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Cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure completed in less than one hour. Cataract surgery has a high success rate in improving your eyesight and should allow you to return to your normal activities, like driving, following a few weeks of recovery.
Your cataract surgery recovery begins immediately following your procedure. A light shield will be placed over your eye immediately after surgery to keep you from accidentally rubbing it. Most patients are able to go home within a few hours of the procedure. You will be required to have a friend or family member drive you home following surgery.
During your cataract surgery recovery, it’s normal to experience grittiness, watering, blurred vision, double vision, red or bloodshot eye. These side effects usually improve within a few days, but it can take 4 to 6 weeks to recover fully.
A common question among cataract patients is if they can watch TV after the procedure. Several hours following the surgery, most patients are able to watch some television or look at a computer screen for a short period of time. It’s important however that you don’t over-exert your eyes during the first 24 hours post-surgery.
You can expect to return to most normal activities during the first week. If you work, how soon you can return will largely depend on your type of job and if you need new glasses. Our doctors will advise you on the most appropriate times to resume other activities. Following your surgeon’s instructions regarding what you should and should not do after your cataract surgery are important.
Several follow up appointments will be scheduled during your cataract surgery recovery time. A secondary cataract may develop during the first few months following cataract removal. This is a common complication following cataract removal and can be corrected with a painless procedure called a capsulotomy.
Within a month or two your vision should be clear, and your eyes should be comfortable. You will want to continue wearing sunglasses outdoors and consider wearing safety glasses while playing sports.
The best candidates for this procedure are patients with blurred or cloudy vision, light sensitivity, and color dullness. If you suspect that you have cataracts, contact Tidewater Eye at 757-483-0400 or website to schedule an appointment with our doctors.
