When can I swim after cataract surgery?

Authorities do not fully agree here, so it is worth seeing both numbers. The American Academy of Ophthalmology's cataract recovery article says to wait two weeks before going in the water, to minimize the risk of infection and irritation. AAO's separate article on resuming exercise after eye surgery says swimming may be restricted for up to four weeks after cataract surgery. Both are AAO, and both are reasonable, so the honest answer is a two to four week range with your surgeon picking the number.

The concern is infection getting into the eye through the healing incision. StatPearls describes acute postoperative endophthalmitis as an infection occurring within six weeks of surgery, with an incidence of roughly 0.04 percent of cataract surgeries in the United States. It is rare, but it is serious: reported symptoms include reduced vision in about 94 percent of cases and pain in about 74 percent, and StatPearls notes pain can be absent in up to 25 percent of cases. That six week acute window is why the more cautious four week advice exists.

Treat hot tubs, lakes, rivers, and the ocean at least as cautiously as a chlorinated pool, not less. Warm standing water in particular is a well known source of bacteria. Goggles reduce splash but are not a reason to go back early, and no published guidance treats goggles as a substitute for waiting.

Showering is a different question and is usually allowed the day after surgery. If your eye becomes red, painful, or blurrier after any water exposure, call your surgeon the same day. Your operating surgeon's instructions override this page.