As an ophthalmologist, I perform a lot of cataract surgery in Traverse City, MI and the most frequent pre-operative questions I get from patients are “Does cataract surgery hurt?” and “Am I awake for cataract surgery?” On this page I would like to take you through the entire day of cataract surgery so you know exactly what to expect.
I perform cataract surgery at the The Surgery Center at Traverse City Eye located on the west side of Traverse City at 3830 West Front Street, Traverse City, MI 49684.
Can I Eat Before Cataract Surgery?
No. We ask that you do not eat or drink anything for at least 8 hours prior to surgery; however, it is ok to take medications with a small sip of water. To find out your arrival time for surgery, call The Surgery Center at 231-929-2500 between 1 and 5pm the day before surgery (the schedule isn’t finalized until the day before).
The Day of Surgery
When you arrive at the surgery center you will check-in and complete registration paperwork at the front desk. Next, you will be brought back in to the pre-operative area. Here a nurse will greet you and confirm on which eye you are having cataract surgery; they will also have you sign consent forms. You will have a gown placed over your clothes and asked to lay down on a mobile bed. You will remain on this bed/stretcher for surgery.
Following this, the nurse will place a numbing drop in your eye followed by a drop of dilute betadine to help clean the ocular surface. Next, multiple dilation drops will be placed in your eye; we want your eye dilated as much as possible for cataract surgery! You will also receive an IV in your forearm, this is so relaxing medications can be administered closer to the start of surgery. At some point during this process I will pop in and say hi and again confirm the plan for surgery and place a small mark above the correct eye. You will also meet some of our wonderful anesthesia providers who will help make sure you are comfortable during surgery; they will also ask you a few questions about your overall health.
In The Operating Room
When it is your turn to have surgery you will be wheeled back to the operating room. A circulating nurse and surgical nurse will introduce themselves to you. Your bed will be laid flat and you will be positioned for surgery. Monitors and oxygen tubing will be placed on you. More drops will be placed in your eye and you will hear our entire team talking with each other and helping prepare for your surgery. At this point you will also receive some relaxing medication through your IV (most commonly Versed). Next, one of the nurses will perform the final cleaning in and around your eye with betadine; at this point we ask you to keep your hands by your sides because we don’t want you contaminating this area. If you have an itch just let us know and we will sterilely scratch it! We then perform a team surgical team time-out and go through a checklist of items including your name, the eye having surgery, and the lens implant to be used, among other things. Next, a sterile drape will be placed over your face to create a sterile operative field. The drape is tented up over your mouth so that you can easily breathe and not feel claustrophobic.
The Actual Surgery
We are now ready to begin surgery. Your will now be numb from the drops that have been placed on it. I will place an instrument used to hold your eye open during the surgery so you don’t have to worry about that! It is most comfortable if you focus on keeping both eyes open and blink when necessary. We will periodically wet your eye with water drops so that it doesn’t dry out during surgery.
You will next see a bright light from the operating microscope, this is what I look through to perform your cataract surgery. We ask that you try and look at the light throughout the surgery, although we always have the ability to position your eye with instruments if you are having trouble looking in the correct direction. Don’t stress about being able to follow directions during the surgery, many people actually take a little nap during surgery!
During the actual surgery, you may feel some pressure and fluid around your eye, but you won’t feel any sharp pain because your eye will be numb. You will hear me asking for various instruments from the surgical nurse; we ask you not to talk during the actual surgery unless you are in pain or need something (talking causes your eye to move). The actual surgery usual takes between 15 and 20 minutes; most patients are surprised at how quickly it goes! Try to relax and enjoy the surgical experience, many patients comment on the beautiful “psychadelic light show” they see while the cataract is being removed. We also will have soft music playing to create a relaxed environment.
At the conclusion of surgery I will remove the speculum holding your eye open and take off the surgical drape. The room will spring back into bustling activity as we get ready to take you to the post-operative recovery area.
After Cataract Surgery
You will exit the operating room with a clear shield taped over your eye, the vision in that eye will be blurry and get progressively clearer throughout the rest of the day. It is also common for the eye to feel “gritty”, this is normal and is a result of all the drops we used before and during your surgery. You will be taken to the recovery area where whoever accompanied you to the surgery center will be waiting for you. I will stop by and let you know how everything went. A nurse will take your vital signs and ask you if would like anything to eat or drink. As long as you feel ok, you will be able to leave the surgery center as early as 30 minutes after the completion of your surgery. You will have an appointment to be examined the following day to check the vision and eye pressure in the eye that had cataract surgery.
Restrictions After Cataract Surgery
After surgery we ask that you take it easy for the rest of the day. Many people go home and take a nap. Please keep the clear shield taped over the eye that had surgery, this can be removed the next morning. At this point we only ask that you sleep with the shield in place for the first week after surgery, this is to prevent inadvertent rubbing or pressure on that eye.
The major restrictions after surgery include not bending over with your head lower than your heart (stooping or squatting is ok) or lifting anything heavier than 15 or 20 pounds. This is because these maneuvers can increase the pressure in your eye and theoretically cause the self-sealing incisions to re-open.
We also ask you not to go swimming for a week after surgery. You can shower the day following surgery, just don’t allow a jet of water to shoot directly into your eye. Also avoid make-up around the eye for the first few days after surgery.