What to expect in the first 48 hours after cataract surgery

Modern cataract surgery is one of the safest and most successful operations in medicine, but the first two days afterwards are when most patients have questions. Here is exactly what to expect, hour by hour.

The first few hours

You will leave the clinic with a clear plastic shield over the operated eye. Your vision through that eye will feel bright, slightly hazy, and the colours may look unusually vivid — this is normal, and it is because your new intraocular lens transmits far more light than the cloudy cataract it replaced.

Mild grittiness, watering and a feeling that there is an eyelash in the eye are all common on the first evening. Simple paracetamol is usually enough. Sleep on your back if you can, with the shield taped on.

Day one: the review

You will be seen for a check the day after surgery. By this point, most patients already read two or three lines further down the chart than before, and by 48 hours the vision is usually crisp enough to watch television and read a phone comfortably.

What to avoid

For the first two weeks: no rubbing the eye, no swimming, no eye make-up, and no strenuous gym work or heavy lifting. Showering and washing your hair are fine from day one, provided you keep soap and shampoo out of the eye.

When to call us

Sudden loss of vision, severe pain that is not settled by paracetamol, or a rapidly increasing red eye are all reasons to contact the clinic straight away. These complications are rare, but we would always rather see you than miss something.

Every patient of mine has direct access to my team's 24-hour aftercare line for the first month after surgery.