Using eye drops correctly after surgery

After cataract surgery, most patients go home with two or three kinds of eye drops to use for about four weeks. How well the drops are used makes a real difference to the healing process, and many older patients find them difficult at first. Here is the routine our nurses teach.

Wash your hands with soap first. Sit or lie down with your head tilted back. With one finger, gently pull down the lower eyelid to form a small pocket. Hold the bottle above the eye, without touching the eye or lashes with the tip, and squeeze once so a single drop falls into the pocket. Close the eye gently for one to two minutes and press lightly on the inner corner, near the nose. Do not blink hard or rub.

If you use more than one drop, wait at least five minutes between them, so the first is not washed out by the second. Your nurse will write the order and timings on a chart; tick each dose off as you go, as it is easy to lose count over the day. Keep the bottles closed, away from sunlight, and never share them with someone else, even if they have had the same surgery.

If you cannot manage the drops yourself, ask a family member to learn with you before you leave the hospital. Call us if you have increasing pain, redness or a drop in vision, rather than waiting for your follow-up date. Do not stop any drop early, or continue it longer, without your doctor’s advice.