Is Cataract Surgery Safe? Procedure, Complications & Recovery

Summary:

The new pattern of the day is not only to help people see properly following cataract treatment but also to help them see well even without glasses. This is the time of cataract surgery, optimizing the postoperative vision of the patient. But, is cataract surgery safe? What are the risk and recovery time?

What is Cataract Surgery?

Cataracts are the cloudy part that forms on the lens of your eyes. Due to this people with cataracts have a blurry or foggy vision. It is an age-based vision disease that mostly occurs as you keep growing.  

If you suffer from any of these symptoms, surgery might help:

If your vision becomes cloudy due to having a cataract, your doctor may suggest surgery to remove your eye lens and replace it with an artificial one. It’s a common and safe procedure, and when it’s done, you’ll be able to see better.

But the more cataracts grow, the more symptoms they cause. You could have a dim or blurred vision. You may also have double vision when you look at things through the eye with the cataract. These problems can make it hard to read, work on a computer, and do anything else that calls for clear eyesight.

The Procedure of Cataract Surgery:

The surgery usually takes well under an hour. Your surgeon will make a tiny cut in the front of your eye, sometimes with the help of a laser. Through this, they’ll put in a small tool to break up the cataract and draw it out gently.

  1. Next, they’ll put in the new lens, which is made of plastic, silicone, or acrylic, and close the cut.
  2.  Creating corneal incisions to allow the surgeon access to the lens
  3. Removing the anterior capsule of the lens
  4. Fragmenting the cataract 
  5. Creating peripheral corneal incisions to reduce astigmatism.
  6. It offers good long-term results, and 97% to 98% of all cases done by an experienced surgeon is successful and free of complications.
  7. During cataract surgery, local anesthesia -typically a mild sedative for relaxation paired with the precision of computer-controlled lasers. These tools make it possible for patients to feel little to no discomfort during a cataract procedure.

What Are the Complications?

Side effects of cataract surgery are rare when treated properly, but there are certain things that few patients might experience: 

  1. Eye infection or swelling
  2. Bleeding
  3. Retinal detachment — the breaking away of a layer of tissue at the back of your eye that senses light
  4. Drooping eyelid
  5. The temporary rise in eye pressure 12-24 hours after surgery.
  6. Retinal detachment

These complications can be treated and recovered over time very easily.

Recovery after Cataract Treatment:

  • Your doctor would definitely recommend you wear an eye mask when you’re sleeping for the first week. This covers the surgical site so that the eye can regenerate. If you are in pain or feel that your eye is not healing, as your doctor should be told immediately.
  • Usually, uncomplicated cataract operation just lasts about 15-25 minutes. Yet plan to stay in the operating room for 90 minutes or more, as you need more time to brace for surgery.
  • Your eyes will be completely restored after 8 weeks. Following cataract treatment, about 95% of patients are treated successfully and rest may have general complications, which can be recovered within weeks.
  • Strenuous exercise and moderate lifting (no more than 25 kg). Water that may spill into the eye or any such activities that may burden the eyes must be taken care of.

Conclusion:

Risks and complications are there in every treatment in any health industry, but that doesn’t mean you should not consult any specialist due to fear. If treated properly anything is possible. Cataract surgery is a safe and successful treatment that is carried out around the world to improve the vision. 

Learn more: Cataract Surgery

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