Not many people prefer to go for cataract surgery even when they have been accurately diagnosed with an eye ailment. From research, I have discovered that most cataract patients choose other solution options because they feel a mere clouding of the eyes does not necessarily require surgery.
From an entirely different perspective, some believe that cataract surgery does not absolutely cure the eyes but incurs further damage to the lens, which might affect the patient’s sight for a lifetime.
In reality, cataract surgery is the best solution for cataracts. Regardless of the stage (whether mild or severe), so far, you have been diagnosed with cataracts; the next best step is to approach an expert cataract surgeon to help you fix your eyes.
As a professional surgeon and consultant, I feel obliged to make ‘cataract surgery’ an open knowledge to reorientate people on how to care for their sight, taking the right step at the right time.
In this post, I have helped you gather the most frequently asked questions and answers on cataract surgery to provide solutions to any questions you might have on cataract surgery. These answers will also help you to get the best surgical outcome when you go for the surgery. Click here to read more about cataract surgery.
Here are some professional answers to most of the questions you might want to ask about cataract surgery.
Is cataract surgery a major surgery?
Well, I will say no from a professional point of view. Though many people perceive cataract surgery as major surgery, in the medical community, it is not so. For any other experienced surgeon, cataract is simply an outpatient practice.
How long does cataract surgery take?
If you are working with a seasoned cataract surgeon, it won’t take you more than two and a half hours. And, that time frame already includes the time you as a patient enter the surgery center and leave. Unless the surgeon does not know what to do or wants to try any other option, cataract surgery does not take time. If you register with a veteran surgeon, it might even take you less than that.
Does cataract surgery hurt?
Absolutely no! cataract surgery does not pain the patient’s body – not even the eyes. For me, most cataract patients I have treated always ask a general question, “Are you done?” that is for you to know how comfortable they feel during the surgery. However, some surgeons prefer giving relieving medication to nervous patients to calm them before the surgery. There are anesthetist eye medications that can numb your eye before the procedure.
Could there be complications if I blink during cataract surgery?
You can’t blink during a cataract surgery session because the surgeon will use an eye holder to keep your lid open till the operation is done successfully. Although utilizing an eye holder might pose fear to you, I am glad to tell you that the eye holder would have little or no effect on your lid since your eyes would have been numbed. The other eye can remain closed or opened till the surgery finishes.
Are there side effects of cataract surgery?
The only side effect that can happen after accurate cataract surgery is clearer vision. How do I mean? A cataract prevents lights, and when it has been removed, there is the possibility that your lens detects more light and becomes more sensitive. Of course, the pressure in the eyes might be reduced, and you may notice more floaters. Also, you might start to see a dark crescent shape in the peripheral view. If that happens after you have done cataract surgery, don’t fret. The dark crescent will disappear in the next few months without any serious medication.
Can cataract surgery last for a lifetime?
Yes! You can enjoy a lifelong clear vision after cataract surgery. Let me tell you why. During the surgery, the surgeon will implant a lens into your eye. That lens is durable enough to serve you as long as you live.
Can I become a cataract patient again after cataract surgery?
The surgeon will remove the damaged lens in your eyes during cataract surgery and replace it with an artificial lens. Since the natural lens has been removed, cataracts can not grow again. If cataracts develop again after you have gone for surgery, it is possible that the surgeon did not replace the clouded lens.
Will I have a clearer vision after cataract surgery?
What your vision will be like after you have done cataract surgery depends on several factors, including the size of the cataract, the type of anesthesia used during the surgery, the health of your eyes, and the overall health of your body. All things being equal, you will see clearly within the first 24 hours and then have a better sight as time goes on.
Do I still need to use glasses after cataract surgery?
Well, most people will have to use glasses after cataract surgery. The reason is that you will not get perfect vision immediately after the surgery. Typically, the healing process takes a few more weeks to become perfect. Since you will have to wait for some weeks to get perfect vision, your doctor might ask you to get glasses to make specific changes in your eyes.
How long does it take to recover from cataract surgery?
How quickly you will recover after cataract surgery largely depends on the size of the cataract and how fast your body heals. However, it takes not more than a couple of days for your eyes to heal. In addition to that, how well you cater to your health will also play a massive role in the healing process.
Final Words
How quickly and perfectly you recover from cataract surgery depends on several factors, but it gets better if you are well educated on how it works. Hence the above answers to the most frequently asked questions will help provide you with every information you need to manage your eyes’ health after cataract surgery.
