11.7.2022
Nowadays, cataract removal is a standard outpatient procedure. This intraocular operation holds the lead as the most common surgical procedure performed on the human body. In the Czech Republic alone, around one hundred thousand will occur annually. However, many patients postpone it until after the summer for the reasons of concern. At the same time, long delays can mean a significant deterioration of vision and quality of life.
Cataracts can be treated in the only possible way, and that is the replacement of intraocular lenses. The operation is painless, and the patient goes home accompanied by a close person immediately after the procedure. The return to everyday life is significantly faster compared to other surgical procedures. Even though cataract surgery is performed without restrictions all year round, there is still a myth among many patients that it is not advisable to undergo it during the summer months. “Cataract surgery can also be performed in the summer without any worries. However, it is necessary to consider postoperative restrictions, which must be taken into account, for example, when planning a holiday. After surgery, people should wait to drive a motor vehicle until the first check-up, i.e., the third to fifth day after the procedure. During the first two weeks after surgery, people should avoid heavy lifting or strenuous activities such as cycling or exercising, swimming, visiting a sauna or steam room, rubbing their eyes, avoiding dusty and polluted environments, wearing eye makeup, and preventing shampoo or soap from getting into the eyes and in the postoperative period, wearing sunglasses when outside in the sun is rather advisable. Patients should also follow the care recommended by the ophthalmologist along with the application of eye drops,” explained Eva Tihelková, head of the Gemini Eye Clinic in Prague-Průhonice.
How to recognize a cataract?
- decrease in visual acuity
- blurred vision, as if looking through the dirty glass
- blurred or double vision in one eye
- lower color contrast
In case of the above symptoms, the patient should seek the help of an outpatient ophthalmologist. The earlier the cataract is removed, the gentler the procedure and the faster the healing.
