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What precautions should I take after cataract surgery?

The surgery takes less than an hour, but how you care for the eye over the next few weeks matters just as much. This guide covers the questions families ask most. It describes the usual advice; always follow the written instructions your surgeon gives you, because they are made for your eye. For an overview, see cataract surgery in Vasco, Goa.

What should I do on the first day?

Go home and rest. Keep the shield on as instructed. Mild grittiness, watering, a little ache or blurred vision are common once the numbing wears off; vision often improves over the next day or two. Start your eye drops when you are told to, eat normally, and take your usual medicines unless you were told otherwise.

How do I put in eye drops?

You will usually use more than one kind of drop, for some weeks, and the number of drops a day often reduces week by week. A family member can help. Each time:

1. Wash your hands with soap and dry them.
2. Tilt your head back or lie down, and look up.
3. Gently pull the lower eyelid down to make a small pocket.
4. Put one drop into the pocket, without the bottle tip touching the eye, lashes or fingers.
5. Close the eye gently for a minute. Do not squeeze or rub it.
6. If you use two different drops, wait about five minutes between them.

Keep a written chart and tick each dose. Do not stop a drop early or share drops with anyone else.

How long should I wear the eye shield?

Usually you wear the shield while sleeping for about the first week, so that you do not rub or press the eye in your sleep. By day, your own spectacles or protective dark glasses guard the eye from dust and wind, but do not press on it.

When can I bathe and wash my hair?

You can usually bathe below the neck from the next day. Clean your face with a clean, damp cloth, keeping away from the eye. Wash your hair only when your surgeon allows, often after about a week, with your head tilted back so that water and shampoo do not run into the eye. Keep soap, oil and hair dye away from the eye for some weeks.

Can I watch TV or use my mobile?

Yes. Watching TV, reading and using your phone do not harm the operated eye. Your eyes may tire a little sooner at first, so take short breaks. If your vision is not yet clear for close work, wait for your new spectacles rather than straining.

Can I cook, sweep and do housework?

• Light housework is usually fine after a day or two.
• Keep your face away from smoke, steam and splashes while cooking, such as frying, tempering spices or a wood-fire chulha.
• Avoid sweeping and dusting for the first week or two, or wear protective glasses.
• Avoid bending with your head well below your waist, and do not lift heavy things such as buckets of water or gas cylinders for the first week or two, or as advised.

What should I avoid for the first few weeks?

• Rubbing or pressing the eye
• Kajal, surma and eye make-up, usually for two to four weeks
• Swimming, sea bathing and pools, usually for about a month
• Dusty, smoky or windy places, and firecracker smoke during festivals
• Sleeping on the side of the operated eye in the first week
• Contact sports and anything that could knock the eye

In Goa's monsoon, keep rainwater and splashes off the face, carry an umbrella, and take care around people with eye flu. More on this in cataract surgery in the rainy season.

When can I drive or travel?

Do not drive until your surgeon says your vision meets the standard for driving, usually after the early follow-up checks. On a two-wheeler, wind, dust and rain hit the eye directly, so wait until you are allowed and wear protective glasses or a visor. Travel as a passenger by car or bus is usually fine. Air travel is usually allowed after cataract surgery, but ask your surgeon before you book, especially if family has come from far away; see cataract surgery for elderly parents.

When will I get new spectacles?

Your eye's power settles over a few weeks. Your new spectacle power is usually checked about a month after surgery, or after the second eye is done. Until then your old spectacles may feel wrong for the operated eye. When your power is ready, new spectacles can be made at our Vision Correction Centre in the same hospital.

When are the follow-up visits?

The first check is usually the next day or soon after. More checks follow over the next weeks, at dates your surgeon gives you. Bring your drops and your chart to each visit. If cataract is planned in the other eye, its date is usually fixed once the first eye has settled.

What is normal, and what is a warning sign?

Normal in the first days: mild grittiness, watering, slight redness, sensitivity to light, some blurring, and colours that look brighter than before.

Call at once, day or night, if you notice any of these:

• Pain that is getting worse, or is not eased by simple painkillers you normally take
• Vision that is getting worse instead of better
• Increasing redness, sticky discharge or swelling of the lids
• Flashes of light, a shower of new floaters, or a curtain or shadow over your vision

Emergency eye care at ReNew Vision is available 24 hours: call 072489 88039, or see eye emergency.

Questions patients ask

How many days of rest are needed after cataract surgery?

Most people return to walking, light housework, TV and phone use within a day or two. Avoid heavy lifting, bending, swimming and dusty or smoky places for the first week or two, or as your surgeon advises.

When can I wash my head after cataract surgery?

Usually after about a week, or when your surgeon allows. Tilt your head back so that water and shampoo do not run into the eye. Until then, bathe below the neck and wipe your face with a clean, damp cloth.

Can I sleep on my side after cataract surgery?

In the first week, sleep on your back or on the other side, and wear the shield, so that you do not press on the operated eye.

When can I drive after cataract surgery?

Only when your surgeon says your vision meets the standard for driving, usually after the early follow-up checks. Do not drive home on the day of surgery.

Can I use my mobile phone after cataract surgery?

Yes. Using a phone or watching TV does not harm the operated eye. Take short breaks if your eyes feel tired, and wait for new spectacles if close vision is not yet clear.

This page is general eye-health information, not personal medical advice. Your eye doctor advises you after examining your eyes.