Count on arriving an hour before your scheduled surgical procedure. Upon check-in the Doctor may offer you a form of sedation to make you comfortable before surgery. The team will then prep you for the procedure. The surface and surrounding area of your eye with then be cleaned and a sterile drape will be set up around it.
Your eye is now numbed with a local anesthetic or medicated eye drops. Once your eye has been numbed, your eyelids will then be placed in an eyelid holder that will prevent your eye from blinking during the surgery.
I tiny incision is made and using a technique called phacoemulsification, sound waves will be used to break apart the cataract. An extremely small ultrasonic probe is used to perform this procedure. The particles left behind from the high energy sound are then suctioned away gently.
A prosthetic lens called an intra-ocular lens (or IOL) is folded and inserted into the eye through the incision. The IOL is then unfolded and gently placed into a permanent position, replacing the natural lens of your eye. Because of the microscopic nature of the incision, and the natural outward pressure of the eye, the healing process is commonly very quick.
Intra-Ocular Lens replaces the natural lens of the eye.
The IOL is placed inside the capsular bag of the eye.
Pre-existing astigmatism can be treated with limbal relaxing incisions.
You are allowed to go home very soon after the surgery and it is recommended that you take it easy for the rest of the day. Although everyone heals at a different rate, most patients have improved vision right after the surgery has been completed. Your normal routine can be assumed after allowing yourself a day or two of recuperation.
