Pterygium Surgery Post Operative Advice

Post Operative Instructions:

• Your eye will be quite sore for about a week after the operation.
• Your eye may be red this will take 2 to 3 weeks to clear.
• Your eye will water.
• Clean your eyelids with boiled, cooled water if the eye is sticky in the mornings.
• Wash your hands before instilling drops or bathing the eye.
• Your eye will feel gritty, as though you have something in it.
• Your vision may be blurred for up to 6 weeks but should return to how it was before the surgery.
• Take simple pain killers such as paracetamol / ibuprofen if experiencing discomfort.
• Do not rub or put pressure on your eye for at least a week.
• Wear the shield at night for 1 Week.
• Avoid dusty environments.
• You should plan to take approximately 2 weeks off work dependant on what type of work you do. If you have any concerns about returning to work please speak to the ophthalmologist.
• You should wait to be advised by a professional that it is safe for you to drive. Usually if you were legal to drive before and your vision settles down after surgery then you should be able to drive.
• Avoid wearing make up for 1 week.
• Do not get your hair coloured or permed for at least 10 days after surgery.
• Do not bend over or do any strenuous activities such as biking, jogging aerobics for 2 weeks.
• We recommend that you avoid swimming for 4 weeks after surgery.
• You can watch TV, read as normal.

Contact us if:

• Your vision deteriorates.
• If you experience severe pain, not relieved by painkillers.
• If you develop a discharge from the eye.

Follow up

You will be reviewed in clinic 1 week after your surgery.

Potential Complications

The ophthalmologist will discuss the aim of your surgery and potential complications with you.

• Infection – you will be given antibiotic drops to use after the operation. The risk of infection is less than 1 in 1000.
• Side effects from drops – occasionally an allergy develops due to the drops or a pressure problem in the eye. The clinic doctor will check for these problems.
• The eye may still not have a perfectly smooth surface after surgery – continued lubricating drops are then required, or in some instances smoothing of the surface with excimer laser treatment.
• Scarring of the cornea and astigmatism.
• Recurrence – the pterygium could grow back again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I still need to wear glasses afterwards?

If your glasses were prescribed to improve your vision then the answer is yes.

Contacts: