During cataract surgery, the cloudy lens in your eye is replaced with a clear artificial one. The artificial lens is a permanent solution. It’s usually made of plastic or silicone.
Most people have the operation under a local anaesthetic. This means that you’ll be awake during the operation, but you won’t feel any pain. The local anaesthetic will usually be given as eye drops, but occasionally an injection may be used or a combination of both.
If you think that having the operation with a local anaesthetic may be difficult, speak to your clinical team as soon as you can. It’s possible to have the cataract surgery under general anaesthetic in certain situations.
You should probably plan to be at the clinic for half of the day of your surgery. Your clinic will tell you when to arrive and when you can expect to leave. On the day of surgery, a member of the clinical team will tell you what will happen. You will normally be seen by the nursing team first, then by the ophthalmologist who will do the operation.
The main steps in cataract surgery are usually: · You’ll have eyedrops to widen the pupil in your eye.
- You’ll be asked to lie down flat on a comfortable trolley bed and keep your head still.
- You’ll have eyedrops or an injection around your eye, so you won’t feel any pain.
- You’ll have the area around your eye cleaned to help prevent infection.
- Your face will be covered with a clean sheet with a hole for your eye, to help protect you from infection.
- The surgeon will make a tiny hole through the front of your eye and the clear layer in front of the lens (the lens capsule). The lens capsule keeps the lens in place.
- Your eye will be numb, so you won’t feel any pain.
- The surgeon will break up the old lens with a probe that uses ultrasonic vibrations.
- The surgeon will remove the old lens with suction.
- The surgeon will put an artificial lens inside the lens capsule. The lens capsule holds the new lens in place.
- You won’t be able to see details of what’s happening during the operation. You might be able to see lights or shadows.
- You may hear the clinical team talking during the operation. It’s important that you remain still. The clinical team will let you know how you can communicate with them during the surgery, if you need to.
- The team will tell you when your surgery is finished.
Cataract surgery is one of the quickest operations you can have. Cataract surgery usually takes around 20 minutes. In some cases, it can be even quicker than this and some cases may take longer depending on your circumstances. Your clinical team will be able to let you know if your surgery might take a little longer.
At the end of the operation your eye may be covered with a dressing or more commonly with a clear eye shield to keep it clean. You will be checked shortly after the surgery. When your clinical team is happy with your eye, you’ll be able to go home. You won’t need to stay in hospital overnight.
