Answering A Few Of The Most Common Questions Concerning Cataract Surgery Recovery

In behind the iris and pupil of your eye,  a lens that is made up of liquids and protein works hard to keep your inner eye protected from incoming light. Over time, the proteins of this lens can clump together, leaving your vision clouded and blurry. If you have to have cataract surgery to have the lens removed and replaced with a prosthetic one, you may find yourself a little nervous about what recovery can involve. Here are a few of the most frequent questions concerning the recovery process after cataract surgery.

Will you be in pain after the surgery is done?

Cataract surgery will come along with some minimal discomfort, but nothing too overbearing for most patients. You may feel a sense of itching in your eye or burning when your eye is open. You may even have some watery discharge from your eye for the first little bit after surgery and feel as though you have sand or something gritty that is irritating your vision. The pain associated with cataract surgery is only temporary, lasting most patients just a few days.

How long will it take to fully recover from cataract surgery?

In most cases, your eyes will be fully healed within eight weeks after cataract surgery. However, the full recovery time can vary between each person. Your doctor will check your eyes regularly throughout recovery to ensure healing is occurring as it should.

How soon after surgery can you drive?

There is no specific length of time that you will have to wait, as healing times and the restoration of full vision capabilities can be different for everyone. Your doctor will likely recommend that you give yourself some time to recover but will ultimately leave it up to you to determine when you are ready to drive again. Just make sure you wait until your vision is no longer blurry and you are not overly sensitive to lights that you could encounter on the roadway.

How can you tell if there is something wrong during recovery?

Most cataract surgeries will end without incident and recovery will go smoothly. However, on occasion there can be problems. A few warning signs and symptoms that will alert you to contact your eye doctor for help should include:

  • Increased redness in the eye of which the cataract was removed
  • Severe pain that seems to be intensifying
  • Loss of vision in your eye
  • Suddenly seeing large black spots, floating matter, or flashes of light in the treated eye

When you understand more about the recovery process after cataract surgery, you will feel much less apprehensive overall about the process. If you have further questions about the surgery or recovery, be sure to talk to your optometrist in detail about what you should expect to help you feel more comfortable. For more information, contact a professional such as Thomas L. Lawrence, M.D., P.A.


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