What Can I Expect From My Cataract Surgery?

You've been diagnosed with cataracts and it's been decided that removal surgery is your best option

. Here is a step-by-step guide to what happens during cataract surgery. First, prior to the actual cataract surgery, a pre-operation evaluation is essential to be certain you have a safe and successful surgery. Glaucoma has to be under control and retinal detachment has to be fixed, if those are issues for you, before surgery is possible. Of course, the size and severity of the cataract needs to be assessed.

The procedures for the most common kind of cataract surgery, Phacoemulsification, are as follows. Special eye drops are placed on the eyes to dilate the pupils. A topical anesthetic is dropped or injected into the eye and sedatives are used if the patient needs them. General anesthesia is not used in most cases.

After anesthesia, the eye is disinfected thoroughly. The face is covered with a sheet that includes an opening for the operative eye. As the eye can't be allowed to blink during surgery, a speculum is used to keep it open. Saline drops keep the eye moist throughout the procedure.

Next, a small incision is made and a solution is injected into the fluid of the eyes to keep the eye pressurized and stable. Next is the process of removing the cataracts. A new, tiny, round incision is made into the lens of the eye using a piece of equipment called a cystotome. A cystotome is a small handheld instrument with a titanium tip. The tip of the cystotome vibrates at a high frequency, which emulsifies the fluid present inside the lens. The hard cataracts are broken down into much smaller clumps which are then removed from the lens capsule.

After removal of the cataracts, the fluid is replaced with a malleable, folding intraocular lens. These are generally made of silicone or acrylic materials and are folded and inserted using a special tool and usually can be inserted into the tiny incision that was created when the surgery began. The intraocular lens is clear and allows for clear vision after the cataracts have been removed.

After the insertion of the new lens, the eye is tested for leakage and an antibiotic, steroid solution is put in the eye to help with healing. An eye patch may be prescribed for a short period of time, and eye drops and antibiotics are used by the patient to promote healing and reduce swelling and itching.

The surgery usually lasts no longer than an hour and recovery takes about a week for most swelling and after a month, complete recovery is achieved. If a patient has cataracts in both eyes, surgery and complete recovery will be performed for one eye at a time.

Complications are rare for cataract surgery, but they can occur. A small tear in the lens may occur on rare occasions. Infections, retinal detachment, and inflammation can also occur. If you have any concerns regarding your surgery, be certain to ask your ophthalmologist about them.

by: Roger Ubik

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