What You Need To Know Before, During, And After Your Cataract Surgery

At some point in your life, you’ll likely develop a cataract. It’s so common that almost 70% of people aged 80 or older have it! Simply put, a cataract is a clouding of the lens inside your eye. It can be so subtle that you don’t even notice it or so severe that it causes 100% blindness. In the beginning stages, you can combat this cloudiness with glasses or better lighting. However, when it starts to progress, cataract surgery will be your only option to restore clear vision. 

Cataracts can make daily activities like reading or watching TV difficult and make others, like driving, dangerous! You’ll develop increased sensitivity to the sun and may see halos around bright lights. If you suspect cataracts is the culprit, make an appointment with your eye doctor to be sure. 

If you’re considering cataract surgery, contact BoydVision for a free consultation. We’ll work with you to understand your specific needs and provide you with the best treatment possible. To help you understand the operation a little better, we’ve put together what you need to know before, during and after your cataract surgery, so there will be no surprises along your journey to better vision. 

Before Your Cataract Surgery

It’s common to feel anxious about any surgery, especially when it comes to your eyes. To put yourself at ease, remember that cataract surgery is one of the most common surgical procedures. Millions of people have had their vision restored thanks to cataract surgery. With such a common procedure being performed every day, there can be a significant waitlist. However, you can bypass this waitlist with BoydVision. 

We will perform a few standard eye tests to fully understand your condition. We will ask you to refrain from eating or drinking up to 12 hours before your surgery. We will also require you to stop taking any medications before the operation to prevent any complications. 

Cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure that takes less than an hour to perform. If you require surgery on both eyes, we will spread the operation across two separate occasions, allowing each eye to heal on its own. 

Make sure to arrange a ride home ahead of time too!

During Your Cataract Surgery

We use a topical anesthetic (eye drops) to numb your eye. If necessary, we also administer a sedative to keep nervous patients calm during the procedure. 

A small incision is made to remove the clouded lens. We replace this lens with an artificial lens implant. Only basic lens implants are covered by the BC government, but at BoydVision, we use premium lenses which can also fix any existing vision prescriptions. This essentially fixes two problems at once!

We have a number of lenses to choose from that will fix your cataracts along with astigmatism, presbyopia, or multi-focal issues. This way, we can give you the best vision possible.

The incision is self-healing and therefore does not require any stitches or bandages at the end of the operation. 

Recovering From Cataract Surgery

After your operation, you may feel some discomfort. You’ll be provided with eye drops to prevent any chance of infection and your vision may be blurry as your eyes adjust to the new lenses. 

For the first week, you’ll need to sleep with an eye shield. You’ll want to avoid any strenuous activity and be careful not to get any water into your eyes as this may cause an infection. 

Colours will seem quite vivid as you are finally seeing them with clear lenses too. It may take several weeks to 3 months for your eyes to fully adjust and heal. In some cases, follow-up laser eye surgery can be done to ensure the best final result. 

At BoydVision we want you to see clearly so that you can live life to the fullest. We’ll help guide you through the cataract surgery process and choose the right lenses for the best outcome. During your free consultation, you’ll be able to ask Dr. Boyd any questions you may have to help put your mind at ease. We will then schedule your procedure so you can start seeing clearly right away. 

To get started, contact BoydVision for your cataract surgery assessment at 604.430.9560.