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Having cataract surgery
Cataract surgery - the concept. Courtesy of Alcon

The following instructions are intended to guide patients through the process of cataract surgery under Dr McKellar's care at the Day Stay unit at St Georges Hospital.

For more detail on the technical aspects of cataract surgery please see cataract-surgical treatment.

Prior to surgery

You will have received several documents including a prescription for eye drops.

Before your pre-admission visit please:

  • Complete the St George's admission form
  • Read the brochure entitled 'Cataract Surgery' produced by The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists
  • Note down any questions you want to ask Dr McKellar
  • Start using the Voltaren Ophtha drops three days before your surgery

Pre-admission visit

You will see Dr McKellar prior to your operation for a pre-admission assessment, usually on the morning of surgery. At this visit:

  • Your eye will be measured
  • Dr McKellar will finalise his surgical planning including advising on the best type of intraocular lens for your eye. You can find out more about this in the section on intraocular lens implantation
  • There will be a time to ask and have answered any questions.
  • Legal documents including the 'Consent to Operate' are completed.
  • Your appointment times will be confirmed.

On the day of surgery

The following instructions are specific to Dr McKellar's patients and afternoon surgery. Please DISREGARD any other information you have read or been told by any other person.

  • Wear comfortable clothing; an open neck top is preferable but not essential. You will NOT need to change out of your clothes.
  • You may EAT NORMALLY. You do NOT need to fast and can DISREGARD the instructions on the St Georges form which are intended for patients having surgery under general anaesthesia.
  • Continue with all your usual medicines EXCEPT Pilocarpine eye drops. You DO NOT need to stop aspirin or warfarin.

At St George's

Please arrive at St George's no later than the time you have been given. Expect to be at the hospital for 2-2½ hours. During your time at the hospital:

  • A nurse will put drops in your eye to dilate the pupil
  • You will be placed on an 'eye bed'
  • Dr McKellar's anaesthetist, Dr Sharon King, will place a needle in the back of your hand (as a safety precaution) and will anaesthetise your eye
  • You will proceed to the eye theatre
  • Dr King will monitor your blood pressure, heart rhythm, and breathing during your operation
  • Dr McKellar will clean around your eye, cover the eye with a sterile drape and perform the surgery required.
  • During surgery you will be aware of light from the operating microscope, Dr McKellar's hands touching around your eye, and machine noises. You may feel mild pressure in your eye but not pain. For more detailed information on the technical aspects of eye surgery see cataract-surgical treatment.
  • At the end of surgery you will be transferred to recovery for light refreshments before leaving for home.

After eye surgery

There are just a few simple dos and don'ts following surgery.

  • Let Dr McKellar know if you have any concerns.
  • Be careful not to rub or poke your eye. Take care around small children, pets and in the garden.
  • You can shower and wash your hair at any time but don’t plunge your head underneath the water in the bath, swimming pool or spa for two weeks.
  • You may bend down and resume normal physical activities.
  • Take care when walking on uneven ground or down stairs, and when crossing the road. You will need time to adjust to your new vision. For this reason we recommend that you don’t drive the day following surgery.

Follow up

Following routine cataract surgery your eye will be checked on two occasions, the morning after surgery and again a month later. Patients with other eye diseases may need additional visits.

What is normal?

Following cataract surgery:

  • There may be some mild discomfort
  • It may take several days for the focus of your eye to settle and there may be some fluctuation in your vision.
  • Your eye will be more sensitive to light after surgery, so you may want to wear sunglasses for your own comfort during this time.
  • Any redness and bruising should be gone after two weeks
  • Pain, redness and decreasing vision are NOT normal

What is NOT normal?

Please let Dr McKellar know if any of the following occur:

  • Progressively worsening pain
  • Decreased vision
  • An increase in redness of the white of the eye

Eye drops

Eye drops are a very important part of cataract surgery. They reduce the chances of infection, pain and swelling. You will normally have three types of eye drops. Please let Dr McKellar know if you have ever had an allergic reaction to any of the medication in the eyedrops below.

If you were on glaucoma drops before surgery, continue these as usual. 

 

Drop Dose Begin Stop
Voltaren Ophtha 4 times a day 3 days before surgery 1 month after surgery
Chloramphenicol 4 times a day The day after surgery 1 week after surgery
Maxidex 4 times a day The day after surgery 1 month after surgery

 

Vision

Some people will have an immediate improvement in their vision after surgery, but for most patients it takes 3-4 weeks for things to settle down.

Glasses

It will take several weeks for the focus of your eye to settle. If all is well at the one month review you will be cleared to see your optometrist for new glasses. You will not do any damage to your eye if you wear your old glasses until this review.

Emergencies

If you have any pain, blurring or redness THAT INCREASES over a day, at any stage after your surgery, contact Dr McKellar immediately. The rooms' telephone number is (03) 366-1682. Outside of working hours call (03) 348-4155 or 021 -724-222.

If at any stage you cannot contact Dr McKellar urgently, ring Christchurch Public Hospital and ask for 'The eye doctor on call'.