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Prima Saigon: Cataract surgery is a remarkable medical procedure that has enabled millions of individuals to regain sight and restore clarity to their vision.
This safe and effective treatment for cataracts — opaque areas that develop in the lens, affecting vision — removes the cloudy lens and replaces it with a clear, artificial one, eliminating the problem and restoring vision.
After you have had cataract surgery, you must follow any post-operative care and guidelines given to you by the surgeon @ Prima Saigon. Heeding their advice reduces the chances of developing after-surgery complications, including infection. It will help you get back to everyday life.
Suppose you’re thinking about getting cataract surgery. In that case, you may want to know how the procedure will affect you when completing normal daily activities, for example, driving. In this article, Prima Saigon will discuss what you can expect after cataract surgery, guidelines for getting behind the wheel, and some tips for safe driving.
The benefits of cataract surgery are an easy recovery with fast results of restoring vision in a short period, only a few days.
Straight after surgery, you will notice an immediate change in your vision, as the cloudy lens that dimmed the colors and restricted the light has been replaced with an artificially clear one.
During the initial recovery, your vision can be blurry. However, as the eye heals and regains sight, the colors will begin to look brighter, and the image will seem more straightforward.
Your blurry vision may clear up in as little as a couple of days, but it may take up to eight weeks for your eye to fully heal. While recovering after cataract surgery, it is normal for the eye to feel dry and itchy. It is essential to avoid rubbing the healing eye and wear eye shields while resting or during the night’s sleep.
As a result of the new clear lens replacing the cataract one, you can experience temporary vision changes during your initial recovery, but these should clear up relatively quickly. This happens as your brain tries to adjust to a new image the eye can now see as the new clear lens gives a different depth of perception.
Driving guidelines after cataract surgery
Clear vision is essential for safe driving, so you must wait for your dream to become clear before returning to the wheel.
You won’t be able to drive home immediately after surgery — your vision will be too blurry to be safe. You’ll probably have some light sensitivity and changes to your depth of field, too.
The side effects of the anesthetic used during your procedure will also affect your ability to drive (you may have been slightly sedated or were given some other form of drug for your surgery). Someone must help you home after your surgery, so make arrangements before heading to Prima Saigon.
The general guidance is to not drive for 24 hours — but this can vary from person to person. If your vision is still slightly blurred after 24 hours or you feel sensitive to light, do not drive.
Dr An Trịnh @ Prima Saigon is consulting a cataract patient
Suppose you have your cataracts operated upon at separate appointments. In that case, you will need to be cleared after each operation by your surgeon before driving again so they can assess your readiness and determine if your vision is safe for driving.
Tips for safe driving after cataract surgery
While recovering, if your vision is clear and your doctor agrees, you can begin driving again. However, there are some things you need to do to ensure you are safe on the road. Sometimes, you might have to wait until you receive new prescription glasses that match your cataract-free vision.
Most importantly, do not drive if your vision is blurred or affected by your surgery in any way. You must also be mindful of any potential visual distractions on the road and recover your vision before driving entirely. If you have blurriness in any parts of your sight, this could block out things you should be aware of when moving.
If you are still not used to your new depth perception, begin driving once you are. The changes in depth perception can make it hard for you to gauge how far or close something is from you, which is very dangerous if you are driving.
Driving after cataract surgery is possible, but only after receiving clearance from your doctor. If you follow the aftercare advice, recovery from cataract surgery is relatively quick, so it won’t be too long before you can begin driving again.
Some top tips for safe driving after cataract surgery include:
Sit in a comfortable position.
Avoid driving with open windows or have air vents on as it will make your eyes dry and uncomfortable, causing difficulty to focus on the road.
To avoid seeing glare and halos, as your eyes are still sensitive to the bright light, do not drive at night until the symptoms disappear.
Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun.
If you’re ever unsure about the current state of your vision, don’t drive. It’s always better to wait until your eyes are fully recovered to keep yourself and other drivers safe.
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