please do not drive on surgery day.
If you have a mild headache or eyeache, he recommends Tylenol or Motrin or any pain reliever you have around to help with pain. Any pressure pain you will have on the day of surgery will most likely be gone by the following morning.
You are allowed to read, watch TV, or take a shower if you would like. Please be careful not to rub your eyes if possible.

What to expect immediately after cataract surgery:

Blurry vision - this can vary from patient to patient. Some patients will notice a marked improvement right after surgery, only to notice that the vision becomes more blurry as the day goes on. This is normal and usually begins to clear in 24 to 48 hours.
Pink or reddish hue to vision - this is noticed almost immediately after surgery and will clear in a few hours. This temporary pinkish coloration is from exposure to the bright microscope light.
Scratchy, sandy or foreign body sensation - this is normal and is caused by the microscopic incisions made to the surface of your eye during cataract surgery. The sensation usually is gone by the following the morning.
Sensitivity to light
Tearing or watering of operated eye
Slight amount of blood on white part of the eye - is very common to see. Mostly caused by the suction device when a patient has elected LASER assisted cataract surgery. This blood does not affect the vision; and will resolve in the next 4-5 days.
Flashes or shimmering of light - some patients will notice flashes of light in the operated eye. This can happen the same day after surgery or can happen over the next week. This will resolve over the next few days in most cases.
Floaters - black moving specks in vision are sometimes noticed after surgery; these floaters will disappear with time.

FAQs

Do I need someone to stay with me after surgery?

What would be considered abnormal after surgery?

When will I be seen for a postop cataract visit?

When will I get a prescription for new glasses if I should need them?

Can I use over the counter reading glasses?

Will I need anything else after I heal from cataract surgery?

Questions or need to contact us?

In most cases, Dr. Stewart is available by TEXT. If you have any questions about the above, or have symptoms of complete vision loss or extreme pain, please contact him via TEXT (210-816-3937). If he does not respond, call the Houston Eye Associates main operator at 713-668-6828.

If you have any questions or concerns after cataract surgery, please contact Dr. Stewart’s office or TEXT him at 210-816-3937.

Thank you.