Understanding Cataract Surgery
Be Prepared and Lead the Conversation with Confidence
What to Expect with Cataract Surgery
Have you or someone you love been diagnosed with cataracts?
Cataracts are a normal part of aging. Along with guidance from your eye care professional, the information below will help you understand your next steps. Cataracts form gradually as our eyes get older, and 3.5 million Canadians living with cataracts.1,2 The good news is that cataract surgery is one of the safest, most common, and most effective procedures performed today.3
Cataract surgery is a routine procedure that involves removing the natural lens in the eye that has become cloudy and replacing it with an artificial lens (known as an intraocular lens or IOL). The only way to treat cataracts is through cataract surgery.3 This safe and highly successful procedure is performed by an ophthalmologist in under an hour.3
During surgery, your doctor will replace your cataract with an IOL
You will receive local anesthetics to numb the area around your eye and you may be given a sedative to help you relax.4 Through a tiny incision, the surgeon removes your clouded lens and replaces your original lens with the IOL lens.
Recovery after cataract surgery is usually very quick
Within a few days most patients can return to their daily activities, with vision improving over time.4
After surgery, your doctor will monitor the healing process
Eye drops may be prescribed to prevent infection or reduce inflammation. Patients usually see their ophthalmologist a day or two after surgery, the following week, and then again after one month.4
Intraocular lenses (IOLs) are used in cataract surgery to replace the natural lens of the eye. Extraction of a cataract and replacement with an IOL will require surgery and all surgery carries risks. Please consult your eye care professional to determine if this product is right for you. If you experience any symptoms, consult your eye care professional as the symptoms may be a sign of other eye problems.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cataract Surgery
Get the information you need to guide you to an informed decision about the cataract lens replacement that best fits your budget and your lifestyle.
HOW LONG DOES CATARACT SURGERY TAKE?
Cataract surgery generally lasts under an hour, usually 30 minutes. You will be given local anesthetics to numb the area around your eye and sometimes, a sedative to help you relax.4 There are several factors that can affect cataract surgery operating time including how advanced the cataract is, your medical health, and even your pupil size. It is important to follow any preoperative instructions given to you by your doctor to ensure the procedure runs as smoothly as possible.
WHAT’S THE RECOVERY TIME AFTER CATARACT SURGERY?
Recovery time after cataract surgery is usually very quick, and within a few days most patients can return to their daily activities, with vision improving over time.4 You may experience some mild discomfort after cataract surgery, such as itching or inflammation, so your doctor may prescribe eye drops to help prevent infection.4 After surgery, your doctor will monitor your healing progress at scheduled appointments a day or two after surgery, the following week, and then again after one month.4
WHAT STEPS SHOULD YOU TAKE IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING CATARACT SURGERY?
If you have cataracts, you have an important choice to make when it comes to the kind of vision you want after cataract surgery. Talk to your doctor about your treatment options as well as your vision goals, if you are considering cataract surgery.
Lead the Conversation
You have options when it comes to your IOL. Take the self-assessment quiz on SeeTheFullPicture.ca to learn which cataract lens may be right for you.
REFERENCES
- Cataracts. Mayo Clinic website https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cataracts/symptoms-causes/syc-20353790. Updated June 23, 2018. Accessed April 6, 2021.
- CNIB. 2022. Blindness in Canada. https://www.cnib.ca/en/sight-loss-info/blindness/blindness-canada? region=on. Accessed October 13, 2022.
- Cataracts. National Eye Institute. Available at: https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/cataracts. Last updated: August 3, 2019. Accessed: November 5, 2021.
- Mayo Clinic Staff. What you can expect [Cataract Surgery]. Mayo Clinic. Available at: http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cataract-surgery/basics/what-you-can-expect/prc-20012917. Last updated: July 30, 2013 Accessed: August 20, 2018.
