Cataract Eye Surgery
A new Vision of the World

The right time for cataract eye surgery varies person to person. The factors that need to be considered include:

• Your current level of vision
• The level of vision that you require for your work and hobbies
• Whether you are annoyed by glare, especially at night
• Whether you have other eye disease

Age is not a barrier to having cataract eye surgery - people over the age of 100 years have had the surgery! In fact, in older people, improving your sight can reduce the likelihood of falls, hip fractures, and the need for admission to a nursing home.

To help you decide if you want surgery, think about these questions:

• What activities or tasks are necessary to your daily life?
• What activities are necessary to your job?
• What activities are necessary for your favourite hobbies or new activities you would like to try?
• During which of these activities would you find wearing glasses the most inconvenient or annoying?

What’s involved in Cataract Eye Surgery?

Before the day of Cataract Eye Surgery:

• It’s often a good idea to have a family member or caregiver with you at pre-operative appointments as an extra pair of ears to hear and remember what its all about.
• You may be required to stop taking some medications that may cause complications during surgery. You may also need to start taking medication as prescribed by the surgeon to reduce the likelihood of infection and inflammation.
• Schedule some time off work. Most people need to take at least one day off work after the surgery.
• Make transport arrangements. You are not allowed to drive yourself home so arrange a lift with family or a friend. The whole process on the day will take 2 or 3 hours

On the day of Cataract Eye Surgery:

• To help maintain a clean surgical environment, you should shower and wash your hair on the day of the surgery.
• Wear clean, comfortable clothes. You won’t need to change into a hospital gown.
• You will be looked after by a team of staff who specialise in caring for patients undergoing a day-surgery procedure.
• Eyedrops are put into the eye to dilate the pupil.
• You can have a mild sedative, if preferred. A painless anaesthetic is then administered – either using eyedrops or a local anaesthetic injection, or on rare occasions using a general anaesthetic. You will be drowsy, but may still be aware of voices during the surgery, and breathing on your own.
• The surgery itself takes 15-30 minutes. Thanks to the anaesthetic, you won’t feel a thing!
• Your natural lens that has become cloudy is broken up and removed. A new plastic lens is inserted into the capsule the held the natural lens. The wounds are self-sealing, meaning no stitches are required.
• After surgery, you will rest for a while in a reclining chair, with refreshments available. Most people are able to leave the clinic within an hour.

The Next Day After Cataract Eye Surgery

• A protective eye shield may need to be used for a few nights to prevent you rubbing your eye while sleeping.
• Eyedrops are prescribed to prevent infection and inflammation. Use them as and when you have been instructed.
• You will usually be required to return to the clinic the next day to check that all is going well.
• Initially, your depth perception may be not be reliable. This is due to the sudden change in your vision. Don’t drive until you are fully confident again. This may take a few days.

What are the risks of NOT having surgery?

Cataracts get progressively worse with time. The longer you wait, the blurrier your vision will get. Whether you consider this a bad thing depends on you. People have different tolerance levels for blurriness, just like they do for pain.

Can cataract make you blind?

Yes, if you leave it long enough. However, at any point that you have cataract eye surgery, your vision will be dramatically improved, so long as there is no other eye disease causing vision loss. The blindness is merely caused by how hard it is to see through a very foggy window - replace the window and you can see again!

If you are thinking that cataract eye surgery is not for you yet, then click here to read more about preventing cataracts.

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High Sight Optometry

Shop 3, 326 Pennant Hills Rd Carlingford NSW 2118 Sydney Australia

Caring for the Sight of Carlingford, North Rocks, Oatlands, Dundas, Telopea, North Parramatta, Northmead, Epping, Beecroft, Eastwood, Parramatta, the Hills District of Sydney.