Cataract surgery is a common and effective outpatient procedure that can greatly improve vision and quality of life for people with cataracts. If you have cataracts in both eyes, you might wonder how long between cataract surgery on each eye. Is it better to have both eyes treated on the same day, or should there be some time between the two surgeries?
Understanding the timing of these operations is important, as it can affect how well you recover.
How Long Between Cataract Surgery on Each Eye?
Most of the time, surgeons remove the lens from one eye during the operation and leave the other eye until the next appointment. The most common time period between surgeries tends to be within 7 to 21 days. This enables the first eye to be healthy and if there are any complications then they are detected before operation is conducted on the second eye.
What is the Usual Recovery Period After Cataract Surgery?
It is usually possible to take about 8weeks for your eye to heal after you undergo cataract surgery.
At this stage, there is a slow enhancement of your vision. You will be discharged on the same day of the surgery with a protective pad or bandage over your eye and it will be worn throughout the first day. Mild discomfort may be expected in some areas and should improve within a day or two.
As for the following several days, you will likely require wearing a protective eye shield and avoiding exercises or any other activities that may cause high pressure on the eye; additionally, do not touch the eye for at least a week.
Despite these measures, driving should be discouraged for a while, and contact lenses and eye makeup should not be used until advised by a doctor. Further, specific eye drops shall be required for disinfecting the eye during the first weeks in order to reduce the risk of infection.
You will then have your eye checked following the surgery to determine the extent to which your vision has been enhanced by the surgery. For a follow-up, you might get a new prescription for your glasses.
What Are the Possible Complications of Cataract Surgery?
Cataract surgery is mostly safe, but like any other surgery this procedure also has its complications. Possible complications include:
- Blurred vision
- Double vision
- Vision loss
- Retinal detachment (where the retina pulls away from the back of the eye)
- A rare infection called endophthalmitis
- Allergic reactions to anesthesia
- Secondary cataracts (cloudiness that can develop after surgery)
Expectations When You Undergo Cataract Surgery on Both Eyes
Cataract surgery has a number of advantages. This may minimize your chances of falling since you will be able to see well and know people around you better.
There is a lack of studies addressing whether it is more effective to have cataract surgery in both eyes or only one eye. In fact, more than 90% of patients experience improvement in their vision after cataract surgery, whether they undergo it in one or both eyes.
If you require cataract surgery for both eyes, the best thing is to have the operations done simultaneously if your eye doctor permits it. A study done in Taiwan in 2021 revealed that, having both surgeries within 3 months could boost mental health.
Another Australian survey conducted in 2022 revealed that an individual who undergoes both eyes’ surgery might be at a lesser risk of falling.
FAQs
Why can’t cataract surgery be done on both eyes at the same time?
After surgery, you need to keep the treated eye covered. By spacing the surgeries a few weeks apart, you can see with one eye during recovery.
There is a rare but serious risk of infection if both eyes are operated on at the same time. This infection, called endophthalmitis, can spread between eyes and cause severe complications. Scheduling surgeries separately helps prevent this.
Can you see after cataract surgery?
Right after surgery, your vision might be blurry in the treated eye. It usually clears up within a few hours to days. For 95% of people, vision improves significantly once the eye heals.
Do you always need cataract surgery in both eyes?
No. Cataracts can develop at different rates in each eye. You might need surgery in one eye years before the other. Some people find that their vision improves so much after one surgery that they don’t need the other eye operated on.
Final Verdict
When it requires surgery in both eyes, it is significant to how long between cataract surgery on each eye so that recovery period can be respected.
This means that the next surgery should not be done in the next 7 to 21 days to allow the first eye to recover and the doctor to observe any complications that may occur after the surgery.