While it is natural to feel apprehensive ahead of a surgical procedure, the great news about cataract surgery is that it has earned a reputation for being safe and highly successful. At the Laser Eye Center of Miami, our doctors want to make sure our patients know all of the details about cataract treatment, including just how long the procedure takes. Here is the breakdown:
Surgical Time vs Total Time
When patients ask how long cataract surgery takes, it is only fair to quote two numbers. The first is the surgery time, which in isolation, takes just 5 minutes. However, that figure can be a little misleading because you will have to be at the surgery center longer than that.
That is because there is prep time involved. Before your cataract surgery can begin, you must receive eyedrops to dilate your pupil, as well as anesthetics to numb the eye and mitigate pain during the surgery. You will also have to hang around a bit after the surgery so our doctors can evaluate the success of the surgery and your overall health.
At that point, after about two to three hours total, your outpatient procedure will be complete and you will be able to go home for some proper rest and relaxation.
Recovery Time
If what you are asking about is how long it takes cataract surgery to work, that is a different answer entirely. Depending on the severity of your cataracts and how your eyes respond to the surgery. Your vision is much better the next day, and continuously improves over the next months.
If Cataracts Need to be Operated on in Both Eyes
When a patient has cataracts in both eyes, your doctor will perform cataract surgery on one eye, and then, one or two weeks later repeat the process on the other eye. It is not unsafe to perform cataract surgery on both eyes during the same session, but this is not usually done.
Discuss Other Aspects of Cataract Surgery
The staff at Laser Eye Center of Miami is available to talk through any and all questions you may have about cataract surgery. To schedule a consultation, call (305) 443-4733.