Initial Visit
Before deciding to have Cataract surgery, you will need an initial examination to make sure your eyes are suitable for surgery. Your doctor will take a complete history about your medical and eye health and perform a thorough examination of both eyes.

If you wear contact lenses, your doctor may ask you to stop wearing them before your initial examination (from the day of to a few weeks before), so that your refraction (measure of how much your eye bends light) and central keratometry readings (measure of how much the cornea curves) are more accurate.

At this time, your doctor will ask you if you:

  • Take any medications, including over-the-counter medications, vitamins and other supplements
  • Have any allergies
  • Have had any eye conditions
  • Have undergone any previous eye surgery
  • Have had any medical conditions.

Deciding to have Surgery
To help you decide whether Cataract surgery is right for you, your doctor and you will thoroughly discuss your expectations and whether there are elements of your medical history, eye history, or eye examination that might increase your risk or prevent you from having the outcome you expect. Your doctor will discover and then conclude:

  • Whether you are a good candidate
  • What are the risks, benefits and alternatives of the surgery
  • What you should expect before, during and after surgery
  • What your responsibilities will be before, during and after surgery

Before your surgery, your doctor will calculate the eye and calculates the power of lens that you will need. You must not eat or drink after midnight on the day of surgery.

Before your surgery, your doctor may ask you to temporarily stop taking certain medications that increase the risk of bleeding during surgery. How long before surgery you may need to stop these medications depends upon which medications you are using and the conditions they are treating. You and your doctor may need to discuss stopping certain medications with the doctor who prescribed them, since you may need some of these medications to prevent life-threatening events. For example, you may need medications that stop blood clotting to keep from having a stroke.