Cataract Surgery – What to Expect
ON YOUR PROCEDURE DAY
What to expect on procedure day
It is normal to be a little nervous about having any type of surgery. At Hunter Street Eye Specialists you are in expert care. Our highly experienced medical and clinical staff, and our customer service team will be there to support you and answer any questions you may have.
The will ensure that this day is as stress free as possible. Read on below to understand what you can expect.
Procedure Day
You will arrive at City West Specialist Day Hospital and be met by one of our friendly reception team who will confirm your information.
Your eye will need to be fully dilated and this will be done over the next hour, during which time you will also meet our nurses for your pre-operative assessment.
You will then be taken into the pre-operative bay where further eye drops will be administered.
Patients first on the list will have a relatively short morning and patients later in the list will have to wait just a little longer. We stagger the arrival times to try to minimise your time at the day hospital.
When it is time for your surgery you will then be escorted through to the waiting area, where you will meet your anaesthetic doctor and he will carry out a medical assessment and a final check of your eye for dilation.
You will then be escorted into theatre where your doctor will meet you and local anaesthetic will be administered in the eye with eye drops. These drops can sting slightly when the anaesthetic is instilled.
The surgery is conducted whilst you are awake however, it is quick and because of the local anaesthetic, you will feel no pain and will probably see very little if anything at all.
At the conclusion of the surgery, you are taken to the recovery area for a cup of tea and a sandwich and then discharged.
Typically you will meet with your doctor at their office the following day, although on some occasions it may be as soon as that afternoon.
At this appointment your orthoptist will remove your eye patch, check your vision, and eye pressure. It is normal for your vision to be slightly fuzzy at this stage and this will improve over the coming days and month following your procedure.
We advise you to wear sunglasses to help with the brightness and glare.
Procedural Information:
Post-operative care
- There may be some discomfort in or around the eye as the anaesthetic wears off. This is normal. You may take up to two paracetamol (Panadol) tablets every four hours if needed.
- Leave your eye patch on until you are seen the following day at Hunter Street Eye Specialists, Parramatta. We will take this off for you and check your vision, making sure that your eyes are recovering well.
- You will be given a prescription for eye drops on surgery day of surgery. Bring the drops with you for day 1 post-op visit.
- Please bring the payment with you to the post operative check
- It is advisable to wear sunglasses outside. Your old prescription glasses may still be used for the unoperated eye if they help you see better. They will not harm the operated eye.
- DO NOT rub eye for a few weeks after the procedure
- AVOID swimming and body contact sports for 1 week
- You are ALLOWED to shower with eyes closed, however avoid getting shampoo or soap in eye
- We recommend that you consult with our clinical staff or doctor beforeDRIVING
- Use plastic shield over the operated eye for two nights – no pad required under plastic shield. Use Micropore to hold the shield in place.
- You are ALLOWED to sleep in any position when eye shield is worn
- Use eye drops as per post-operative instruction schedule
- Use eye drops in any order but important to leave 3-5 minutes between each type – one drop will suffice
- You are ALLOWED to bend
- You are ALLOWED to do most day-to-day tasks normally
- You are ALLOWED to fly
- You are ALLOWED to have a couple of standard serves of alcohol
Normal Symptoms
- Drops may sting
- Vision fluctuates for 2 – 4 weeks
- Gritty, scratchy, dry, foreign body sensation for a month due to eye drops
- Red eye that is comfortable and well sighted
Symptoms to look out for
- Flashes, curtains, or veils across vision
- Severe pain in eye
- Reduced vision
After-hours emergencies please contact Sydney Eye Hospital 02 9382 7111 and speak to the eye registrar.
Cost of procedure
Add extra intro heading / cost information here.
The cost of cataract eye surgery will depend on;
- Whether or not you have health insurance
- Level of Insurance
- What intraocular lens (IOL) you request or require
- If you are a full aged pensioner
- The complexity of your particular case, condition, and procedural needs
Will my health fund cover my cataract procedure?
Yes, but your level of cover and policy will determine to what level.
What is included in the cost of procedure?
- Surgery/Procedure
- Intraocular Lens
- Day Surgery & Theatre Fees
- Reviews related to procedure within the 3-week recovery post operative period
Why does eye surgery cost this much?
- The simple answer is advancing technology and quality control.
- The best ophthalmology equipment is costly to buy and to maintain and operating theatres must be made to strict safety standards.
- The clinical staff and technicians who assist us must be highly trained and constantly upskilled.
- We update software versions and diagnostic hardware regularly and we only use technology that has achieved aglobally recognised
- We provide an audio-visual suite for you to educate yourself with media and reading material.
- Our staff can spend as long as you need to learn about the procedure and satisfy yourself.
- You will always be seen by a doctor and not just by an assistant.
Is finance available?
If you would prefer to incur the cost of the surgery in instalments, we provide a list of financial service providers to choose from who offer medical procedure finance.
Note that your arrangements are with the finance company and not with us directly.
For many patients it is the most affordable option and one that removes a lot of the financial barriers.