Our Doctors may advise you to avoid driving for a longer period of time, just to be safe. This means you should plan on having someone to drive you home immediately following your surgery and back to our office the day after for your follow-up visit. Cataract surgery is one of the safest, most successful surgeries involving the eye. Most people notice a significant improvement in their vision and can resume everyday activities, including driving, within 24 hours after cataract surgery.
Many patients want to know how soon after surgery they can safely drive. Here, we discuss the answer in detail. Cataract surgery requires anesthesia, and for this reason you will not be able to drive yourself home immediately after your surgery. Instead, you will be released into the care of a loved one and they will need to drive you home so you can rest for the remainder of the day.
In the past, many people opted to take a cab home, but recent regulations require that eye care facilities release patients to the care of a friend or relative. Sources used at the time of publication are provided in the Notes and References section. These may include peer-reviewed scientific research, data from government health authorities, and other trusted sources of information.
In most cases, a patient can start driving again the day after they have cataract surgery. Because cataract surgery requires mild sedation, you won't be able to drive right after your procedure. Routine cataract surgery is one of the most common and successful surgeries performed today. For those without other eye diseases, the results are impressive.
Most patients can start driving again the day after cataract surgery. But not all patients heal at the same rate , and some may have more complicated surgeries than others. For instance, some patients may get surgery for both glaucoma and cataracts at the same time.
In these cases, recovery can take longer and patients may have to wait longer to drive. Some people only need a day to recover and others need up to a week. Note: Cataract surgery does not aim to address or improve macular degeneration , so patients with AMD may have different expectations for post-op visual acuity.
For instance, you may also want to consider the following:. You might be surprised at how good you feel and how easy it is to resume normal activities even the day after cataract surgery. However, you should observe a few precautions during the first week or so, to make sure you avoid any complications during your cataract surgery recovery.
Your eye doctor typically will prescribe antibiotic eye drops to prevent infection and anti-inflammatory eye drops to help reduce any internal inflammation. You'll need to apply the eye drops several times daily for about the first week following surgery.
Depending on the amount of postoperative inflammation you have, you may need the drops for a few weeks to a month. Make sure you use these eye drops exactly as prescribed. Oral pain relievers such as acetaminophen may be prescribed, if needed. Typically, however, you should feel only slight discomfort after cataract surgery.
Don't drive on the first day following surgery. Immediately after the procedure, avoid bending over to prevent putting extra pressure on your eye. To reduce risk of infection, avoid swimming or using a hot tub during the first week of your cataract surgery recovery.
Don't expose your eye to irritants such as dust, dirt, wind and pollen during the first few weeks after surgery.
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