After cataract surgery, what needs to be considered?

Cataract surgery is said to be the most effective treatment for cataracts. Generally, the procedure is short and there is minimal risk of complications. Even so, you may experience some side effects after undergoing a cataract surgery procedure. You also need to pay attention to the treatments and do's and don'ts after cataract surgery. For more details, see the following explanation.

How is the recovery process after cataract surgery?

Cataract is a condition when the lens of your eye, which should be transparent, becomes cloudy and creates cloudy vision. The most common cause of cataracts is aging.

Cataract surgery is a procedure to replace the clouded eye lens with an artificial lens so that vision can return to clear. Quoted from the Mayo Clinic, this procedure has succeeded in restoring the vision of most cataract patients.

After surgery, your cataract symptoms will begin to improve within a few days. However, your vision may still appear blurry during the initial recovery period after surgery. This is perfectly normal.

Your eye doctor will monitor the recovery process after cataract surgery. Therefore, you will probably visit your eye doctor several times, usually one day, one week, one month, two months, and six months after cataract surgery.

At each appointment after undergoing cataract surgery, the doctor will perform several examinations, such as:

Checking the eyes
Test visual acuity
Measure eye pressure
Determine an eyeglass prescription if needed

For several weeks, it is recommended that you take antibiotic and anti-inflammatory eye drops several times a day to prevent infection and reduce inflammation. For about a week after surgery, it is recommended that you wear eye protection while sleeping.

What are the risks that can arise after cataract surgery?

Complications after cataract surgery are uncommon and, if any, the condition can be treated quickly. Following are the risks or side effects that may occur after cataract surgery:

Inflammation
Infection
Bloody
Swelling
Drooping eyelids
Artificial lens dislocation
Retinal detachment
Glaucoma
Secondary cataracts
Loss of sight

Your risk of complications is greater if you have other eye diseases or serious medical conditions. In some cases, cataract surgery fails because the eye damage results from other conditions, such as glaucoma or macular degeneration.

The secondary cataracts which have been mentioned above are also known as posterior capsule opacification (PCO). This condition is a complication that usually occurs in people who have had cataract surgery.

Secondary cataracts occur when the back of the lens capsule becomes cloudy and interferes with your vision. The back of this lens is the part of the lens that is not removed during cataract surgery and supports the artificial lens that was implanted during the first operation.

Secondary cataracts are treated with outpatient procedures and are of short duration. This procedure is called a laser capsulotomy yttrium-aluminum-garnet (YAG). After undergoing this procedure, you will be monitored by a doctor to ensure that your eye pressure does not rise.

Other less common complications of cataract surgery include increased eye pressure and retinal detachment.

What can I do to prevent complications after cataract surgery?

For maximum results, there are several things you should do after undergoing cataract surgery, including:

Use eye drops to reduce some of the effects, such as burning or itching.
Avoid strenuous activities that can cause problems with your body or eyes.
If you are going to exercise, do some light exercise during the cataract surgery recovery period so you don't put excessive pressure on your body that can affect your eyes.
Use eye protection if you want to go out all day, even when you sleep, to prevent your hands from accidentally rubbing your eyes.
Protect your eyes from water by using a barrier or eye protection when bathing.

In addition to doing things that are recommended after cataract surgery, you also need to pay attention to some taboos that must be adhered to in care after cataract surgery, such as:

Rubbing your eyes can increase the risk of infection. Ask your doctor what to do if you feel that a foreign object has entered your eye and is causing itching.
Take a hot bath or swim, for at least 2 weeks after cataract surgery, because even water that gets into your eye can cause infection.
Drive at least 24 hours after cataract surgery as it can be taxing on the eyes.
Do not apply make-up around the eye area (even if it is a natural ingredient) until your eye condition has completely healed. Ask your eye doctor when you can start using it make-up eyes again.

Antibiotics to prevent complications

In addition to the ways you can do, there are also treatments to prevent the risk of complications after cataract surgery with antibiotics given by an eye doctor. Here are the most common ways doctors give antibiotics after cataract surgery:

1. Injected into the eye

Injecting drugs directly into the front chamber (the space between the cornea and iris, which contains fluid) immediately after cataract surgery is one of the treatments that have been shown to be effective in reducing the risk of infection.

Antibiotic drugs commonly used in this method are:

The cefalosporin group, such as cefuroxime and cefazoline.
Vancomycin which can reduce the number of bacteria that cause eye infections after surgery.
The fourth-generation fluoroquinolone group, moxifloxacin, works to kill gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, thus providing broader protection.

2. Antibiotic eye drops before surgery

Most of the infections that occur after cataract surgery are caused by microorganisms that live in the eye. So, antibiotic eye drops can be used before surgery to minimize as much bacteria in the eye as possible.

Some types of eye drops that are commonly used are: