In most cases, the surgery is performed under local anaesthesia in the form of eye drops. During the surgery, pressure sensation is common and you may feel your eye being touched, but there will be no pain. Injected local anaesthetic or general anaesthesia are used only in exceptional cases. During the surgery, you should lie on your back as still as possible without moving your head. The surgery normally takes 20–30 minutes, rarely more. Throughout the entire procedure, your condition and vital signs such as heart rate will be carefully monitored, and a nurse will be there to ensure your comfort and safety. Our surgeons use the most modern method called phacoemulsification to remove the cataract. In this type of surgery, the eye’s internal lens is emulsified with an ultrasonic handpiece, aspirated from the eye, and replaced by an intraocular lens implant. This means that the artificial lens is inserted exactly where your natural lens was. The surgery involves very little blood and because a smaller incision is required, usually no stitches are needed. In the few cases where the stitches must be used, they are removed three or four days after surgery. Once the surgery has been completed, the eye is covered with a transparent shield, which protects the eye from injury and unintentional touching. You can also wear the protective shield during the night. It will be removed the next morning, during the first follow-up appointment. Most of the patients having undergone cataract surgery do not experience any post-operational pain. But you can take painkillers if you have a stinging sensation in the eye. Some patients report itching, mild discomfort and redness, sometimes also a foreign-body sensation, but in most cases, the eye recovers quickly and without complications. After a few days (or at most a few months), post-operative problems will disappear, even in patients whose eyes require more time to heal. Patients with dry eyes, poorer tear-film composition and patients prone to eye infections will likely have more post-operative problems. Cataract surgery often leads to reduction in intraocular pressure. Sometimes, the pressure increases temporarily on the operative and the first post-operative days. To avoid this, you will receive a Diamox pill, which reduces eye pressure. At the first post-operative check-up, you will be prescribed anti-inflammatory eye drops, together with written instructions on how to apply them properly.

If your eye is very sore and red, and your vision very poor, please contact the Surgical centre immediately.