Cataract Surgery FAQ
A total of 5 appointments: pre-op, surgery, 1-day post-op, 1-week post-op and 1-month post op.
- If you wear contact lenses, please stop wearing BOTH contact lenses on the Thursday prior to your pre-op appointment.
- Complete your pink anesthesiologist form.
- A completed physical by your primary care provider or walk in clinic. This form needs to be completed within 30 days of your surgery.
If you wear contact lenses, please stop wearing BOTH contact lenses on the Thursday prior to your appointment.
- Nothing to eat or drink after midnight on Sunday night.
- Take a good, cleansing shower the night before or morning of the surgery.
- Use one cloth to thoroughly clean around the operative eye the night before and one the morning of surgery.
- Bring your black bag containing dark glasses, eye shield and tape to surgery.
- Wear short-sleeved, button-down shirt to surgery – No undershirts please.
- If you take blood pressure or heart medications in the morning, take them with the smallest sip of water possible. All other medications can be taken after surgery.
- From the time you arrive to the time you leave will take 2 hours.
- You must have a driver. The surgery center will not release you to a transportation service (i.e. Uber, Taxi, Lyft, etc.).
Patients can return to driving the day after surgery. You will be dilated depending on your comfort level while driving with a dilated eye.
Dilation can last 24-48 hours after surgery. You may be light sensitive, and your vision may be blurry.
Do not wear eye makeup evening prior to eye surgery through one week after your surgery.
Wear your eye shield during sleep for 7 days to prevent accidental eye rubbing.
No. You are given a twilight anesthetic.
No strenuous activities for 1 week after surgery.
- Feelings of mild “scratchiness” (foreign body sensation) for first few days after surgery
- Redness
- Something “floating” around in the eye – this is usually the medication injected during the surgery.
- Severe pain, nausea, or headache may be an indication that the internal pressure of your eye is too high. If you experience any of these symptoms, please contact our office at 530-241-6550.