Does the Surgery Hurt?
Usually not. Most patients treated by Dr. Mahootchi or Dr. Chhabra
receive a mild short acting sedative by vein just before the procedure.
This relaxes the patient without completely knocking them out or
requiring life support. The same type of numbing eye drops used in
the clinic are used at the surgery center. But these drops numb
for longer.
More anxious patients may elect to "block the eye". This makes the
eye more numb and also makes it so the eye can't move or see during
the procedure. If you need a block, you will need to wear some tape
over the eye for about 4 hours afterwards.
Do I need to stop my blood thinners?
No. For routine cataract surgery, stopping aspirin, plavix or coumadin
is unnecessary. In fact, changing your medicine routine is not
necessary.For glaucoma or lid surgery the blood thinners should be
stopped as coordinated between Dr. Mahootchi and the prescribing
doctor.
Can I drive home after the procedure?
Not a good idea. It can take a few hours for the brain to adjust to the
new vision. You must bring a driver with you to your surgery.
Do I need to have an empty stomach before surgery?
No. You can eat a light breakfast up to 2 hours before surgery at our
facility. To avoid having to go to the bathroom during the surgery we
suggest no caffiene or dairy products that day.
Can I wear my make up to the surgery center?
No eye make up or mascara please. Wash the face clean before
coming.
I can't lie flat. Is that a problem?
We can work around most positional problems with our special beds
and equipment. For patient in chronic back pain we have several
techniques that can take the pressure off the back. For patients who
get short of breath easily, we can usually adjust the neck and back
position to make the surgery possible.
Can I wear my sleep apnea mask after the surgery?
We recommend not wearing pressurized sleep apnea masks for a
few nights after the surgery. These devices can blow dirty air into
the eye!
Should I stop my other drops like artificial tears or glaucoma
drops while using my cataract surgery drops?
No. In fact, stopping dry eye drops can slow your healing down.
Glaucoma medications should be continued. The cataract surgery
treats the cataract and not glaucoma directly.
Can I drive the next day?
Usually. You will usually see better after surgery without glasses in
the eye that had the surgery. We take out the lens on that side of
your glasses (usually) to give the best use of both eyes the next day.
Of course, one should use good judgement and if you don't feel you
are seeing well enough to drive....then don't. But most usually have
no problem driving the next day.
When can I play golf?
The next day. In general you can do anything that doesn't involve
the risk of getting something in your eye. So no weed-eating,
raquette ball, or mowing the lawn for awhile. Also, heavy lifting
should be limited to objects under 30 pounds for a few days.
Can I swim after the surgery?
You can get in water but probably shouldn't put your head under
water for a week after cataract surgery.
When can I shower after cataract surgery?
The next day is fine. It probably is a good idea to wash your hair
in away that the water falls to the back of your head and not over
the eyes.
When can I go to a beauty salon after cataract surgery?
The next day.
