When preparing for going through the potentially life-altering procedure of a Cataract surgery, don’t forget to stop and ponder on the one most important question that you may ever have to ask yourself, and that is, ‘How long between cataract surgery on each eye?’ You should especially be pondering over this dilemma if you are going to have cataract surgery performed on both of your eyes. After all, we are sure that we can come to the same conclusion that the blessing of sight is too much to end up losing and can oftentimes prove to be life-altering.
According to us though, understanding the intricacies and methodology involved in the process of cataract surgery is crucial for you before you decide to finalize the procedure. You don’t have to worry for too long, though. This article is just the timely advice you need with everything related to the process of cataract surgery for your eyes. To be specific, in this article, we will be going through some typical recommendations from our side, the reasons behind waiting before getting the cataract surgery done on both of your eyes, some out-of-the-norm scenarios, and most importantly, how to go through this whole process for the best results.
Cataract Surgery: Starting Off With Understanding The Procedure
Like with any process, it’s important that you clearly understand the ‘what’ of the matter before grasping the ‘why’ of the situation. In this case, before going through and answering the question of ‘How long between cataract surgery on each eye?’ You should place most of your focus and energy on finding the answer to the question ‘What do people mean by getting a cataract surgery?’ and what meticulous processes it uses to benefit your eyesight and vision.
What we call a cataract, in actuality, is a clouding that appears before the natural lens inside your eye, which often ends up being the cause of many issues related to your vision like blurred out vision, faded colors, trouble seeing at nighttime, and, in the worst case scenario, blindness.
So, what happens in the aforementioned operation? This whole thing kicks off with your eye surgeon getting to and removing the affected areas of your eyes and then replacing it with a clear artificial lens, often referred to as an intraocular lens (IOL). Thankfully, the procedure itself is quick, lasting on average about 15-30 minutes, and is performed under the effects of anesthesia.
Estimated Times Before Getting Cataract Surgery On Each Eye
While it’s true that most eye surgeons have come to a consensus and have come to an agreement that it is optimal for your eyes that you grace your eyes with a rest period of anything from 1 to 4 weeks when getting a cataract surgery done on each eye. However, it also is a fact that the most common waiting period for a cataract surgery is estimated to be around something like 2 weeks. This time period allows your eyes to completely regenerate itself and get itself perfectly healed up. This assists your eye surgeon in clearly evaluating and observing the effects of the cataract surgery on your eyes before they make the all-important decision of moving in with the same cataract surgery on your second eye.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown of all the timelines of how long between cataract surgery on each eye:
- One Week Gap: In The Case Of Quick Recovery (These Cases Are Rare)
In rare cases, you will find the eye surgeon of your choice recommending a mere gap of only one week between cataract surgeries on each eye. This rarely happens, though, and is only advised to be followed through if the patient meets a set of certain requirements and specifications.
The first and foremost point of importance is that the previously scheduled cataract surgery that was already performed on your eye was carried out without a hitch and without any sort of complications or hurdles coming your way.
One more important factor that plays a role in getting a one-week break before having another cataract surgery performed is the overall health of the patient. Look at it this way: if your body is feeling good enough to recover at a rapid pace from the possible stress placed on it from the cataract surgery on your other eye, it might be healthy enough in a week to get another cataract surgery done on it.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, if the vision of your untreated eye is diminishing significantly and at a rapid pace, your eye surgeon might have no choice but to somewhat rush the cataract surgery for your next eye.
Eye surgeons might also provide a one-week relief period before cataract surgery for both eyes in case the patient’s professional life gets in the way. - The Golden Standard Of A Gap Of Two Weeks
As previously mentioned, many eye surgeons consider two weeks to be the optimal rest period for your eyes after cataract surgery. Don’t take just our word for this, though, as this claim is backed up by multiple reliable and trustworthy sources like Healthline and Medical News Today.
Let’s go over exactly why so many eye surgeons tell you to rest for two weeks before getting cataract surgery for both eyes:
The resting period of two weeks is the perfect time period for your previously operated eye to heal up from any kind of inflammation and swelling.
This cooling-off time of two weeks also gives your eye surgeon a good chance to look at the accuracy of the previously used intraocular lens.
While resting for these assigned two weeks, patients are also reported to experience massive improvements in their perception of depth and a better sense of their nervous system adapting to the changes brought upon by the cataract surgery.
Two weeks is also the perfect time for setting up some follow-up appointments. - Three To Four Weeks For The Extra Cautious Folk
Sometimes your eye surgeon might suggest you to take a bit of a break before proceeding to having a cataract surgery performed on your second eye. This break can last for anything from three weeks to a whole month.
There can be a multitude of reasons why your eye surgeon tells you to slow things down before having the same cataract surgery done on your second eye. But the main ones include the following:
The eye that had the cataract surgery already done on it is going through some complications and complexities in its healing process. These often are indicated by things like an extended time period of inflammation or swelling, your eye getting severely dry and unable to retain moisture, or a vision that is extremely blurry.
Extended resting times are also recommended when the patient is already going through some previously diagnosed health complications that end up having a severe negative impact on the body’s natural healing prowess. These include anything similar to diabetes and autoimmune diseases.
Sometimes, the call isn’t entirely on the eye surgeon to make but the patient themselves can also choose to have an extended period of rest if they are suffering from feelings of discomfort and anxiety.
Three or four weeks are also suggested when the patient can not travel freely for the surgery. - Surgery For Both Of The Eyes In The Same Day
We are sure you already might have a basic understanding of the title of this section. The process of Immediate Sequential Bilateral Cataract Surgery, or ISBCS for short, may be put forward by your eye surgeon if you are healthy enough. What this process entails is cataract surgery being done on both of your eyes in the same session. Keep in mind, though, that this is not a common practice in many regions of the world, such as the U.K. and the U.S., but it can be found to be more commonplace in some European countries, such as Finland and Sweden.
These are the conditions in which this process is applicable:
The patient’s health is perfectly normal and shows no signs of any defects or abnormalities.
Both of your eyes have cataracts of around the same severity.
When the patient doesn’t find themselves suffering any debilitating health conditions that may impede the recovery process, like eye infections and any other past complications.
The whole setting and atmosphere of the procedure are extremely controlled and sterile.
If the patient can’t travel freely and needs the surgery to be performed ASAP in both of their eyes.
Wrapping Up: Take Your Time, But Have Trust In The Process
We are sure you are well aware by now that cataract surgery can be quite literally a life-changing procedure. It can aid you in restoring your vision along with the color of your life and can bless you with a whole new perspective on life. So, a short wait and not rushing the process will go a long way in helping your eyes and making sure that you are not deprived of your vision forever.
