Cataract - IOL Hard plastic lenses - postoperative recovery period?
My mother got operated for Cataract and hard plastic lense was used instead of soft .(The decision was made by surgeon).
I have been told that the only difference is that the patients with hard lense take longer time to recovery and otherwise they both are of same quality -- Is that correct ?
Also - - How much time does it take for a person to recover to remove the bandage on the eye., open it for the vision check.
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
Yes. The rigid lenses require a larger incision in the eye to place them. Stitches may or may not have been required.
They may even be marginally of higher optical quality, but they are certainly not lower.
The vision should be present, and reasonably good, almost instantly. (subject to the performance ability of the rest of the eye). The surgeon will advise on the timing. What can't be determined for a while is the exact final refraction.
I would tend to prefer six weeks before being sure that the new prescription is stable.
Although most people are fine after four weeks, I've definitely had a few where surgeons have given the OK to refract, only to find two, three, weeks later their vision has slipped a bit.
(and they're not that happy paying to replace two-week-old lenses, as a rule.)
If the residual refractive error is quite large, and sufficiently troublesome, a temporary Rx may be worthwhile, but this should normally be done in the cheapest form available: no photochromic or varifocal lenses. The frame can be whatever desired: that can be re-used with the final Rx.
Optometrist, retired.