Cataract surgery - Recovery 

Recovering from cataract surgery 

Driving

If you have cataracts, it could affect your ability to drive. It is your legal obligation to inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) about a medical condition that could have an impact on your driving ability.

The Directgov website explains how to tell the DVLA about a medical condition. If you have been treated for cataracts and can read a number plate 20.5m (67ft) away with both eyes open you can start driving again.

Following cataract surgery, you can go home once you have recovered from the effects of the local anaesthetic (painkilling medication).

Arrange for someone to collect and take you home as you will not be allowed to drive. You may find wearing sunglasses or a hat when you leave hospital helpful because your eye could be sensitive to sunlight.

Also arrange for someone to take care of you for the first 24 hours after surgery. This is because full vision may take up to two days to return, though sensation usually returns to the eye within a few hours. Complete healing may take several months.

Follow up

Your ophthalmologist or a nurse will give you eye drops to help the eye heal and prevent infection.

You will be given a 24-hour phone number to call if you have any problems and a date for a follow-up appointment. Most ophthalmologists see the people they have treated one to three weeks after the operation.

Side effects

Side effects of cataract surgery are usually temporary. They can include:

  • an itchy or sticky eye and blurry vision for a few days after the operation
  • your eye may feel gritty for a few days
  • your eye may look red for a few days
  • a slight ache, which should pass after a few days
  • bruising of the eyelid or eye, which will usually heal within a week

Recovering at home 

Take it easy for the first two or three days after the operation. Continue to use the eye drops that you have been given as instructed, usually for about a month. New glasses can also usually be prescribed after about a month.

If you experience more than mild pain or loss of vision, or if your eye starts to go red, contact your hospital for advice. Painkillers, such as paracetamol, should ease mild pain.

Activities

In the past, the advice was not to bend after surgery, but this is no longer the case. You can bend, carry shopping, wash your face and hair, and generally carry on with life as normal.

You should:

  • try not to touch or rub your eye
  • keep soap and shampoo out of your eyes
  • do not wear eye make up for one week after surgery
  • do not swim for two weeks after surgery
  • avoid playing sports where there is a risk that you may get knocked in the eye, such as tennis, for around two weeks

You should be able to read and watch television almost immediately if you have reading glasses, but your vision may be blurry as your healing eye gets used to its new lens. You may have to get new reading glasses.

You can drive again when you can read a number plate 20.5m (67ft) away. You may have to get new glasses to be able to do this.


Last reviewed: 26/04/2012

Next review due: 26/04/2014

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15 Comments

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Comments are personal views. Any information they give has not been checked and may not be accurate.

baggie58 said on 26 April 2013

#gkcrjg - I have had exactly the same experience, worn varifocals, and was promised decent distance vision. Now it's back to front, can see perfectly well to read but distances all blurred. Not a happy bunny! certainly putting me off having my other eye done.

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portlandprincess said on 30 March 2013

I’m 50 and developed cataract over two years. I haven’t had many experiences with hospitals and learnt a lot from this one. I got worked up in the prep time and asked for time to calm down when the surgeon put the cloak over me – he didn’t have the best bedside manner and ignored my request.
• For the next cataract operation in the near future, I will go to my GP and ask for a sedative.

The operation was extremely quick, interesting and not in the least bit painful. I counted back from 100 to relax and managed to do this just twice before the whole procedure was completed. The surgeon then put a cloth patch on my eye and taped the plastic shield on top of the cloth patch.
• I should have asked why I had a cloth patch as all the other patients didn’t need this

This cloth patch stayed in place throughout the day and over night. I kept my eyes closed for 24 hours as any movement was very painful. Any movement caused my eye to run, very unusual for me as I have very dry eyes. I took paracetamol and ibuprofen every 2 hours in turn. This helped. The next day was much better. Taking the cloth patch off was very frightening as I didn’t know what to expect. My eye looked so odd, big black pupil and very puffy eye lid.

Now, just 48 hours on from the procedure, I am still taking paracetamol to ease the ‘gritty eye’ sensation. My eye lid is swollen and the white of the eye is pale yellow. However, I can see in 3D, colours are just beautiful and I am typing without the use of glasses. I can read the number plate of a car half way down the street. Yeah! It is just like a miracle. Next time I will be more prepared.
• Buy surgical tape for fixing the shield into place at night
• Have cotton wool to bathe eye with cooled boiled water
• I should have asked whether I could take other drops for dry eye

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Saint Jude said on 07 March 2013

First one done 3 days ago. Now almost 80 have worn varifocals for 50 years. Already not wearing specs except for reading. Naturally this is a bit blurry if I keep both eyes open as the lens in my specs does not match the treated eye. Amazed at the clarity of long distance vision in the treated eye. Understandably still a little sore but drops and paracetamol deal with this. Operation not particularly unpleasant - no worse than some dental treatments. More than happy so far Cannot wait to get the second one done and prescription for new lenses sorted (if necessary)..

