A Comprehensive Guide To Cataract Removal

12:25 20 January 2022

If you have recently been told that you have cataracts in one or both of your eyes, or else have been living with cataracts in your eyes for some time and have been hesitant and even slightly reluctant to go through with the procedure, then you have come to the right place.

Cataract removal is one of the safest, most effective, and most popular surgeries one can have, and the actual procedure only takes approximately half an hour from start to finish.

A Step-By-Step Guide To Cataract Removal

The approximate duration of the cataract operation, thirty minutes, is broken down into extremely concise and skilled steps that are identical for each and every patient.

1. Eye drops are administered into the eye that is being operated on to dilate the pupil
   
   
2. Either peribulbar, topical, retrobulbar, sub-tenon, or general anesthesia
   
   
3. Thorough cleaning of the eye with either chlorhexidine or povidone-iodine antiseptic
   
   
4. Eyelid clipped to fully exposure eyeball and to ensure the eyelid is as open as possible
   
   
5. A tiny micro-incision to enter the eye
   
   
6. A viscoelastic injection to maintain the pressure and shape of the eyeball during the operation
   
   
7. A round opening is created at the front of the bag containing the cataract
   
   
8. To loosen and separate the lens from the bag, fluid is injected
   
   
9. The cataract is sculptured using ultrasound into small fragments, which are then removed from the bag
   
   
10. The new lens, hopefully, one of the new and innovative trifocal Cataract lenses, is then inserted into the bag folded, and then it naturally unfolds as it positions itself in the right location
    
    
11. The viscoelastic injection is removed
    
    
12. The wound usually seals itself, but if it doesn’t, small dissolvable stitches are used
    
    
13. Sometimes, an antibiotic injection is administered to help with the healing of the eye
    
    

After Cataract Removal

Immediately after surgery, you will be asked to sit down quietly for a minimum of thirty minutes to emotionally recover from the surgery and regain your senses, after which you will be given detailed after-care information from the nurse, usually who was present during your surgery.

From this moment on, should you feel or notice anything which is not mentioned in the after-care booklet you receive, never hesitate to contact your optician or doctor’s surgery to arrange an appointment.

A prescription is usually given for eye drops, but on occasion, you may well be given the first set of drops during this after-surgery consultation, and these drops need to be administered for the next three to six weeks. An appointment will then be arranged with your local optician for them to carry out a full assessment on how your eye has healed and an evaluation of your eyesight, and how much improvement there has been.

After the three to six weeks of healing time, it is then time to have your vision checked and order a new pair of glasses that are prescribed to your new eyesight.