Preparing for a Cataract Evaluation

This is a brief overview of what you should expect during this process to help reduce any anxiety you may have about having surgery.

Examination Prior to Surgery

Once you have been diagnosed with cataracts, you and your doctor have determined it is time to consider cataract surgery, you will be scheduled for a Cataract Evaluation. During this visit, you will undergo a variety of tests and measurements which will help determine the appropriate lens implant for you. Dr. Stevens will then review your tests and make recommendations on the best treatment plan for you. Following, you will meet with the Surgical Director to review, in detail, how cataracts effect our vision, lens implant options, and to discuss post-surgical expectations. A surgical date will be chosen, and then pre and post-operative instructions will be reviewed. This comprehensive visit may take 2 to 2.5 hours. We encourage you to bring a family member or caretake with you.

Contact Lens Wearers

If you are a contact lens wearer, you will be required to stop wearing your contact lenses for a period of time, often two weeks, prior to having your pre-operative Cataract Evaluation. This is an important part of the process to ensure the best visual outcome from Cataracts Surgery.

Soft lens wearers should be out of their contacts for two weeks prior to their Cataract Evaluation. Rigid Gas Permeable or Hard Contact Lens wearers should discontinue their contact lens for four weeks before their Cataract Evaluation. Although the cornea for patients who wear gas permeable or hard contact lenses normally return to its normal state within four weeks, this process may take longer and you will need to remain out of your contact lenses until your cornea have stabilized.

Ocular Surface Hygiene

It is important that your cornea is in the best possible shape before having your Cataract Evaluation measurement completed. In an effort to prepare your eyes for these measurements, you should clean your eyelids, including at your lash lines, daily with warm water and a soft washcloth or lid scrub. You should use artificial tears 3 times per day, for two weeks, to ensure the best possible outcome from your testing. Below is a list of recommended brands of artificial tears you can find at your local pharmacy: