All surgeries have associated risk, but your surgical team has specific safeguards in place to provide the best possible outcome.
June is Cataract Awareness Month, a good time to learn about ways that your surgeon and surgical team prioritize patient safety:
- Patient consent — Before your procedure, you must give written consent to have cataract surgery. All forms should be written clearly, but be sure to ask office staff for clarification if any of the information is confusing. Read the forms carefully for details concerning the correct operative eye, the type of surgery to be performed (traditional or laser-assisted) and the type of intraocular lens (IOL) to be inserted. We have drafted these forms for your safety.
- Lens management policy — On the day of surgery, your surgical team will mark the eye on which they will operate, as well as your customized IOL, to make sure they are placing the correct lens in the correct eye. Marking the lens and the operative eye prevents errors.
- Time-outs — Before the procedure begins, your team will perform what is referred to as a “time-out” to verbally verify your name, date of birth, operative eye and IOL before beginning your procedure.
- Least invasive anesthesia — The anesthesia staff will use the least invasive form of anesthesia or sedative appropriate for your case. You may speak with the anesthesia team about your options.
- Infection prevention — You’ll be given prescription-strength antibiotic eye drops to administer during your recovery. Use these drops as directed to prevent inflammation and infection.
Talk to your ophthalmologist about patient safety measures during and after cataract surgery. We value your trust in our center, and we look forward to serving your vision needs.