Eye surgery is usually planned in advance, so everything is ready for you when you arrive. The steps below are for cataract surgery, but most eye operations follow the same pattern. It is a day procedure: you go home the same day.
Leave your current mobile number at reception. We need to reach you during your recovery.
Before the operation
- Check in. Reception checks you in and confirms your details and your procedure.
- Consent. You read and sign the disclosure and consent forms. Ask about anything that is unclear before you sign.
- Final checks. A few measurements may be repeated, to confirm earlier findings.
- Drops. Drops are put in your eye several times in the waiting area, until the pupil is wide enough. This takes a while, so expect to wait.
In the operating room
You change into a gown, cap and mask, and lie back on a reclining chair. Monitors check your pulse and blood pressure throughout.
- Numbing. Anaesthetic drops numb the eye.
- Cleaning. The eyelids and lashes are cleaned with antiseptic, and your face is covered with a sterile drape. Fresh air or oxygen flows under the drape so you can breathe comfortably.
- Keeping the eye open. A small clip holds your eyelids apart, so you do not need to worry about blinking.
- The microscope. A bright light from the operating microscope shines on your eye. Most people see only light and colours.
During the operation, keep as still as you can and listen to the surgeon. If you need to cough, move or say something, tell them first.
After the operation
You are given your eye drops and printed instructions, which include the date of your follow-up visit. A staff member goes through them with you and whoever is taking you home. Someone from the clinic calls you the next day to see how you are.
Bring someone with you
Plan to have a companion take you home. Your vision will be blurred for a few hours, and you should not drive yourself.
This guide explains; it does not diagnose. Your doctor’s advice about your own eyes comes first.