How to Prepare for Cataract Surgery Complications

Surgery to correct a cataract is a fairly detailed medical procedure. Not only does an ultrasound tool break down the cataract, but also the lens of the eye is removed and a new synthetic lens in inserted. As surgery is the only current method to correct this problem, you should understand and prepare for cataract surgery complications.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Learn to Prepare for Cataract Surgery Complications

1. Talk to your surgeon about what to expect in the hours and days following surgery. If you get general anesthesia, you should prepare to feel woozy after your surgery. Even the sedatives used with local anesthesia can affect your mood for a few hours after surgery.
2. Watch out for a sticky eye or irritation during the first few days after your surgery. Eye drops almost always correct this common side effect, but you still need to talk to your doctor about it.
3. Know that some people have problems with the new lens after several years. You may notice that your vision becomes cloudy again. This effect is not due to another cataract, but from protein deposits behind your lens. This problem is easily corrected by laser surgery.
4. Ask your surgeon about the possibilities of complications with the artificial lens you'll be receiving. The lens could tear, shift to the back of your eye or become dislocated. All of these circumstances will require additional surgery to correct the position of the lens to fix your vision.
5. Talk about the chances of your retina being damaged during surgery. The retina is a very thin layer of cells that is responsible for most of your sight and damage to it could result in blindness. Even though the chance for retina damage during cataract surgery is very low, you need to be aware of its possibility.

Tips & Warnings

• Some complications can happen after surgery due to the medications that you take to control swelling and infections. Always talk to your surgeon and doctor about your allergies before starting any medical treatment.
• Your surgeon will probably have you sign a consent waiver saying that you understand the risks of your procedure, no matter how small the chance of complications and that you decided to go ahead with the surgery despite these risks.
• You may want to have a friend or family member learn about the risks of your surgery. This person can support you emotionally should you start to become anxious about your procedure.
• There's always a chance of infection whenever you have any kind of surgery. Make sure you take all post-surgical medications as directed by your surgeon.