A cataract forms when the natural lens of the eye becomes cloudy because of age, trauma or disease. An ophthalmologist will suggest cataract surgery when the cataract interferes with a patient's vision. According to the Academy of Ophthalmology, cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure that generally takes less than one hour and is successful in about 95 percent of patients. Ophthalmologists use certain medications to prepare the eye for removal of the cataract.
Dilating Drops
Before the procedure, the eye doctor or surgical nurse will place a series of eye drops in the eye to dilate the pupil. The drops either paralyze the iris muscle that makes the pupil smaller or stimulate a different muscle that makes the pupil larger, according to the Pediatric Glaucoma & Cataract Family Association. Once the pupil is dilated, it is easier for the physician to remove the cloudy lens. Examples of dilating drops include tropicamide, cyclopentolate and phenylephrine.
Anesthetic Medications
Patients who have cataract surgery may receive a topical anesthetic to numb the eye before the surgery, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Ophthalmologists also may use a local anesthetic that is injected around the eye to keep the eye still during the procedure; this shot may also numb the eye as well.
Sedatives
During the eye surgery, the patient has to lie flat and not move around. Some patients may need assistance to do this; the doctors can give the patient an oral sedative or anti-anxiety medication, such as a benzodiazepine, to keep the patient calm during the procedure.
Antibiotics
Infection after cataract can be a serious problem, which may cause significant visual loss. Some ophthalmologists ask the patients to use an antibiotic eye drop during the days before the surgery. Other physicians place antibiotic eye drops in the eye at the beginning at the surgery and again after the procedure is completed. The doctor also prescribes antibiotic drops for the patient to use after the procedure as well.
References
- The Pediatric Glaucoma & Cataract Family Association: Commonly Used Dilating Drops
- AboutCataractSurgery.com: Your Cataract Surgery Procedure & Operation
- American Academy of Ophthalmology: Cataract Surgery (AAO)
- "Cataract and Refractive Surgery Today"; Antibiotics in Cataract Surgery; Samuel Masket, MD; Roger F. Steinert, MD; and Francis S. Mah, MD; 2008.
