Recovery after cataract surgery – what to expect, day by day

Cataract surgery is one of the safest and most successful operations in medicine, and it usually takes less than half an hour. But the final result is also shaped in the weeks that follow: using the drops carefully, avoiding infection and strain in the first days, and recognising early the rare signs that call for medical attention. This page is a practical guide to the recovery period. For the operation itself, how to prepare for it and its risks, see cataract surgery.

The day of surgery

• The operation is done as day surgery, and you go home about one to two hours afterwards – with someone accompanying you; do not drive.
• The eye is covered with a shield. Remove it as instructed by the team, usually the next day or at the first check-up.
• On the first day your vision is still blurred: a dilated pupil, mild swelling of the cornea and residue from the drops. This is expected.
• Rest, but there is no need to stay in bed. You can walk around, eat normally and watch television.
• Ordinary painkillers are enough for most patients; severe pain is not typical.

The first few days

The first check-up is usually scheduled for the day after surgery or within the next few days. The doctor checks your visual acuity, eye pressure and the condition of the cornea and lens, and confirms the drop plan.

The drops are the most important part of recovery. Usually these are antibiotic drops for a short period, and anti-inflammatory drops (a steroid, and sometimes also a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drop) for several weeks, at a gradually reduced dose. A few rules:

• Wash your hands before every application and do not touch the tip of the bottle.
• Wait about five minutes between different types of drops.
• Do not stop on your own because “the eye is fine now” – stopping the anti-inflammatory drops early can cause the inflammation to return and swelling of the retina.
• Preservative-free lubricating drops are allowed, and even recommended, if the eye feels dry.

First week – precautions:

• Rubbing or pressing on the eye.
• Wear an eye shield when sleeping, as the doctor advises, so that you do not press on the eye in your sleep.
• Lifting heavy loads and bending sharply with your head below waist level in the first two days.
• Eye make-up, creams around the eye, dust, smoke and gardening.
• Strenuous exercise – running, the gym, tennis. Walking is allowed from the next day.

The following weeks

• Showering: from the day after surgery, without getting water and soap in the eye.
• Swimming pool, sea, hot tub and sauna: after about two weeks and with the doctor’s approval.
• Reading, computer and phone: allowed straight away. Reading does not “wear out” the eye, even if it is tiring at first.
• Work: office work – usually after a few days. Physical, dusty or outdoor work – as the doctor advises.
• Flying: not prohibited after routine cataract surgery, but it is worth coordinating with the doctor so that your check-ups are not affected.
• Driving: only after the doctor has confirmed that your vision meets the requirements. If the second eye has not yet been operated on, the difference between the eyes may make driving difficult; for the requirements themselves, see vision and driving licence requirements.
• New glasses: only once the prescription has stabilised, usually about one month to six weeks after surgery. In the meantime you can use inexpensive reading glasses as needed.

What is normal

• Blurring that gradually improves over the first few days.
• A gritty feeling, irritation and watering.
• Sensitivity to light and glare, mainly in the first few days.
• A red patch on the white of the eye – a small bleed under the conjunctiva that clears up on its own.
• Colours that look sharper and “bluer” – the old lens was yellow and cloudy.
• Halos around lights at night, which usually lessen over time.
• A few floaters.

Signs that need immediate attention

Serious complications after cataract surgery are rare, but it is important to recognise them early, because prompt treatment saves sight:

• Pain that gets worse instead of better, especially in the first few days.
• Reduced vision after it had already improved.
• Redness that keeps getting worse, swelling of the eyelid or discharge.
• Flashes of light, a sudden increase in floaters or a “curtain” covering part of your field of vision – a possible sign of retinal detachment, the risk of which rises slightly after cataract surgery, even years later.
• Nausea, vomiting or a severe headache with a painful eye – a possible sign of a sharp rise in eye pressure.

With any of these, go immediately to the department where you had your operation or to an eye emergency room – even at night and at the weekend. Do not wait for your next check-up.

Long-term recovery

Most patients see well within the first week or two, and the eye stabilises completely within about one to three months. However, in some patients, months or years after surgery, the membrane that holds the artificial lens thickens and blurs vision again. This is not “the cataract coming back” but a secondary cataract, and it is treated with a short laser procedure in the clinic. Visual results also depend on the type of lens chosen – see choosing a lens for cataract surgery.

When to have your eye examined

If you are in the recovery period and something does not feel right – blurring that is not improving, troublesome dryness, or vision that has dropped months after surgery – it is worth having your eye examined. Prof. Michael Mimouni is a specialist in the cornea and the anterior segment of the eye; at the examination we will assess the operated eye, treat dryness or a secondary cataract if present, and advise on surgery for the second eye. Contact us to book an examination.

The information on this page is general and is not a substitute for the instructions you received from the surgical team or for a personal examination and medical advice. In any case of worsening pain, reduced vision or flashes of light, seek an examination immediately.