What Should You Expect After Eye Surgery?

Many individuals are understandably anxious during the days leading up to an eye operation, especially if it is a first time thing. Fortunately, most folks sail through their procedure and are back home before they know it.

But for many that's just when the real anxiety sets in.

"My eye looks somewhat red. Is there a problem?"

"I'm not seeing as clearly as I had expected. Is there a problem?"

"My eye sure feels a bit scratchy. Is there a problem?"

Compared to past decades, surgeons today spend more time engaged in preoperative consultation and that's a good thing. Nobody should consent to undergo any kind of procedure until they fully understand the proposed benefits, the potential for complications, and the availability of effective alternatives.

Nowadays more often it's the postoperative counseling that gets short shrift.

(Etymological digression about the phrase 'short shrift': A shrift is a penance imposed by a priest in confession to forgive past sins, often when the confessor was near to death. In the 17th century, criminals were sent to the scaffold immediately after sentencing and only had time for a 'short shrift' before being hanged. Who knew?)

Many patients head home from surgery with inadequate guidance. There are several explanations for this oversight:

• Busy surgeons are eager to move on to their next scheduled patient because O.R. time is extremely precious.


• Many patients receive a preoperative sedative to relax them during surgery. That sedative often renders them incapable of remembering anything. We call this anterograde amnesia.


• Many clinics bundle preoperative and postoperative counseling for the sake of administrative efficiency - only to leave the patient totally overwhelmed with instructions and a handful of handout materials.

And so, patients are prone to worry about anything that seems out-of-the-ordinary following an eye operation. Who can blame them?

Scratchy eye: Is it a temporary bout of postoperative dry eye or has a suture come loose?

Eye pain: Is it normal healing or an early warning sign for infection?

Bloodshot: Did this hemorrhage result from surgery or is something amiss?

Nobody wants surprises, especially after an eye operation. If you or a loved one is anticipating eye surgery make sure you clearly understand what to expect after the procedure. What are the most commonly encountered postoperative symptoms and how should they be managed? Inquire about what to do if a problem is suspected. In other words, when should the doctor be called?

Finally, and this is really important, make sure you have accurate phone numbers that will give you emergency access to your doctor during off-hours.

Related Topics:

• Activity After Eye Surgery
• Precautions to Take After Laser Eye Surgery