Cataract surgery is undoubtedly one of the best surgical procedures for improving vision, but its recovery requires a little patience and care. One of the most common concerns of patients undergoing cataract surgery is how soon they can resume daily life activities like driving.
Generally, medical experts advise against driving immediately after cataract surgery. This is because the procedure can temporarily affect your vision, making it unsafe to operate a vehicle. Therefore, it is essential to arrange for someone to accompany you and drive you home after the surgery to ensure your safety and allow time for your eyes to recover properly.
In fact, the specific timeframe of recovery from cataract surgery varies from person to person. It is better to wait unless your vision is fully clear. In this blog, we will find out how soon you can drive after cataract surgery. Keep reading for the best guidance on your decision.
When You Can Drive After Cataract Surgery?
On average, most people can drive 24 to 48 hours after cataract surgery, ensuring they meet certain criteria. This includes your vision, which should be clear enough to see both at a distance and close-up. Only then can you see road signs and traffic signals clearly and drive safely.
If you feel redness, irritation, or dryness in your eyes even after 48 hours, it can affect your focus and reaction time. So, you should not drive unless your eyes’ comfort is fully restored.
Also, it is advisable to consult your eye care professional to determine when to get behind the wheel. They will assess your healing process and guide you accordingly.
Factors Influencing When You Can Resume Driving
Wondering why the timeline for driving after cataract surgery varies for every person? Well, different factors influence this timeline. Let’s discuss them:
Type of Surgery
The type of cataract surgery has a great role in deciding how long after cataract operation you can drive. For instance, if you have a standard cataract removal procedure, you can resume driving within 24 to 48 hours. However, variations like phacoemulsification or femtosecond laser-assisted surgery have different recovery periods.
If you undergo phacoemulsification, it is a minimally invasive surgery, and after a few days to a week, you can start driving. However, femtosecond laser-assisted surgery is complex, and you need to wait longer before hitting the road.
- Type of Your Intraocular Lens
The type of lens you got implanted during cataract surgery also affects your recovery timeline. For example, if you have a mono-focal lens, your vision gets clear very quickly, and you can drive after 24 hours. However, you may need glasses to drive at night.
For multifocal lenses, your eyes take a little longer to adopt the new lens, making driving dangerous for the first few weeks. So, always ask your surgeon about the lens implanted before making any decision about driving.
- Age
Age is another important factor in deciding how soon after cataract surgery you can drive. In older people, healing is slow, and the recovery period is longer because of other age-related eye conditions like macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy.
On the other hand, young people heal quickly and can resume driving faster than older people.
- Your Other Eye’s Vision
If you have cataract surgery in one eye only, the health condition of your other eye has a great influence on your ability to drive. If it has good vision, you can resume driving soon, but if it is compromised by some condition like glaucoma or macular degeneration, you have to wait for optimal vision in both eyes to enjoy comfortable driving.
Risks of Driving Too Soon After Cataract Surgery
Now that you know some basic factors that affect your recovery procedure, let us take a look at some of the risks associated with driving too soon after cataract surgery.
- In the first hours of cataract surgery, 75-100% of patients feel sensitivity to light, leading to unsafe driving.
- Because of the new intraocular lens, you may experience glare, halos, or difficulty in focus while driving. This premature driving can lead to serious road accidents.
- If your eyes have not fully healed, driving can trigger complications like infection or swelling, further delaying recovery.
Tips for Safe Driving After Cataract Surgery
Once you are ready to drive after cataract surgery, here are some essential tips to follow for a safe experience:
- For the first few weeks, avoid night driving, as you can experience halos and glare in low-light conditions.
- Start with short, familiar routes during day time to enjoy a comfortable drive.
- Avoid driving in extreme weather conditions like fog, snow, and heavy rain to avoid the risk of accidents.
- Choose slow and less busy roads to reach your destination, as high-speed roads can be a bad experience in the beginning.
- Also, try to avoid distractions like using your phone, eating or adjusting controls, as they can affect your driving badly.
Conclusion
We hope now you are clear about “how soon can you drive after cataract surgery?” Most people are back on the road within 24 to 48 hours, but safety comes first. So, don’t rush and always follow your doctor’s advice and wait till your vision is fully stabilized.
Still, if you need more clarification on something, you can consult our eye care specialists at Eye LASIK Austin to get the right care and guidance. This is how you can drive quickly with full confidence and freedom.
FAQS
How can I know if my vision is good enough for driving?
You can test your vision by checking your ability to focus on road signs and license plates and assess distances. If you are comfortable with all these focuses, you are ready to drive.
What to do if I feel discomfort while driving after cataract surgery?
If it happens, you must pull over immediately in a safe area and stop driving. Then, head to your doctor and discuss all the concerns.
How often should I go for follow-up visits before I start driving after cataract surgery?
You should go for follow-up visits after 1 or 2 days of surgery. The doctor will assess your healing and monitor complications to guide you on whether your vision is stable or not for driving.
