Cataract Surgery Day 3: What to Expect

By day 3 many people describe the change as obvious. The American Academy of Ophthalmology says most people see better within a few days, and colors that looked yellowed or dull through the cataract often look startlingly bright and blue now. Reading distance may still be off, especially if you are waiting on a new glasses prescription.

The gritty or sandy sensation may still be there. The American Academy of Ophthalmology describes the feeling that there is sand in the eye or that the eye feels scratchy as a known effect that should heal within a week or so, and notes it can last up to three months in people who also have dry eye. Preservative free artificial tears are what the AAO mentions for mild dryness, but check with your surgeon before adding anything to your drop routine.

The bending restriction from the first 48 hours has usually passed by now, so normal household movement gets easier. Strenuous exercise has not been cleared yet. Keep the schedule steady rather than testing how much you can do.