What to Expect Before & During Cataract Surgery

Cataract surgery can sound intimidating, especially when you don’t know what to expect. In this episode of From the Doctor’s Desk, cataract surgeons Dr. Christopher Shelby and Dr. Wyche Coleman III walk through the entire cataract surgery experience—from preparing the night before to arriving for surgery, sedation, the procedure itself, and heading home afterward.Dr. Shelby also shares his unique perspective as a cataract surgeon who has undergone the procedure himself, describing what he saw and felt during surgery and how the experience compared to what he tells his own patients. The doctors discuss common concerns about pain, keeping your eyes open, anesthesia, medications, blood thinners, fasting before surgery, and the technology used to make modern cataract procedures more precise and comfortable.If you or someone you know is preparing for cataract surgery, this episode offers a reassuring look at what really happens on surgery day and answers many of the questions patients have before their procedure.