It's normal for the eye to be red, gritty, and itchy for a while after cataract surgery. It is common for there to be some discharge of clear fluid. After a week, even minor discomfort should go away. In most cases, healing will take 2 to 6 weeks.
There are several reasons why your eyes may become red and itchy after cataract surgery. One to two weeks after surgery, an allergy to eye drops can cause eye redness. Red eyes can also be caused by inflammation that needs to be treated. Call your surgeon if your red eye also hurts and the light bothers you.
Your eyes may be slightly red and bruised, but this is normal. It will disappear after a few days. If it's very red like blood, it's usually due to bleeding on the surface of the eye and isn't serious. It takes more than a week for blood to gradually absorb.
It has a diffuse red color, like the irritation of a pool, is due to the normal swelling that occurs after surgery and gradually disappears with postoperative eye drops. Remember that everyone is different and that it can take two to six weeks to fully recover from cataract surgery. While the recovery process is different for everyone, there are some problems that people often encounter in the days after surgery, as their eyes heal. Many patients with cataracts experience “unwanted visual images” after surgery, also known as dysphotopsia.
Here are 10 problems you may experience after cataract surgery, why they happen and what to do about them: high pressure in the eye (ocular hypertension), inflammation of the eye (uveitis), blurred vision, dry eyes, irritation of the surface of the eye (epithelial keratitis), residual refractive error (the eyes still need additional correction with glasses), opacity of the back capsule (PCO), unwanted visual images (dysphotopsia), nausea or vomiting, and light sensitivity. If you want to ensure that the operation and recovery process are short and smooth, it's important that you find the right surgeon and cataract clinic. The cataract surgeon will use a laser to make an opening in the opaque capsule, allowing light to pass through it for a clear view. They'll put on an eye shield and give you a pair of sunglasses to protect your eyes from bright lights and glare.
When it comes to eye surgery, it's natural to be cautious and wonder if procedures such as cataract surgery are safe. In the first few weeks after surgery, surgical incisions and medicated eye drops may cause irritation to the surface of the eye. When the surgeon makes the necessary incisions to reach the lens, a small number of nerves are cut from the surface of the eye. Don't be scared if your vision is blurred or distorted; it may take a while for your body to adapt to the new implanted lens that replaced the eye's natural lens.
At this time, you may be measured if you have new glasses, depending on how much you've healed and if your vision has stabilized. Other causes of continuous blurred vision include residual refractive error (the eyes still need additional correction with glasses), dry eyes, or opacity of the back capsule (PCO). Later, after surgery, the area of the incisions may still cause surface irritation, sometimes for several months. Sometimes blurred vision is caused by PCO, a fairly common complication that can occur weeks, months, or (more often) years after cataract surgery.
