Cataract Surgery – Questions and Answers

Cataract surgery is not painful, your eye will have numbing drops and gel placed in it to minimize your sensation. You will still feel running water, and at times pressure.

You will not be put to sleep for cataract surgery.

Only one eye is operated on at a time.

You must not have anything to eat or drink after midnight the day before your surgery. This could result in the cancellation of your surgery. You will need to arrange for transportation for after your surgery.

You will lie flat on your back while looking up at the ceiling at a bright light. A small spring is placed between the eyelids to keep the eye open. The eye itself is not removed during the surgery. No lasers are used during the surgery. The surgery involves removing the cataract from the inside of your eye and replacing it with a soft foldable lens that stays inside your eye forever.

You will be provided with a prescription for eye drops that you must take for one month after surgery. Directions on how to take these drops will be provided to you with your prescription on the day your surgery is booked. You must be seen the day after surgery to make sure the pressure in your eye is normal. You will also typically be seen 1 week after surgery, and 1 month after surgery. If you are from out of town, please make prior arrangements to stay near the hospital for 2 days in a row. Sometimes it is possible to be seen later the same day of your surgery, but this is not always possible. You will need to have a driver with you for these visits. At the visit one month after your surgery, if you have a cataract in the other eye, a decision will be made on whether to book the other eye for cataract surgery.