At Morgantown Eye Associates, we know that undergoing cataract surgery is a major step toward clearer vision and better quality of life. But just as important as the procedure itself is how you care for your eyes afterward. Our optometrists answer this important question.
Protecting Your Eyes After Cataract Surgery
I finally got my cataracts out, and they gave me some big sunglasses to wear, but are these required and for how long? Are there other precautions I should know about?
Yes, there are a few important things you need to know. First, let me explain the reasons:
Your natural lens inside your eye that became cloudy and required surgery to remove, had a major advantage over your new plastic intraocular lens (IOL) implant. The real lens you were born with was very good at absorbing or filtering ultraviolet UV radiation and blue light radiation from the sun.
Your new plastic lens should filter some UV light, but likely not all, and likely none of the blue light radiation. We advise all post cataract patients to wear full spectrum UV/blue light blocking sunglasses all the time outdoors. Even on cloudy days.
This gives full protection to the internal tissue of your eyes, plus prevention for eyelid skin cancers and other disorders that can develop on the surface of your eyes.
Your new intraocular implant lens was chosen with a prescription built in, similar to a contact lens. This lens should correct most of your vision prescription, but usually not completely. Most patients tell us that they see really well after the surgery, but when actually measured their vision is not truly 20/20. In our experience, almost all patients can enjoy sharper distance vision with a new mild glasses' prescription.
And because we advise most patients to choose the implant for strictly distance vision, we also put your near vision correction in the bottom of your glasses so that one pair of progressive lenses will provide sharp distance vision and excellent near vision too!
Although there are “multifocal” IOLs for both distance and near vision, and IOLs that can allow prescription changes fo r certain light applications, we find the best vision for driving is usually with distance only IOLs. They are fully covered by Medicare with no out of pocket cost to you.
Lastly, please be aware that the free sunglasses your surgeon gave you are mostly for physical protection, so you will not accidentally have any impact or trauma to your eye as it heals.
These “fitover” sunglasses may not provide full spectrum UV/blue light protection as well as true ophthalmic prescription sunglasses. Talk with your primary eye care doctor about these issues when you return to him or her after the surgery. Most patients can have their new glasses prescribed as soon as 2 weeks post op.
Want to find out more? Schedule a consultation today at Morgantown Eye Associates.