Information for patients

Welcome to our clinic! Unfortunately, due to our extremely busy schedule, we may not be able to greet you in person on this very important day and will only meet you in the operating room.

However, our organized team will make sure you help you through any challenges. We know that there is a lot of tension, anxiety and, of course, many questions for us. Therefore, we would like you to read this brief handout that can help you with your treatment.

The main goal of our “One-Day Surgery” – that is performed with the most advanced surgical techniques and personalized professional care – is to help you recover as soon as possible, so that you only stay in our clinic for a few hours.

On the day of the surgery, we ask you to come to our clinic rested and clean at the specified time, in accordance with the rules of sterile surgery. You will spend about 2-3 hours with us until you go home. You are not allowed to travel alone after the operation, so we ask you to come to the surgery with an escort!

You do not need to use eye drops before surgery. Of course, if you have been treated for cataracts, you should use your eye drops according to your medical instructions (and don’t skip it because of the surgery).

Please let us know if you regularly use Xalatan, Xalacom, Travatan or Duotrav, because we need to switch to new drops for a short time after the surgery. If you regularly take anticoagulant medication, please let us know, although it is not necessary to stop taking it as today's modern surgical techniques accommodates that.

If you regularly take any medicine, it should be taken as intended on the day of surgery. Our surgeries are performed under drip anesthesia, unless you have discussed this with your doctor, so eat and drink fluids as usual on the day of the surgery, and never arrive on an empty stomach.

The surgery is painless, but you may feel pressure and a sense of manipulation. If there is any pain or discomfort during the operation, we will provide additional anesthetic drops. Anesthesia, pupil dilation and eye disinfection take approximately 30 minutes.

The question often arises: how long will the surgery last? Well, this is partly determined by the experience of the surgeon and by the condition of your eyes, so it can vary.

We do our best to minimize your time in the operating room. During surgery, the doctor and the patient are in an oral communication: we prepare you for what to expect and what to look out for. Your head will be covered with a breathable blanket and your eyes will be widely opened with eyelid pliers so you can’t blink. Your only job is to look straight up at the light where your doctor directs you. During the operation, we make two 1-2 mm incisions on the edge of his cornea. Through these incisions, the grayed-out lens is emulsified by ultrasound, and after its removal, the artificial lens is inserted through them. The artificial lens opens in place and takes on its final shape. Our incisions are small, self-closing, so your healing is quick. Cataract surgery is currently the most advanced surgical procedure in the world. The surgery is performed with the most advanced instruments and technical devices in the world. At the end of the operation, you will receive a transparent bandage in front of your eyes that will protect the numb eye from injury. This can be taken off the next morning and then you need to start the eye drop therapy.

On the first day after surgery, you should apply eye drops to the operated eye. Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, a combination of anti-inflammatory and antibiotic eye drops is required: (usually Tobradex) 5x1 drops a day for a week, then 3x1 drops a day from the second week onwards, and an eye pressure lowering eye drop (usually Azopt) 2x1 drops for the first week only. It is important to wait at least 15 minutes between the use of eye drops, so that one active substance does not wash out the other. The total recovery time of the surgery is 6 weeks. Our patients can resume their normal activities the day after the operation. It is important to refrain from rubbing the operated eye so that dust and dirt do not get into it, and care must be taken to ensure that water (liquid) cannot come into contact with the eyes for at least 1 month. Please do not go to swimming pools or hot baths during this time! You must also refrain from lifting larger weights (up to 10 kg) in order to recover.

After the surgery, your vision may still fluctuate for a while, which is a completely natural process. It’s important to know that after single-focus glasses, you’ll definitely need reading glasses. Prescribe glasses only after the 6th week, i.e., after full recovery, and during this time a temporary reading glass is recommended. After 6 weeks, the operated eye will have the same diopter for the rest of your life.

In the case of multifocal lenses, our goal is that you no longer have to wear glasses. For this reason, do not put on reading glasses after surgery, but start practicing reading with the operated eye after a few days. If you put on glasses, the lens will not work perfectly. It is also important to note that this special lens works perfectly the next day for some, while some find it difficult to practice perfect vision in months (this affects 2 out of 100 patients in our practice). We urge them to be patient for half or even a year.

The day after the surgery, your doctor will check the operated eye at your appointment and will arrange additional dates for your follow-up check-ups.

Relatively often after the operation, you may feel stinging or a foreign body sensation in your eyes. This is temporary and it will go away on its own in a day or two. Patients report tearing more often after surgery, and this complaint can be alleviated by using artificial tear drops several times a day. Rarely, small hemorrhages may occur when the conjunctiva is touched. This is a cosmetic problem that lasts only a few days, and it is absorbed on its own. The amount of ultrasound energy used during surgery varies depending on the amount of lens opacity. If this value is higher, it can make the cornea temporarily cloudy and blurred – that influences the vision – which can be treated with eye drops. Very rarely, a small piece of cataract may get into the vitreous body when the lens is removed. In this case, the lens piece and the exposed vitreous body are removed with the help of a special instrument, and then the artificial lens is inserted. The most serious complication is inflammation, which can be avoided by regular and prescribed use of postoperative eye drops. Fortunately, this is very rare, but if it does occur, you should come to our clinic immediately!

 If your vision suddenly deteriorates or your eyes become red and painful, show your eyes to your eye doctor immediately.

If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact our colleagues with confidence!