How long before you can bend over after cataract surgery

Q: What happens when you bend over after cataract surgery?

Limit Strenuous Activity High eye pressure can interfere with the incision before it fully heals,” says Eghrari. Positions that put your head below your waist, such as bending over, can also increase eye pressure and should be avoided initially after surgery.”

Q: Can you lift and bend after cataract surgery?

Immediately after surgery, you shouldnt be bending down or lifting at all. Once youre cleared for light exercise, you should still minimize bending over to a point where blood rushes to your head. You should also avoid lifting anything that weighs more than 5 to 10 pounds.

You should be able to go home on the same day as your cataract surgery.

Table of Contents Show

When to seek help
Dos and don'ts
Using your eye drops
How to apply eye drops
How to clean your eye
12 things you can safely do and not do after cataract surgery
1. Do not drive on the first day after you cataract surgery
2. Do not lift heavy objects or engage in strenuous activity for a few weeks
3. Don’t bend over immediately after your cataract surgery.
4. Avoid heavy sneezing or vomiting should be avoided.
5. Avoid strenuous sexual activities for a few days.
6. Avoid swimming and using hot tubs for 2 weeks.
7. Avoid rubbing your eyes after cataract surgery.
8. Avoid shampoo getting into your eye after cataract surgery.
9. Carry on using your eye to read and watch television as normal.
10. Avoid wearing make-up for 1 week.
11. Take at least a day off work after cataract surgery.
12. Don’t put any cotton wool balls on your eye or under your eye shield you wear at night.
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You may have a pad and plastic shield over your treated eye when you leave hospital, which can usually be removed the day after surgery.

Feeling should start to return to your eye within a few hours of surgery, but it may take a few days for your vision to fully return.

It's normal to have:

grittiness
watering
blurred vision
double vision
a red or bloodshot eye

These side effects usually improve within a few days, but it can take 4 to 6 weeks to recover fully.

If you need new glasses, you will not be able to order them until your eye has completely healed, usually after 6 weeks.

Cataract surgery has a high success rate in improving your eyesight and should allow you to return to your normal activities, like driving.

When to seek help

Contact your eye surgery department as soon as possible if you experience:

increased pain and/or redness
decreased vision

Dos and don'ts

For the first few weeks after surgery:

Do:

use your eye drops as instructed
take it easy for the first 2 to 3 days
use your eye shield at night for at least a week
take painkillers if you need to
bathe or shower yourself as usual
wear your eye shield when washing your hair
read, watch TV and use a computer
use your shield, old glasses or sunglasses outdoors
avoid swimming for 4 to 6 weeks

Don't:

do not rub your eyes
do not allow soap or shampoo to get into your eye
do not drive until you get the all-clear from your doctor
do not do any strenuous exercise or housework
do not wear eye make-up for at least 4 weeks
do not fly without seeking advice from your doctor

You could arrange for someone to help take care of you until your vision returns, particularly if the vision in your other eye is poor.

If you work, how soon you can return will largely depend on your type of job and if you need new glasses.

Using your eye drops

Before you leave hospital, you'll be given some eye drops to help your eye heal and prevent infection.

It's important to use your eye drops as instructed by your doctor.

Unless told otherwise, you should:

start your drops the morning after the operation
only use them on an operated eye
wash your hands before using your drops
do not stop your eye drops without advice from your doctor
do not let anyone else use your eye drops

You'll be advised further about the use of eye drops at your follow-up appointment, usually 1 to 4 weeks after your operation.

At this appointment, you may be given advice on when to stop using your eye drops and when to apply for new glasses.

How to apply eye drops

Wash your hands.
Tilt your head back.
Look up at the ceiling.
Gently pull down the lower eyelid.
Squeeze the bottle until a drop goes into your eye.
Close your eye and wipe away any excess liquid.
Do not let the bottle touch the eye.
Safely dispose of the drops once you have finished your course of treatment.

How to clean your eye

Boil some water and allow it to cool.
Wash your hands.
Dip cotton wool or clean gauze in the cool boiled water.
Gently wipe from the inside (near your nose) to the outside corner of your eye.
Do not wipe inside your eye.
Do not wash your eye out with water.
Do not press on your eye.

During the first 2 weeks, you may need to clean your eye twice a day because the drops and the healing process can cause slight stickiness.

