If you or a loved one is soon to undergo one of the most common and very speedy operations of them all, a surgical procedure to remove cataracts from one or both eyes, it is extremely understandable to feel emotions such as worry, stress, anxiety, and even fear.
It is for this reason that it is important to be prepared as possible, both physically and emotionally, for the procedure and equally as important to remember that the operation itself only takes approximately thirty minutes from start to finish.
With that in mind, continue reading to learn how to thoroughly prepare for cataract-removal surgery for yourself or to help a loved one, family member, or friend on the day of the operation.
Once Your Cataract Surgery Is Booked
If you are feeling somewhat nervous, apprehensive, or even slightly frightened about your impending procedure, the best possible thing you can do is to learn as much as you can about the procedure as, as they say, preparation is always the best defense.
There are a multitude of benefits to cataract surgery, and familiarizing yourself with all of them will certainly alleviate your worries.
The Day Of The Operation
It will probably be of considerable comfort for you to learn that cataract removal surgery takes only approximately thirty minutes to complete from start to finish.
On the day of the operation, ensure you ask a close friend or family member to drive you to and from the hospital, as it is strongly advised by doctors and nurses that you do not drive immediately after cataract surgery.
You will be taken into a waiting area, and your blood pressure will be taken, as if your reading is too high, the surgeon is unlikely to proceed with the operation, and after your cataract surgery is complete, you will be asked to sit still and wait for your senses to return fully.
After Your Cataract Operation
After you have had your cataract removed, the nurse will inform you of the specific and exceedingly important elements associated with proper after-care.
Namely, you will either be given there and then or else handed a prescription for special eye drops that you will need to administer yourself six times a day for the first week of recovery, five times a day in the second week, and so on.
Additionally, you will be told that you must not engage in any strenuous physical activity, bend down so your face is parallel to the floor, do any dusting or cleaning, or do any gardening. A plastic eye covering will be affixed with surgical tape over your eye immediately after the operation, and you are to keep said covering on for the rest of the day and night before bathing the eye in the morning with special equipment provided.
It is also worth noting that usually, a person who has just undergone cataract removal surgery is told that they cannot drive for a minimum of 48 hours.
All of us have had those close calls in our life. For some reason though, I seem to be collecting them. Currently there are three that go above and beyond the normal close calls. I personally only remember two of them. I was a little too young for accurate memories of the first one. The other two I actually remember pretty well. Let's get started...