What to Expect

Below are some common questions about Cataract Surgery. If you have additional questions, please contact us.

Before the consultation, make a list of all of the symptoms you are experiencing as well as any medications you take, both over-the-counter and prescription. We will assess your eyes and get a full medical history to ensure you are a good candidate for cataract surgery. You will undergo a visual acuity test and a refraction. We will take several measurements of the shape of your eye. We will measure the pressure and do a slit-lamp exam to examine the entire eye. We will also perform a dilated fundus exam, which gives us a better view of your lens and the retina behind it. After the exam and all measurements your doctor will discuss the surgery with you and review appropriate lens options with you. Finally our knowledgeable staff will schedule the procedure and review all insurance factors and costs.

After cataract surgery, do not rub your eye or get foreign substances in it like soap or shampoo. Avoid heavy lifting or other strenuous exercises, and avoid swimming or using a hot tub to lower your risk of developing infections. You also want to avoid wearing makeup shortly before and after surgery. Stay away from dusty areas or areas with debris that can irritate your eye. While many patients are comfortable driving within a day or two of surgery, we advise caution until we have checked your vision and cleared you for driving.

There is only one treatment option when you have a cataract-clouded lens — cataract surgery to remove the lens and replace it with an artificial intraocular lens. If left untreated, the cataract will continue to progress, eventually leading to blindness in the eye. The speed at which cataracts worsen is variable. The good news is that once you are ready, cataract surgery is one of the safest, most effective surgeries in the world. In the U.S., the success rate with this surgery is over 98 percent.

We participate with all major insurance carriers, and financing options are available through Care Credit. While the laser and premium lenses are not typically covered by insurance, Cape Fear Cataract & Cornea can assist with your payment options for advanced cataract surgery technologies.

You and your driver can expect to be at the surgery center for 1-2 hours. This includes time to prepare for surgery, time for eye drops and sedation, surgery and recovery. The actual surgery is often less than 10-15 minutes.

It’s natural to assume eye surgery must be painful. However, these procedures are actually very comfortable, and basically over before you know it. Between the sedative and the numbing drops, patients are very comfortable and we can add deeper sedation if needed. After the procedure the eye may feel irritated, but sharp or significant pain is not expected.

After your brief surgery, we’ll place a shield on your treated eye. We provide you with sunglasses to wear during the day and a protective shield to wear when sleeping for the next several days. Your vision will be blurry at first, but this tends to improve over a few days. Your eye may feel scratchy or itchy at first, but you must avoid touching or rubbing your eye directly. While you can resume most daily activities right away, you also need to be cognizant of avoiding high impact activities or actions such as heavy lifting, bending over, and other actions that move blood to your face. You will also need to avoid any dusty or dirty activities or going underwater during the recovery period. We provide you with eye drops that prevent inflammation and infection.

While everyone heals at a different speed, full healing can take up to two months, but you can return to normal activity in just a few days. You may or may not require glasses for some tasks after your surgery. This depends on the replacement intraocular lens you selected. If your other eye also has a cataract, we usually schedule the second surgery one to two weeks after the first.

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What Our Patients Say

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“Excellent physician! I feel very comfortable with him taking care of my eyes. He is a honest physician. Staff and office is wonderful! I would highly recommend him for all your eye needs!”

– DEBRA

“I moved to Wilmington 4 years ago and found Dr. Groat when I had an eye emergency. His precision and efficiency is undeniable. He has an existentive medical background that made me feel comfortable + his team is so sweet, they really made my experience bearable. I’ve been going back every year for eye exams!”

-CHRISTINA R.