Find out more about cataracts on the RNIB website

Page last reviewed: 09 February 2021
Next review due: 09 February 2024

12 things you can safely do and not do after cataract surgery

I have talked about what you need to do after successful cataract surgery on my website jaheedkhan.co.uk, but I wanted to provide you with a definitive list of what you can safely do after cataract surgery, the things to avoid and more importantly the reasons why:

1. Do not drive on the first day after you cataract surgery

You don’t want to drive immediately after cataract surgery because your vision may be a little blurred and you may feel a bit of imbalance between the eyes.

2. Do not lift heavy objects or engage in strenuous activity for a few weeks

You don’t want to do heavy lifting or strenuous exercise because these sorts of activities can lead to transmitted pressure from your chest or abdomen to your eyeball. An increase in eye pressure could lead to your small self-sealing wound in your cornea opening risking infection. Your eye is one of the fastest healing parts of your body, so the reopening wounds, surgical or otherwise is rare. With that said, avoid heavy weight lifting at the gym and prolonged treadmill running for at least 2 weeks.

3. Don’t bend over immediately after your cataract surgery.

You don’t want to bend over immediately after a cataract surgery for the same reason as above. However, I do say that patients can safely bend over after the first day as the pressure transmitted to the eye is minimal.

4. Avoid heavy sneezing or vomiting should be avoided.

I appreciate that this is easier said than done, as these sorts of things tend to be beyond our control. I may discuss a delay to your cataract surgery if you are already sneezing due to allergy or a cold, or are unwell, to avoid the risk of a post-operative eye infection.

5. Avoid strenuous sexual activities for a few days.

I mention this because one of my private cataract surgery patients asked this exact question and wanted to use Viagra. Strenuous sex can lead to increased pressure in your abdomen and chest and lead to increased eye pressure. I advise abstinence for a few days to be safe.

6. Avoid swimming and using hot tubs for 2 weeks.

You’ll want to avoid indoor water sports in general, because swimming pools can harbour bacteria and you risk infection to the eye. Plus, there may be a tendency for you to rub your eyes inadvertently if water gets in them. I advise that if you must swim, that wearing goggles after the 2 weeks.

7. Avoid rubbing your eyes after cataract surgery.

I advise against rubbing your eyes after cataract surgery to stop you from inadvertently opening the small self-sealing wound we make to gain access to your eye during cataract surgery. I advise wearing a clear shield at night for a week after cataract surgery to ensure you don’t rub your eyes in your sleep and cause problems.

8. Avoid shampoo getting into your eye after cataract surgery.

You can shower, bathe and wash your face as normal but try to avoid irritants such as soap or shampoo getting into your eye whilst doing so. This will reduce the chance of getting an infection and causing the small wound to open.

9. Carry on using your eye to read and watch television as normal.

There is no harm to eye if you use it as normal. It will not slow the recovery after your cataract operation and it will not damage the eye.

10. Avoid wearing make-up for 1 week.

I advise against wearing make up for a week to reduce your chance of bacteria getting into the eye from make up brushes and products.

11. Take at least a day off work after cataract surgery.

“When can I get back to work?” is a common question patients ask me after cataract surgery. I generally say take off the first day after the cataract operation and return to work on the second day. If your job involves straining then it would be safer to leave work for 1 week.

12. Don’t put any cotton wool balls on your eye or under your eye shield you wear at night.

I advise against this, because these materials can release fine fibres that irritate the eye and increase the chance of rubbing and infection.

I hope this answers most of the questions relating to the recovery period after cataract surgery, but if you have any others, no matter how silly they sound, please contact me and ask.

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I am a Consultant Eye Surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital and Clinica London. My special expertise is in cataract surgery and conditions affecting the back of the eye, the retina, including AMD, diabetic retinopathy, and various other diseases of the retina.

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How far can I bend down after cataract surgery?

In general, you may bend as low as your hips. Avoid bending so low that your head is below your waist, for about one week, unless otherwise advised by your doctor.

What happens when you bend over after cataract surgery?

Limit Strenuous Activity “High eye pressure can interfere with the incision before it fully heals,” says Eghrari. “Positions that put your head below your waist, such as bending over, can also increase eye pressure and should be avoided initially after surgery.”

Can you lift and bend after cataract surgery?

Immediately after surgery, you shouldn't be bending down or lifting at all. Once you're cleared for light exercise, you should still minimize bending over to a point where blood rushes to your head. You should also avoid lifting anything that weighs more than 5 to 10 pounds.

When can I do housework after cataract surgery?

Additionally, try not to do any housework or cooking after cataract surgery for the first two weeks. If you cannot avoid this, wear your eye shield to reduce the risk of irritation and infection.