changes in acuity after surgery
Last reviewed 01/2018
- 80-90% of eyes achieve a visual acuity of 6/12 or better after cataract surgery
- if eyes with pre-existing ocular pathology such as glaucoma or age-related macular degeneration are excluded, then this figure increases to 90-95%
- following phacoemulsification there is almost complete visual recovery within 24 hours of the procedure
- refraction might change slightly during the healing process and therefore it is usual to wait for a period of 2-4 weeks before prescribing glasses
- if the standard extracapsular extraction has been employed (i.e. without phacoemulsification) then it is usual to wait 8-10 weeks before prescribing glasses; also sutures may need to be removed