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Cataract surgery is a procedure where the lens, which has an opaque stain, is removed by surgical phacoemulsification techniques (FACO), femtosecond laser or extracapsular lens extraction (EECP), and soon after, replaced by a synthetic lens .
The stain that appears on the lens and gives rise to cataracts, arises due to progressive loss of vision and therefore is a consequence of natural aging, however it can also occur due to genetic factors and be congenital, in addition to happening after accidents in the head or severe blows In the eye. Better understand what cataracts are and other causes.
How is the surgery done
Cataract surgery can be done using three different techniques:
- Phacoemulsification (FACO): in this procedure local anesthesia is used, through the use of anesthetic eye drops in which the person does not feel pain during the surgery. In this procedure, the lens, which has an opaque stain, is aspirated and removed through a microincision, and is then replaced by a foldable transparent intraocular lens, without the need for stitches, which allows immediate vision recovery;
- Femtosecond laser: using the laser called Lensx Laser, this technique is similar to the previous one, however, the incision is made by laser, which allows greater precision. Soon after, the lens is aspirated and then the intraocular lens is placed, but this time according to the ophthalmologist's choice, being able to choose the folding or rigid one;
- Extracapsular lens extraction (EECP): despite being less used, this technique uses local anesthesia, and consists of manually removing the entire lens, thus removing the stain caused by the cataract, and replacing it with a lens rigid transparent intraocular. This procedure has stitches around the entire lens and your total vision recovery process can take 30 to 90 days.
Cataract surgery is a procedure that can take from 20 minutes to 2 hours, depending on which technique the ophthalmologist chooses to use.
Usually, recovery from surgery takes around 1 day to a week, especially when using the FACO or laser technique. But for the EECP technique, recovery can take 1 to 3 months.
How is recovery
During recovery, the person may feel sensitivity to light in the first days, in addition to a slight discomfort, as if he had a speck in the eye, however, these signs should always be reported to the ophthalmologist, during routine consultations to prevent the evolution .
In the first week of the postoperative period, the ophthalmologist can prescribe eye drops and, in some cases, antibiotics, being very important to always use these drugs at the correct time, in addition to avoiding the consumption of alcohol and drugs during this period.
Care during recovery
Other important precautions during recovery include:
- Rest for the first day after surgery;
- Avoid driving for 15 days;
- Sit only for meals;
- Avoid swimming or sea;
- Avoid physical efforts.
- Avoid sports, physical activities and weight lifting;
- Avoid using makeup;
- Protect your eyes to sleep.
It is still recommended to wear sunglasses whenever you go out on the street, at least during the first few days.
Possible risks of surgery
The risks involved in cataract surgery are mostly infection and bleeding at the incision sites, as well as blindness, when medical guidelines are not respected.
In cases of congenital cataracts, the risk of is greater, since the healing process of children is different from that of adults, in addition to the tissues of the eyes being smaller and more fragile, which is a factor that makes surgery more difficult. Therefore, follow-up after the procedure is essential so that the child's vision can be stimulated in the best possible way and that refractive problems (glasses degree) are corrected whenever necessary for better vision.