Top Tips for Preparing For Cataract Surgery
You have consulted your ophthalmologist and have decided upon having cataract surgery. But now emerges the question - how to prepare for surgery?
After consulting an experienced eye surgeon Melbourne, you can adhere to the following tips for preparing for eye surgery:
Arrange for Glasses
In case, you are having surgery on both eyes; it may be separated by one week. This implies that after surgery on the first eye, you will have both a bad eye and a good eye, and this might cause you to struggle with your vision. The best course of action is to request your optician to remove the lens in your glasses for the eye, which had been operated upon; he can either leave it empty or fix a prescription free lens. Alternatively, you can don a contact lens in the untreated eye. It is always good to keep a pair of glasses for standby.
Cleaning Eyes
For fear of contracting an infection, you have to avoid getting into contact with water in your eyes for 2 weeks following surgery. But since you may feel eye drops to cause stickiness in your eyes, you may wish to clean the eyes. You must arrange for some gauze and a clean bowl of boiled water. After the boiled water cools, soak the gauze in the water, ring it out and gently wipe over eyes including eyelashes but take care not to impact the insides of the eyes.
Diet
Majority of patients will be awake during cataract surgery and subjected to local anaesthetics for numbing of eyes. Hence, it is advised that you eat a good meal and have plenty of water for hydration before you arrive at the hospital for surgery. If you will be sedated, you cannot drink or eat for several hours before surgery. You may seek the advice of doctor about diet before surgery.
Arranging For Transport
It is sure that you will not be able to drive yourself home after your surgery. So, before the operation, you must arrange for someone else - friend or family member to drive you home. It is best to avoid public transport after surgery. In addition, you cannot drive for many weeks after surgery, so you must make alternative arrangements for transport.
Sunglasses
It might be night time or a not so sunny day during your surgery, but you should ideally wear sunglasses. Though it is likely that the operated eyes will be covered by plastic shield or gauze, you may sense lights to be brighter than normal like street lights, vehicle lights, and sunlight. In addition, sunglasses will serve as an extra shield for protecting your eyes from wind, dust, or other dirt or debris, which could impact your eyes and cause infection.
Time Away From Work
In case you are working, you need to be prepared for taking some time away from work after surgery. This also depends on the nature of the job. It can vary from 2 days to 1 week after treatment of the eye. After you return to work, you must take extra care based on your environment. For instance, if you work in a dusty place, you will need to wear protective goggles for protecting your eyes. Consult with the ophthalmologist about the nature of your work and seek her advice on when to resume work.
These are some guidelines to prepare for cataract surgery, and you must seek personalized advice from your doctor to be sure.
After consulting an experienced eye surgeon Melbourne, you can adhere to the following tips for preparing for eye surgery:
Arrange for Glasses
In case, you are having surgery on both eyes; it may be separated by one week. This implies that after surgery on the first eye, you will have both a bad eye and a good eye, and this might cause you to struggle with your vision. The best course of action is to request your optician to remove the lens in your glasses for the eye, which had been operated upon; he can either leave it empty or fix a prescription free lens. Alternatively, you can don a contact lens in the untreated eye. It is always good to keep a pair of glasses for standby.
Cleaning Eyes
For fear of contracting an infection, you have to avoid getting into contact with water in your eyes for 2 weeks following surgery. But since you may feel eye drops to cause stickiness in your eyes, you may wish to clean the eyes. You must arrange for some gauze and a clean bowl of boiled water. After the boiled water cools, soak the gauze in the water, ring it out and gently wipe over eyes including eyelashes but take care not to impact the insides of the eyes.
Diet
Majority of patients will be awake during cataract surgery and subjected to local anaesthetics for numbing of eyes. Hence, it is advised that you eat a good meal and have plenty of water for hydration before you arrive at the hospital for surgery. If you will be sedated, you cannot drink or eat for several hours before surgery. You may seek the advice of doctor about diet before surgery.
Arranging For Transport
It is sure that you will not be able to drive yourself home after your surgery. So, before the operation, you must arrange for someone else - friend or family member to drive you home. It is best to avoid public transport after surgery. In addition, you cannot drive for many weeks after surgery, so you must make alternative arrangements for transport.
Sunglasses
It might be night time or a not so sunny day during your surgery, but you should ideally wear sunglasses. Though it is likely that the operated eyes will be covered by plastic shield or gauze, you may sense lights to be brighter than normal like street lights, vehicle lights, and sunlight. In addition, sunglasses will serve as an extra shield for protecting your eyes from wind, dust, or other dirt or debris, which could impact your eyes and cause infection.
Time Away From Work
In case you are working, you need to be prepared for taking some time away from work after surgery. This also depends on the nature of the job. It can vary from 2 days to 1 week after treatment of the eye. After you return to work, you must take extra care based on your environment. For instance, if you work in a dusty place, you will need to wear protective goggles for protecting your eyes. Consult with the ophthalmologist about the nature of your work and seek her advice on when to resume work.
These are some guidelines to prepare for cataract surgery, and you must seek personalized advice from your doctor to be sure.
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