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59liz said on 22 February 2013

I had my right eye done yesterday. The actual operation was very straightforward, I was awake throughout and didn't feel any discomfort at all. I went home about an hour after surgery.
My eye was streaming quite a bit after I got home and again this morning. It's a bit sore looking around as even when closed, it follows my other eye! It's like severe eye strain. My vision in my operated eye is already much better, I can't wait to go outside and test it, though i'm avoiding bright lights just for now as it sets my eye off watering again.
I would say to anyone worried about this procedure that it's not unpleasant, very quick and don't worry about blinking when you have it done!

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gkcrjg said on 15 February 2013

I had cataract surgury on 7 Jan 2013, I was told I would have longsight but would need specs for reading, but after all this time I can read at about 12/14 inches away but after that it's blurry, I told the follow up Dr and she told me I need distance glasses, I know what I was told and it's the opposite result, I am due to see my Optician next week before I have the other eye done in March, I am a bit sceptical of having the 2nd eye done. Has anybody else had similar problems?...

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Ruwari said on 08 February 2013

Ruwari Cateract Op Diary.
It is now Friday am and I had my cateract op Mon pm.Did'nt sleep well last night. Eye still very blood shot under lower lid and a little under top lid.. Wearing shield when sleeping. Putting drops in 4 x a day and bathing eye, not easy to do on your own.Want to go out and get some reading glasses but windy. As other eye is as bad and won't be done till May I need a balance. Without glasses I can see TV with new lens but not with other eye. If I put glasses on i can't see with new lens. Great fun for few more weeks! Bored!

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Ruwari said on 06 February 2013

Today is Weds 6th Feb. My cateract operation was Mon 4th Feb about 2.30am. The only complaint I have was no warning when injection went into my eye. Otherwise fine. Felt like walking in a prism at first. By four hours what i thought was a dull sea geen was actually Royal Blue!!!!!! If I dont rest my eyes they start to go blurry again. I am totally resting till end of week. Gradually using my eye more. This is my first the second cateract op is due in May. I am 64 years old.Drive and do yoga. I will not do yoga till next month. I will try and drive when I feel completely comfortable and clear.

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JeffersonStarship said on 31 January 2013

I had my right eye done 10/1/13 and my left is eye is scheduled for 28/2. For the first few days my r.eye was very painful and sticky however after a week it felt normal. Occasionally since it has felt gritty and sore however nothing compared to the first week. It has now been 3 weeks since my operation and the r.eye is doing very well and the level of discomfort has dramatically reduced. I had to wear an eye patch to bed for the first two weeks in order to protect my eye which was though uncomfortable very beneficial as no harm has come to my eye.

I am only 17 years old and was very concerned to hear that I had cataracts on both eyes in which developed into complete blindness from september 2012 to this January.

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Hippyknees said on 04 January 2013

Just tried to give 5star rating to this page and hit the third star first so average rating!
6days since surgery and advice was very useful. Thanks

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Hippyknees said on 01 January 2013

Today is the fourth day after surgery. The hospital advice led me to be very apprehensive and very scared.
I know they have to give the worst possibilities if there is an infection or accident but reading this was a huge help in getting perspective.
I had pain free, relatively symptom free recovery. Slight blurred vision and a persistent floater but have spoken to a specialist and it is apparently my eye settling down post op.
My eye looks and feels fine and it seems to have healed well.
I know it is not ideal but I have recovered on my own and looked after myself and have been fine. There were backup plans and I did prepare well. Baths rather than showers. Will wash my hair at the end of the week.
I am lucky that I have a high level of fitness and agree with the advice to go home accompanied. If I had had to deal with pain and discomfort being alone would have been much harder.
I know and have looked after people who have had this operation and I think my experience is more usual than the pain and discomfort one because no one I know has had any post op discomfort and their sight has been enhanced greatly.

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shropslass said on 16 November 2012

I had cataract surgery 5 days ago and the feeling I have in the eye continually is one of a contact lens in the eye. Is this normal or will the feeling subside when the lens has embedded itself? What substance are the nhs monofocal lenses made of, is it hard plastic or soft? The other problem being experienced is of ultra brightness in the operated eye, the whites being so white, etc. The imbalance between the two eyes is so vast that it gives a feeling of unsteadiness and slight nausea. Hopefully this will fade over the next few weeks.

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shropslass said on 15 November 2012

My cateract operation was just 4 days ago. I feel as though I have a contact lens in the eye and am very, very light sensitive. I wonder if this is how the eye should feel?

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herontye2 said on 03 September 2012

Both NHS and Private hosptal advice tells us to virtually do nothing post op.other than wear the eye shield at night and take the drops for a month. This totaly counters your advice above. Why?

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AlecJohn said on 02 July 2012

I had my eyes done over a 3 month period at Withington Community Hospital, and found the advice above spot on. No pain or strain was experienced, even though as a 76 year old I was a bit apprehensive prior to my first eye.

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BBarb said on 16 July 2011

My experience was not as good as expected so this was not at all helpful.

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