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Cataract surgery is typically a smooth procedure with a postoperative recovery period of around 4-6 weeks. During that time it’s usual to experience some mild side effects, which are completely normal. Of course, any surgical procedure comes with risks. While these are minimal with a cataract procedure, it’s important to know what these might be so you can seek immediate help should anything out of the ordinary occur.
Following any surgical procedure, there are some side effects to be expected. With cataract surgery, you might experience some or all of the following:
A gritty feeling in the eye
Itchiness
Soreness
Redness and/or a bloodshot eye
Excessive watering
Double vision
Blurred vision
Seeing wavy lines
Sensitivity to light
All of these are to be expected and tend to gradually improve within a few days. In some cases, these can take up to 6 weeks to rectify completely. You might also experience mild pain that can be treated with over-the-counter pain relief. In some cases, you might get bruising around the eye, similar to that of a black eye. This will be a minor response to any injection you may have received in this area. Again, this normally dissipates within a few days.
The most important thing to understand is that serious postoperative side effects following a cataract removal are rare. For most people, the operation is a simple, no-nonsense procedure from which it takes around 6 weeks to fully recover. After this, vision is greatly improved and life can continue as normal.
Many people will need both eyes treated for cataract removal. In such cases, this won’t be carried out at the same time. Your eye doctor will advise as to how long you should wait between having each eye operated on. This could be as short as 6 weeks apart if they’ve both evolved at roughly the same rate. Conversely, you might wait a lengthy period between the two as, very often, cataracts don’t form at the same speed in both eyes.
While it can be a worry knowing that you’re going to undergo surgery on your eyes, you should take comfort from the fact that cataract removal is one of the most common procedures carried out around the world. The success rate is extremely high and serious side effects are rare. The key takeaway is the positive impact on your life that the operation brings, with better eyesight being something that’s truly beneficial.
