Cataract Surgery

Preoperative Visit: During the preoperative visit, you will make 3 separate stops. Please allow 3 to 5 hours to complete all of these appointments.

First Stop:  You will view a preoperative Cataract Surgery Video and meet with Dr. Miller for an opportunity to ask questions. At that time you will decide whether you want to be far-sighted or near-sighted after surgery, understanding that no guarantee can be made as to the final refractive outcome. You will also need to decide on the type of anesthesia. Options include topical and injection anesthesia. You will sign Cataract Surgery Consent Forms at this time. You will be given the opportunity to have a corneal topography test to measure your corneal astigmatism. 

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Cataract Surgery Consent Form

2nd Cataract Surgery Consent Form

Second Stop:  You will visit the pre-anesthesia office where your completed History and Physical Examination form will be reviewed.

History and Physical Examination Form

Third Stop:  Lens calculations will be performed to determine the power of the intraocular lens implant to be used. If you wear contact lenses, you should keep them out prior to this visit. Soft contact lenses need to be out for 3 days. Rigid gas permeable (RGP) and other hard contact lenses need to be out for 3 weeks. 

Day Before Surgery: You must call the operating room at the Jules Stein Eye Institute between 1 and 3 pm to find out your arrival time. Do not eat or drink anything after midnight. Do not wear a contact lens in the eye having surgery for the 24 hours preceding surgery.

Operating Room: (310) 825-5031

Day of Surgery: Report to the A-level floor of the Jules Stein building. You may take your usual medications with a small sip of water if instructed by the pre-anesthesia staff. If you normally take insulin or other diabetes medication in the morning, do not take it the day of surgery. Wear comfortable clothing. Do not wear make-up or jewelry. Plan to be at the hospital about 4 hours. A responsible person must drive you home from surgery. By hospital accreditation guidelines, you cannot take a taxi home from the hospital unless a responsible adult accompanyies you.

After Surgery: Carefully follow the Cataract Surgery Postoperative Instructions. If you had topical anesthesia, you will be able to see from your eye immediately although your vision will probably be blurry. If you had injection anesthesia, your eye will be patched. Either way, your eye may feel sore, scratchy or irritated for 8 to 10 hours after the anesthesia wears off. Feel free to take Tylenol, aspirin, Advil, or whatever you would take for a headache if your eye hurts. You will return for a postoperative examination the day after surgery.

Cataract Surgery Postoperative Instructions