Doctors need to keep a close eye on the health of their patients after eye surgery. This involves conducting regular assessments and tests to identify potential complications before they worsen. Unfortunately, if your eye doctor does not monitor your condition carefully, they may not catch vision problems early.
Postoperative eye care
A person may undergo many types of eye surgery to correct or alleviate eye problems, such as cataract or vision correction surgery. After the operation, it’s standard for eye doctors to monitor patients regularly to check their condition. This includes a visit within 24 to 48 hours after surgery and regular visits for at least the first six months. To aid in your healing, you may be recommended to follow similar postoperative care at home, such as:
- Waiting one to three days before beginning noncontact sports
- Waiting up to two weeks before using lotions, creams, or makeup around the eye
- Avoid wetting your eyes, going swimming or using hot tubs for one to two months
Your doctor must set your expectations regarding pain, medications and healing duration. And as a standard of care, provide all necessary information about postoperative eye care to protect your eye health and prevent any risks.
What’s at stake
As with all procedures, like eye surgery, they come with certain risks and possible complications. These risks vary depending on the type of surgery you have. Some common complications that may occur after eye surgery include:
- Infection
- Bleeding
- Pain
- Vision loss or changes
- Retinal detachment
If you feel that the treatment resulted in any of these complications, you must visit your doctor as soon as possible to get your eyes checked.
Doctors are responsible for monitoring patients after eye surgery to catch any errors early and avoid any potential legal issues. As a patient, it’s important to advocate for yourself and let your doctor know if you experience anything out of the ordinary after surgery. However, even with advocating, doctors may face legal risks if they fail to follow the standard of care in monitoring your post-surgery health.