Understanding the Eye Surgery Procedures: A Comprehensive Guide
Eye surgery types can range from minor (biopsy) to major (glaucoma). There are also cosmetic procedures and easier laser ones. Splash Tears wants you to understand all the available surgeries in case you have to face one now or in the future.
Eye surgery involves the handling, removal, or repair of tissue in the eye or around the eye area. Oftentimes, surgery means cutting into the eye or its nerves. Your doctor may refer to eye surgery as ophthalmic surgery or ocular surgery.
Eye surgery post-op care
Eye surgery healing time can vary depending on the seriousness of your surgery. Based on the type of surgery your doctor performs, you may have to rest, take medication, wear a patch, or use eye drops.
Doctors recommend not rubbing your eyes or applying pressure for the first week. You should also avoid makeup and face lotions. Eye surgery post-op care is mild, and you won’t need to do anything extreme, but you should be careful. Avoid shampoo and soap falling into the area to prevent irritation. So let’s get started with the most common types of eye surgery.
#1 – Cataract
Cataracts cause your eye lens to become cloudy and can lead to blindness. Some symptoms that you may suffer from cataracts include difficulty seeing at night, foggy vision, and sensitivity to light. To fix this ocular disease, you can have eye surgery.
During surgery, your eye doctor makes an incision, removes your cloudy lens, and then replaces it with an artificial one (IOL). Without complications, the surgery should last one hour and be painless. You’ll receive local anesthesia in the eye(s) that need to be operated on. Eye surgery cataract is a minor invasive outpatient procedure, and you’ll need about four weeks to recover.
#2 – Corneal transplant
This type of surgery fixes eyesight issues. Your doctor may also recommend it to relieve pain or due to an underlying disease. Ocular anomalies such as blurry vision, thinning of the cornea, or a bad injury are common reasons to undergo this surgery. Your body will accept most transplants and will likely not develop complications.
Your surgeon will remove a circular portion of your cornea and replace it with the donor’s. The medical term for this surgery is penetrating keratoplasty. You should feel better in about 1 to 2 weeks post-op. Remember, your vision will still be blurry for about four weeks. You should wait to lift heavy items for a few weeks until your doctor clears you.
#3 – Strabismus
Strabismus is a misalignment of the eye. This disease occurs when the eye muscles are out of place. The earlier you detect, the better the outcome. This can be considered cosmetic surgery as it does not improve vision, but patients gain confidence in their appearance. This is an eye surgery to fix lazy eye.
During this surgery, your eye surgeon may shorten or tighten the muscles behind your eye by folding or cutting them. Sometimes surgeons also move the muscles around to tighten them. The recovery time can range from a few days to 12 weeks.
This surgery allows you to expand your visual field, gain better depth perception, and have better head posture. So don’t be afraid. The benefits of strabismus surgery outweigh the fear of undergoing surgery.
#4 – Glaucoma
There are two options for glaucoma surgery. Method one is laser. With laser surgery, a beam of light is aimed at the eye’s drainage system to remove fluid and release pressure. This method works well when the pressure is not too high. If you suffer from advanced glaucoma and the pressure levels are high, your doctor will recommend incisional surgery.
During incisional surgery, your doctor will create a small incision in your eye. This tiny hole will let the clogged fluid out by creating an artificial canal. By releasing the fluid, your eye pressure will decrease. Neither of these surgeries will reverse the damage caused by glaucoma, but they’ll stop the worsening of it.
The recovery time for glaucoma surgery can be long, ranging from three to six weeks. Your doctor will decide which kind of surgery fits your needs best and will make a recommendation based on your symptoms. If you want to learn more about this disease, check out this blog.
#5 – LASIK
Laser surgery fixes common eye issues such as myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. This surgery is an excellent alternative to wearing glasses and contacts. Most patients are happy with the results and enjoy lifetime success.
The surgery consists of a laser that cuts through your cornea to reshape it, allowing light to travel as it would naturally before eye diseases. The recovery can be quite fast, and you can resume daily activities in a few days. Remember, even though you can see fine and feel great, you still need to be careful, as actual healing time can take months.
#6 – Oculoplastic
Oculoplastic surgery treats many eye diseases, including tumors and blocked tear ducts. It’s mostly performed for medical reasons, but some choose to undergo it for cosmetic ones. Some surgeries under this category include fillers, orbital fractures, brow lifts, and eyelid lifts.
The procedures vary depending on the reason and type of surgery you undergo. The recovery time for oculoplastic surgery can vary depending on the procedure performed and your healing process. Some procedures may only require a few days of recovery, while others may take several weeks.
So, that’s all for today! We hope you feel better about eye surgery, whether you have one coming up or are considering one. Remember, if left unattended, a dry eye can cause eye inflammation, corneal damage, corneal ulcers, and even blindness.
Don’t let dry eyes stop you and take your vision. Protect and lubricate your eyes with Splash Tears. Our fast-acting eye drops have electrolytes to protect and hydrate your eyes throughout the day. You can find Splash Tears on Facebook and Instagram. For more eye care content, check the rest of our blogs. Grab your bottle of Splash Tears today on Amazon and say bye to dry eye. Follow Splash Tears on Instagram and Facebook for more eye care tips.
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