Post cataract surgery care
The operated eye is covered with an ointment dressing, which will however be removed on the next morning. Your vision will be clearer even then.
Over a period of three to four weeks, you must use antibiotic and inflammatory eye drops according to prescription. The eye will be checked by your eye specialist at short intervals. In general, it will be fully healed after six to eight weeks. The second eye can however be operated on before the other eye has fully healed.
In the first days after the operation, you should avoid physical stress and sports. Visits to the swimming pool or sauna should also be put off during the first period after the operation. When showering and washing, make sure that no soap comes near the eye. It is also very important that you refrain from pressing or rubbing the operated eye. You can watch TV from the start, without restrictions. However, you should not read too much during the first days.
A so-called secondary cataract or after-cataract cannot always be prevented. It occurs in about 20-30% of the patients after a cataract operation and is not a complication but a normal development. The normally clear, transparent lens capsule bearing the artificial lens can become clouded after time, resulting in blurred vision. A fine membrane will form, which is referred to as secondary cataract. A small, outpatient and entirely pain-free laser treatment (neodym YAG laser) will remove this clouding for ever in a quick and uncomplicated procedure.
Only 4 to 6 weeks after the cataract operation, it is generally possible to adjust your glasses.
