Cataract Surgery Recovery: It’s Easier Than You May Expect!

Cataracts are a normal part of aging. By the age of 80, about half of Americans have developed cataracts in one or both eyes. Some people unnecessarily endure hazy vision from cataracts by postponing or trying to avoid cataract surgery. What these patients may not realize is that while the procedure is technically a surgery, it is not a particularly difficult surgery to undergo or recover from. In this blog, top ophthalmologist Dr. Jay Schwartz explains the typical recovery process for his patients.

Cataract Surgery Recovery

Cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure, meaning that you can rest and relax after your surgery in the comfort of your own home. You may feel fatigued at first, but this should fade shortly. Discomfort tends to be mild and can be managed with prescription or over-the-counter pain medication. Your vision should be clearer than it was prior to surgery after a few days or up to a few weeks in some cases. By this point, you should have no trouble working or taking care of household tasks independently. However, full recovery takes longer, with your crispest vision arriving about one or two months after surgery.

Cataract Surgery Is Performed One Eye at a Time

While in many patients cataracts develop in both eyes, most leading ophthalmologists elect to perform cataract surgery on one eye at a time. This approach is intended to improve your comfort and ease — not because it is too painful to have cataract surgery in both eyes, but because it allows you to maintain eyesight in one eye while the other eye recovers from the procedure. If both eyes were operated on at once, you would temporarily lose the ability to see altogether and would have more difficulty caring for yourself.

Recovery Is Not the Same for All Patients

Though Dr. Schwartz has described the typical outcome for his patients, individuals can heal at different rates. You should not worry about slight differences in your recovery time. Follow-up appointments are an important part of the process so that Dr. Schwartz may check on your eyes and verify that healing is progressing without complications. While the complication rate is very low for cataract surgery — even more so when performed by a skilled ophthalmologist like Dr. Schwartz — it is helpful to have your doctor verify that your eye is healing correctly.

Schedule a Consultation for Cataract Surgery

If cataracts have begun to impair your sight, you can attain crisper vision with cataract surgery. Patients in Scottsdale, Glendale, Phoenix and Mesa, AZ can meet with Dr. Schwartz or his fellow ophthalmologist, Dr. Orry Birdsong, to learn more about laser surgery. Call (480) 483-3937 or 1(888) 553-3937 to arrange an appointment.