What Not to Do Following Cataract Surgery
Once the surgeon is finished with your cataract surgery, you will spend time in your hospital room until the doctor has come by to make sure everything is ok. He will then schedule a number of follow up visits to check on the health of your eyes and the success of his work. During this post-operative period you will be required to administer anti-microbial eye drops intended to help speed the healing process. You must also apply corticosteroid drops to keep inflammation down, and cycloplergic drops which will help reduce your sensitivity to bright lights.
Problems to Look For
During the post cataract surgery recovery period you should look out for a number of symptoms that could indicate a problem. Among these are your eye becoming painful and red, pain that becomes steadily worse over time, and any sudden loss of vision. If you experience these symptoms or flashes of light or a severe headache, you need to contact your doctor immediately.
Things You Should Not Do After Your Cataract Surgery
There are several things you should not do following your surgery as they can cause permanent and irreversible damage to your eye. These include:
- Not rubbing or squeezing your eye
- Not allowing water to get into your eye while bathing
- Allow anything other than your eye drops to get into your eye
- Allow anyone or anything to hit you in the face
- Perform any type of vigorous exercise until approved by your doctor
- Drive until your doctor tells you that it is safe to do so
As long as you follow this advice as well as your doctor’s orders to the letter your eye should recovery completely. If your doctor performed the surgery using the phacoemulsification method the recovery period should be between 3 and 4 weeks. If he used a larger incision and closed it using stitches, the recovery period may be as long as 2 to 3 months. But no matter which method he uses the recovery should be full and your eyesight fully restored.
Eye Michigan (Doctors Grosinger, Spigelman & Grey) have been performing corrective optical surgeries for over 30 years, and have extensive experience in the field of eye medicine. Call them today for a free consultation or screening.