Resources
We want you to feel comfortable and prepared for your visit at our Wytheville surgery center. Scroll through our resources and frequently asked questions about surgery, our center, and more.
Pre-Surgery
Feel prepared for your upcoming surgical procedure by knowing our required pre-operation instructions and what to do before your visit.
Yes, please follow the instructions for eye drops given to you by the surgeon prior to surgery. Further instructions on eye drops will be provided on the day of surgery in the recovery area and at your follow-up appointment after surgery.
Patients may NOT have any SOLID food 8 hours before arrival time to the surgery center. Patients are allowed to have CLEAR LIQUIDS up until 2 hours before they arrive at the surgery center.
A clear liquid is considered anything you can see through and does not have pulp. The following foods are allowed as a clear liquid:
- Water (plain, carbonated, or flavored)
- Fruit juices (except orange juice) without pulp, such as apple or white grape juice
- Fruit-flavored beverages, such as fruit punch
- Carbonated drinks, including dark sodas (Coke, etc.)
- Gelatin
- Tea or coffee without milk or cream
- Sports drinks
- Clear, fat-free broth (bouillon or consommé)
- Honey or sugar
- Hard candy, such as lemon drops or peppermint rounds
Ice pops without milk, bits of fruit, seeds, or nuts
The Day of Surgery
Arrive ready at our center prepared for your upcoming procedure. Read about commonly asked questions about what to expect on the day of your surgery.
Yes, you must have a driver present before your surgery can begin. We ask that your driver waits either in the waiting room (if they have been vaccinated for Covid-19) or they can wait in their car in the parking lot.
Yes, they are allowed to come inside, with a mask on, if they have been vaccinated for Covid-19. Drivers may also accompany patients into the surgery center who may need assistance due to a disability or a medical reason.
Instructions for taking medications on the day of surgery will be provided by the surgery center staff when they complete a pre-op call with you prior to the day of surgery. If you have questions about a specific medication, please call the surgeon’s office. The surgery coordinator will provide specific instructions if you need to stop certain medications before surgery (i.e., blood thinners).
On average, you will be at the surgery center for 2-3 hours from the time you check-in until you are discharged. However, this time range often varies depending on the day and situations that may arise. Staff at the surgery center will keep you and your family members updated.
After eye surgery, you will be required to have a driver take you home. You cannot drive yourself home after surgery due to the sedation you may receive and your impaired vision.
- You should dress comfortably on the day of surgery. We ask all patients to wear a short sleeve, loose-fitting t-shirt, or button-up shirt. This helps with hooking you up to the monitoring equipment and having access to your arms for IV placement.
- If you are scheduled for oculoplastic surgery, then you are asked to wear 100% cotton clothing and have no metal on your body. You should avoid wearing jeans, or pants with a zipper and button. Women are asked to wear a bra without a metal underwire as well. All jewelry must be removed prior to surgery.
You may bring a printed list of medications, but this list must be transferred over to our medication form that is required at every visit. You will be asked to complete this form prior to being admitted for your surgery.
Yes, every patient that has surgery at {location} Center For Sight is required to have an IV. This is placed to give you medications as needed before, during, or after the surgery. Even if you choose to not have any sedation, you are still required to have an IV in place for emergency situations.
Patients visiting {location} Center For Sight will have anesthesia care provided by a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). Your CRNA will work with you on an anesthesia plan that is right for you to help you stay relaxed and comfortable during and after surgery. Most patients are not put to sleep for their eye surgery. Patients are typically given medication through an IV that provides pain relief and a relaxed feeling that may also make them feel drowsy. However, most patients remain conscious throughout their procedure so that they can follow necessary instructions.
Most patients receive conscious sedation for eye surgery, not general anesthesia. With conscious sedation, you are awake and breathing on your own, but you are relaxed and comfortable and will be given medication through an IV to help you through the surgery.
Post-Surgery
Post-surgery, you and your doctor will go over specific care guidelines to ensure you’re seeing clearly again. Click to read commonly asked questions about what to do after surgery.
Yes, you may eat after surgery as you feel able.
You can shower 24 hours after surgery. If you have a patch in place after surgery, follow your discharge instructions about when you can shower. When you do shower, please be careful not to rub your eye.
You should not touch your eye for at least the first week after surgery. Touching your eye increases your risk of infection after surgery. Please be careful when using drops. Do not touch your eye with the bottle and do not rub or directly blot your eye with a tissue.
Eye drops are used after surgery to help prevent infection in the eye and to aid in the healing process. You will receive instructions in recovery with specific information about which drops to use and how often to use them each day. Most patients use drops for a couple of weeks after surgery.
Depending on the surgery, you can drive anywhere from 1-2 days after surgery. We recommended having someone drive you to your follow-up appointment the next day. If you have a patch on after surgery, you cannot drive until the patch is removed.
It is normal for your vision to be blurry for a few days to a week after surgery. It may take over a month for your eye to be considered fully “healed” after surgery.
It is normal for your eye to stay dilated up to 24 hours after surgery.
Sunglasses are provided for your comfort and provide protection for your eye after surgery. Your eye will be dilated after surgery and will be sensitive to sunlight and bright lights inside. The sunglasses help with this sensitivity. You must also protect your eye from getting hit or bumped during the first week after surgery. The sunglasses will help provide this protection. We encourage patients to wear the sunglasses as instructed by their surgeon.
For cataract surgery, you will be provided a clear shield to wear at night, while sleeping. This helps prevent you from reaching up and rubbing your eye in your sleep. Depending on the surgeon, you will be required to wear the shield for 3-6 nights. You will be given clear tape to place on the shield, taping it to your forehead and cheeks so it stays over your eye. Instructions on this will be provided in the recovery area.
Additional Questions
After the second visit, patients may report remembering a lot more about the process of being admitted, surgery, and even recovery compared to their first visit. This can be compared to seeing a movie more than once, your brain recalls more of the events throughout your visit because you are here for a second time. We assure you that the process is the exact same for both visits.
- These forms are required to be completed before every visit to {location} Center For Sight. If you come for multiple surgeries, we ask you to please fill out a new set of forms each time. These forms are required and they allow the surgeon to have an updated and documented history and physical on each patient for every visit.
- The same is true for the medication form. We are required to review and reconcile your medications each visit, make any changes to your current medications based on the surgeon’s request, and give you a copy of the medication form with your instructions.