Cataract surgery ia an outpatient surgery that usually takes 20-30 minutes to perform. Eye drops placed in your eye dilate your pupil. You’ll receive anesthetic eye drops to numb the eye and you may be given a sedative to help you relax. You are awake but sedated and comfortable during surgery.
During cataract surgery the clouded lens is removed and a clear artificial lens is implanted. In some cases, however, a cataract may be removed without implanting an artificial lens. This implant, known as an intraocular lens (IOL), is made of plastic, acrylic or silicone. You won’t be able to see or feel the lens. It requires no care and becomes a permanent part of your eye.
Most surgeons leave a patch or shield over the eye for one night. Eye drops are started either the day of surgery or the following day.