3 Unusual Causes For Post-Operative Complications After Cataract Surgery

If you experience cloudy or blurred vision, or if colors don't seem as bright as they once where, you may have cataracts. This condition causes the natural lens of your eye to become cloudy, making vision dim and unclear. During cataract surgery the surgeon removes the natural, cloudy lens of the eye and replaces it with a clear, intraocular lens implant.

This is a minimally invasive procedure, and patients typically enjoy uneventful recoveries. There are certain things, however, that can lead to post-operative complications. Here are three unusual causes that may lead to complications after your cataract surgery and what you can do about them:

Smoking

While smoking can lead to health problems no matter when you smoke, it is especially dangerous to smoke after undergoing surgery. Cigarette smoking leads to the destruction of small capillaries in your body, including those in your eyes.

If you smoke after cataract surgery, the circulation to your surgical site may not be optimal. Because of this, healing may be slowed and you may be at greater risk for developing an infection. If you smoke, talk to your doctor about smoking cessation treatments such as nicotine replacement chewing gum or patches, medications, or even cognitive behavioral therapy.

If you unable to completely quit smoking prior to your cataract surgery, at least try cutting down during the post-operative phase so that adequate capillary blood flow to your eyes can be facilitated. 

Hay Fever

You may not realize how important managing your hay fever or other allergies is especially after undergoing surgery to remove your cataracts. Allergies often cause sneezing and coughing, which can raise the pressure inside your eyes, or intraocular pressure.

Your eye surgeon will want you to keep your eye pressure as low as possible during your recuperation period because high eye pressure can lead to damaged blood vessels and may even predispose you to glaucoma, which if not recognized and treated, may cause optic nerve damage.

At your first post-operative office visit, your eye doctor will remove your corneal eye cover, or metal eye shield, which is applied after surgery to protect your eye, and check your ocular pressure. While a temporary rise in intraocular pressure is normal after cataract surgery, extreme elevations will need to be treated with medicated eye drops. 

Tying Your Shoes

Stooping over to tie your shoes may not be prudent in the first few days following your cataract surgery. Stooping or bending over can also increase intraocular pressure and may even disturb your stitches, if you have them.

If you must bend down to tie your shoes or pick something up off the floor, do not put your head down. The printed instructions that your eye surgeon gives you upon discharge from the surgical center or hospital will probably mention this, but it bears repeating. Many people feel that briefly bending down to tie their shoes will not cause problems with their surgical site, but even stooping over for a second or two may lead to complications. 

If you are scheduled to have cataract, or any other type of eye surgery, take the above risk factors into consideration. After your surgery, if you develop severe eye pain, loss of vision, fever, or drainage from your eye, call your eye doctor as soon as possible. The sooner post-operative complications are recognized and addressed, the less likely you are to experience permanent vision problems. For more information, contact companies like Kolberg Ocular Supplies, INC.


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