Moving to the Recovery Room After Cataract Surgery
After your surgery for
cataracts is complete, you will be moved to a recovery room, where you will be monitored closely as you recover from the anesthesia. You will be kept here until your healthcare providers feel that you have recovered enough to go home, usually within an hour or so.
Depending on whether a numbing injection was used, you may have a patch on your eye after surgery.
Remember that your healthcare provider wants you to recover without any problems, so be sure to report anything that does not feel "right."
When you leave the medical facility after your surgery, you will be given specific eye-care instructions and discharge instructions for driving, activity level, medication, and any other necessary restrictions. Your healthcare provider will go over any symptoms that require medical attention.
You will need to have someone drive you home after your surgery, because your postoperative vision will be limited. If you have a patch on your eye, you will generally be instructed not to remove it until you see your doctor the next day.
You should rest for the remainder of the day and apply your eye drops as directed. You may notice your vision improving within a few hours. It will not be perfect at this time, but it should recover quickly.
You may feel some dryness or itching throughout the day and night, but you should have no pain.
To minimize the chance of infection after surgery, you should keep your hands clean and away from your eyes, avoid hot tubs and swimming pools for one month, and use the eye drops as directed.
You will return for a follow-up examination the next day.
