What happens during cataract surgery
Patients often wonder what happens during cataract surgery. The procedure is a well orchestrated procedure and in talented hands, such as Dr. Malitz’s it is generally a ten minute procedure. First
- You are registered
- You are brought back to the clinical pre-op area
- Often you will change clothes and put on a hospital gown
- A nurse will obtain information about your medical and eye history
- The nurse will follow the doctor’s orders getting vital signs and give you eye drops
- When your eye is dilated, you will be brought to the operating room
- You will lie flat and be positioned on the operating room table flat on your back (let the staff know if you have trouble lying flat)
- If you wish you will be given medications to mildly sedate you
- The area around your eye will be cleaned with Betadine 10{60df113cd5a1cd00914727638812fb5300a840b86aa020a6e915251c64286fee} (let staff know if you are allergic to iodine or shell fish)
- A plastic drape will be placed around your eye
- A spring will be placed to hold your eye open
- Numbing drops (but no needles or injections) will be placed in the eye
- A small incision will be created in a three plane fashion and a side incision
- The eye will be filled with a jelly like substance
- The front of the lens will be peeled away to get access to the Cataract
- The lens will be vaporized with sound waves
- The remnants will be vacuumed from the eye
- A foldable lens will be placed where the cataract was to correct your vision (let the staff know prior to surgery if you would like to see without glasses and a special lens can be used)
- The wounds are hydrated and checked for leaks, the spring is removed
- You are given more drops and transferred to the recovery area
- You are discharged