Patient Information Sheet Following Cataract Surgery

What to expect during the first few days after cataract surgery:

• Mild ocular discomfort
• Slightly red eye
• Slightly blurred vision

• Do not rub your eye! Even a small wound can rupture if you try hard enough.
• Avoid contact sports, diving, bungee jumping and heavy lifting.
• Do put your shield on at night for one week.
• Do put your drops in regularly.
• Do keep the operated eye clean.
• Do resume gentle exercise.
• Do keep mobile.
• Do use your vision if comfortable.
• You may take a shower, but a bath is not advisable during the first 2 weeks after surgery.

Infection after surgery:

Infections are always a cause of concern. The risk of this is very low, about 1 in 500. These are most common during the first week after surgery, but low-grade infection can be delayed. Infections can be successfully treated with antibiotics but these need to be administered promptly. It is important to contact your Ophthalmologist if any of the following warning symptoms or signs of infection develop:

• Decreased vision
• Increasing eye pain
• Increasing eye redness
• Increasing eyelid swelling
• Sticky discharge

Clinic secretaries: Vickie Hopkins and Alessandra Giordani 07947 578480 (mobile).

For emergencies and out of hours contact, please call Mr. H. Zambarakji via switchboard at the Hospital where you underwent your surgery.

Useful Information for Day Patients

You have been assessed to have eye surgery as a day patient. On the day of your operation, please expect to be in hospital for 3-5 hours. To ensure that your day is as comfortable as possible, we would advise you to take note of the following:

Driving:
Please do not drive on the day of your operation.

Clothing:
Please shower/bathe, wash hair as normal before arriving. Wear clean, loose-fitting, comfortable clothes and shoes for the day. Please bring with you a pair of CLEAN indoor slippers to change into during your stay.

Make-up & Jewellery:
Please do not wear any make-up or jewellery. The hospital will not be responsible for any loss of jewellery. Do keep your hearing aid in at all times, as we need to talk with you throughout your stay in the hospital.

Food & Drink:
You are allowed to eat and drink as normal.

Medications:
Please see below.

Discharge:
After your operation, you will be discharged home with eyedrops/ointment. The secretary will organize your follow up appointment after the operation (usually 1-2 weeks post operatively). If you think you will need help to instill eyedrops/ointment post operatively, please make arrangements with friends/family. As a last resort, approach your GP to arrange for district nurse services.

Going Home:
Arrangements for a driver/family member to accompany you home must be made in advance.

Instructions for patients undergoing surgery under topical or subtenon anaesthesia.

Fasting instructions:
None (you can eat and drink normally). We would recommend only a light meal before surgery.

Medications:
Please take all your medications as usual.

Instructions for patients undergoing surgery under general anaesthesia or local anaesthesia with sedation.

Fasting instructions

• If your surgery is scheduled in the morning, do not eat after midnight but you can have water only up until 2 hours before surgery.
• If your surgery is scheduled for the afternoon or early evening, do not eat anything 6 hours before surgery, but you can have water only until 2 hours before surgery.
• If you are diabetic, please discuss with Mr. Zambarakji what to do with your diabetic medications or insulin therapy.
• If your surgery is in the afternoon or the evening, please take your morning medications as usual. You should consult with Mr. Zambarakji regarding taking your tablets scheduled for mid-day or the evening.

Medications:

• Diabetic medications (tablets or insulin): please discuss with Mr. Zambarakji what to do.
• Heart/blood pressure tablets/inhalers to be taken before arrival (as usual).
• If you are on antiplatelets/anticoagulant medication, eg Aspirin, Clopidogrel, Persantin, Warfarin or others: please discuss with Mr. Zambarakji what to do. In general, no change to blood-thinning agents is needed before cataract surgery.

You are coming into hospital as a day patient/overnight stay.

Please bring with you all your medications on the admission day.

Please do not drive on the day of your operation.

A responsible adult must accompany you home following an operation under general anaesthetic or sedation and stay with you for the first 24 hours.

Prepared by Mr. H.J. Zambarakji
Consultant Ophthalmic surgeon