Painful? – Is cataract surgery painful?

Cataract surgery is completely painless and there are no needles or injections involved. You’ll be awake during the procedure, but your eye and the area around it will be numbed beforehand, using anaesthetic eye drops. The nurse looking after you will insert a tiny pellet into your eye to dilate it before surgery. This ensures the surgeon has the best possible view of your eye during surgery and helps to minimise the risk of any complications.  

When your anaesthetic wears off a few hours after your surgery, you may feel some slight discomfort for a day or two, but don’t worry – this is usually minimal and can be easily managed with over-the-counter painkillers. Once your cataract surgery is completed, your nurse will talk you through your post-surgery eye care, ensuring you know what to do in terms of managing any mild discomfort and taking care of your eye after surgery. Following this advice will help your eye to heal as quickly as possible.