How long does cataract surgery really take?
The actual procedure usually takes only 10 to 20 minutes. Phacoemulsification, in which the surgeon uses ultrasound to break up and remove the clouded lens, is often finished after one to five minutes. Even so, two to four hours usually pass between entering the clinic and being discharged. The reason: preparation and observation afterwards take far more time than the operation itself.
Why the appointment still takes hours
Before the procedure, the pupil has to dilate fully. This preparation alone takes 20 to 30 minutes. Add to that check-in, changing clothes and disinfection of the area around the eye. After the operation comes an observation period of usually 30 to 60 minutes, during which the team checks that everything is proceeding normally.
A typical surgery day breaks down like this:
- Check-in and preparation: about 30 to 45 minutes
- Pupil dilation: about 20 to 30 minutes of waiting
- The actual procedure: usually 10 to 20 minutes
- Observation afterwards: about 30 to 60 minutes
The operation is almost always performed as an outpatient procedure, in a day clinic or during a short hospital stay. An overnight stay is usually not needed. Do arrange for someone to take you home, though.
What determines the pure operating time
How quickly things go in the operating theatre depends above all on the density of the lens clouding. With mild, early clouding, a few minutes of ultrasound time are often enough. A very advanced cataract with a hard lens nucleus takes noticeably longer. The overall operation still usually stays within the range of 10 to 20 minutes.
In rare cases, in about 0.5 to 2 percent of procedures, a complication occurs during the operation, such as a tear in the posterior lens capsule. Your surgeon deals with it directly within the same procedure. This extends the operating time, but it does not automatically mean a worse result for you.
The technique also plays a part. With the femtosecond laser-assisted method, a laser takes over individual steps in advance, such as the corneal incisions and pre-fragmentation of the lens nucleus. This additional step takes a few minutes and usually happens in a separate room. Overall, this approach often needs somewhat more total time than the standard method.
What you should plan for in practice
Keep two to four hours free on the day of surgery and do not book tight appointments straight afterwards. The exact times vary slightly depending on the clinic, the hospital and your individual findings.
If the second eye is also operated on, in Austria this usually does not happen on the same day. One to four weeks typically lie between the two procedures. This lets your eye doctor wait for the result of the first eye before scheduling the second appointment. So expect two separate appointments, each with a comparable time commitment.
The complete sequence from arrival to discharge is described in our article on the surgery procedure. How to prepare for the day of surgery is covered under preparation.
