Standard Cataract Surgery

Standard cataract surgery is typically offered to those who don’t mind wearing glasses after surgery. The main objective of this surgery type is to achieve an improvement to the clarity of long-distance vision.

Based in Brisbane, the day surgery is located one level under our offices where the procedure will take place. Prior to the surgery, our nursing staff will prepare you for surgery. This will include eye drops to numb your eye and dilate your pupil.

The surgery will take approximately 30 to 40 minutes, but you can expect to be in the hospital for around four hours.

For more information about preparation prior to the surgery, contact Toowoomba Private Day Hospital.

Cataract surgery is a very common, but intricate procedure. Once the local anaesthetic and sedation is applied, the operation is performed.

A small 2.2 mm incision is placed on the eye and the cataract is broken up inside the eye into tiny pieces and ‘vacuumed’ out. Once the cataract is removed, an intraocular lens implant is inserted into the eye. The whole procedure is generally painless, though it can be normal for patients to experience a slightly red eye, or a mild gritty sensation for a short period following surgery.

The lens implants used in standard cataract surgery are standard monofocal lenses. There lenses are an older, less sophisticated type of lens technology.
These lenses focus light from a single zone and do not correct astigmatism. The chances of needing spectacle correction for all tasks following standard cataract surgery is usually higher in comparison to surgery performed with newer technology lens implants, such as those used in premium cataract surgery, and extended vision cataract surgery, and laser assisted cataract surgery.

For most people, recovery following cataract surgery is relatively straight forward. We are all different, so the recovery we all experience will also be different.

You will be required to use an eye drop in the operated eye, four times a day for one month. It is normal to experience grittiness, redness, or mild irritation, and paracetamol or a non-steroidal agent may be used after surgery if required.