Days Leading to Cataract Surgery
Eating and Drinking Prior to Surgery
For your safety, do not eat or drink starting at midnight the evening before your surgery. No chewing gum or candy in the morning prior to surgery.
Medications Prior to Surgery
Please take your regular blood pressure medication, heart medication, and blood thinner medication with a small sip of water. Do not take morning diabetic pills or insulin prior to surgery. Please consult with our doctors about any other kind of morning medication.
Clothing and What Belongings to Bring to the Surgery
Wear loose-fitting clothing. Please leave all jewelry and valuables at home. Please wear your hearing aids and dentures to the surgery. Please bring your photo ID and your insurance card.
Can I Wear My Contact Lenses?
No, do not wear contact lenses on the day of your surgery.
Can I Wear Eye Makeup on the Day of the Surgery?
Remove all eye makeup the evening prior to surgery and do not re-apply until one week after surgery.
Make Transportation Arrangements
Please arrange for a responsible person with a flexible schedule to transport you to and from the surgery center. Surgery will not proceed until your transportation has been verified.
Sickness on Day of Surgery
Please contact the surgical center if you have fever, chills, heavy coughing, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or other concerning symptoms prior to your surgery. Surgery will usually be postponed until your health has improved.
Checking into Our Surgical Center
When you arrive at the surgical center, you will check in at the front desk. A nurse will then bring you back into the pre-operative room to check your temperature and other vital signs and dilate your eye in preparation for surgery. A loose-fitting gown will be placed over your clothes and an IV will be started while you are lying on a surgical bed. The anesthetist and surgeon will each talk with you prior to the operation.
Your Cataract Surgery
Fasting Morning of Surgery
Do not eat or drink the evening (after midnight) or morning before your surgery. This includes all chewing gum and candy.
During the Surgery
When you are taken to the operating room, the anesthetist will administer sedation medicine through your IV. The operating room is usually cooler than the other areas in the surgical center.
The nurse will offer you another warm blanket for your comfort. You will be awake, but sleepy during the surgery. You will be able to hear communication between the surgeon and staff, the background music, and sounds of the medical equipment in the operating room.
Your eye and the skin around your eye will be cleaned with betadine prior to surgery. A sterile drape will be placed over your head and shoulders. A small opening will be made in the drape to access your eye and a lid holder will be used to help keep your eye open during the surgery.
The surgeon will ask you to gaze straight ahead. As you gaze ahead, you will see 4 blurry lights that are part of the illumination from the operating microscope. You should be comfortable and not feel any pain during the surgery. The surgery usually takes 15-20 minutes.
The nurse will offer you another warm blanket for your comfort. You will be awake, but sleepy during the surgery. You will be able to hear communication between the surgeon and staff, the background music, and sounds of the medical equipment in the operating room.
Your eye and the skin around your eye will be cleaned with betadine prior to surgery. A sterile drape will be placed over your head and shoulders. A small opening will be made in the drape to access your eye and a lid holder will be used to help keep your eye open during the surgery.
The surgeon will ask you to gaze straight ahead. As you gaze ahead, you will see 4 blurry lights that are part of the illumination from the operating microscope. You should be comfortable and not feel any pain during the surgery. The surgery usually takes 15-20 minutes.
Medications Used During the Surgery
Antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications have been proven to reduce the risks associated with cataract surgery. Research from multiple large studies has demonstrated that placing antibiotics directly into the eye during surgery significantly lowers the risk of infection compared to using antibiotic eye drops. To minimize the risk of infection and inflammation, we will administer both antibiotic and anti-inflammatory medications during your surgery. This approach reduces the need for post-operative eye drops. The medication we use is sourced from a compounding pharmacy and comes in a single-use vial for your safety.
Post Surgery Care at Our Surgical Center
At the conclusion of surgery, the eyelid holder and drape will be removed and the staff will elevate the head of the bed. You will be taken to the recovery area, where you will rest until you are awake and alert. This usually takes only 10-15 minutes. Your eyelid will be taped closed and a protective shield will be placed over your eye. Please keep this in place until your follow-up appointment. When you are ready, you will be assisted to your car so that you can head home.
Post Surgery Care and Recovery at Home
The anesthesia used during surgery may cause nausea in some patients. For your safety, we recommend drinking clear liquids for the first 3-4 hours after surgery and avoiding solid food until you are able to consume liquids without any nausea.
Medications & After Surgery Prednisolone Eye Drops
Please resume all normal medications after surgery unless specifically instructed otherwise by your surgeon—including any eye medications that you have previously been using. Start the prednisolone eye drops either the day of surgery or the day after, depending on the instructions from your surgeon.
What to Expect After Surgery
Your eye may feel slightly scratchy after surgery. We recommend you keep the eyelid taped closed and keep the shield in place to accelerate the healing and to prevent you from rubbing your eye. Please keep your eye clean and dry and avoid bending over at the waist or lifting anything heavier than 15 pounds. We will remove the tape and shield at your first follow-up appointment after surgery.
Concerns After Surgery
If you experience any eye pain or nausea after surgery, please contact Premier Eye Center at 208-529-6600. After normal clinic hours, a live answering service is available by calling the office number.
Post-Operative Day 1
Clinical Appointment
You will be seen in the clinic the day after surgery to check your vision and evaluate your recovery from surgery. We will remove the patch covering your eye. Most patients will still experience some blurriness of their vision at this time and describe their vision “like looking through wax paper”. This is normal.
Medications & Eye Drops
Your surgeon will give you instructions and explain how to use your post-operative drops the day after your surgery.
Emergency Concerns After Surgery
If you experience any eye pain, nausea, or decreased vision after surgery, please contact Premier Eye Center at 208-529-6600. After normal clinic hours, a live answering service is available by calling the office number.
Post-Operative Week 1
Restrictions
For the first week after surgery, please follow these restrictions:
• No eye rubbing
• No water or makeup in the eye
• No strenuous exertion, no bending at the waist, and no lifting anything greater than 15 pounds.
• Wear the eye shield given to you at time of surgery every night for 1 week.
• No eye rubbing
• No water or makeup in the eye
• No strenuous exertion, no bending at the waist, and no lifting anything greater than 15 pounds.
• Wear the eye shield given to you at time of surgery every night for 1 week.
Follow-up Appointment
Most patients will be seen 1-2 weeks after surgery to check your vision and evaluate your recovery from surgery.
Emergency Concerns After Surgery
If you experience any eye pain, nausea, or decreased vision after surgery, please contact Premier Eye Center at 208-529-6600. After normal clinic hours, a live answering service is available by calling the office number.
Post-Operative Month 1
Restrictions
For one month after surgery, please continue to avoid rubbing your eye.
1 Month Out Follow-up Appointment
Around 4-5 weeks after surgery you will have an examination to check your vision, update your glasses prescription, and evaluate your recovery from surgery.
Comanagement & Updating Glasses' Prescription
Many patients prefer to have their regular optometrist update their glasses prescription after cataract surgery. Once your surgeon feels that your eye is stable and recovering well after surgery, he will refer you to the care of your optometrist if you so desire. Under this arrangement of comanagement, the optometrist will provide the remainder of the post-operative follow-up and check for glasses if needed. The optometrist will contact the surgeon if any concerns develop related to the surgery.
