Once you’ve decided to have cataract surgery, the questions change. You’re no longer asking whether it’s time. You want to know what the day will actually feel like, how long recovery takes, when you can drive, and what’s normal versus worth a phone call.
This guide walks through cataract surgery in San Antonio from the final days of preparation through full recovery, based on how the surgeons at Eye Associates of South Texas approach it. If you’re still deciding whether you’re ready, start with our article on the signs it’s time to see a cataract specialist. If you’re choosing a surgeon, see how to choose the right cataract specialist in Texas.
Before Surgery Day: Final Preparations
By the time surgery is scheduled, the most important planning is already done. At your pre-operative visits, your surgeon will have measured your eye, reviewed your health and medications, and helped you choose an intraocular lens (IOL), whether a standard lens or one of the premium IOL options designed to reduce dependence on glasses.
In the days before surgery, you’ll typically:
- Follow your eating, drinking, and medication instructions. You’ll get specific guidance on when to stop eating and drinking and whether to adjust any of your regular medications. Don’t stop a prescription unless your care team tells you to.
- Start any prescribed eye drops. Some patients begin drops before surgery. Your instructions will say which ones and when.
- Arrange a driver. You’ll receive sedation, so you can’t drive yourself home. Plan for someone to take you to and from the surgery center.
- Confirm where you’re going. Eye Associates of South Texas surgeons operate at hospitals and surgery centers in San Antonio, Seguin, San Marcos, and Hondo. Double-check the address and arrival time, especially if your surgery is at a different location than the office where you had your consultation.
Cataract surgery is most commonly done on one eye at a time, with the second eye scheduled after the first has had time to heal. That also gives your surgeon a chance to see how the first eye responds.
Surgery Day, Step by Step
For most patients, cataract surgery day is shorter and calmer than they expect. Eye Associates of South Texas surgeons typically perform cataract surgery with numbing (topical) anesthesia and light IV sedation, and patients are usually on their way home within a couple of hours of arriving.
Arrival and preparation
After check-in, a nurse will review your health history and medications, confirm which eye is being treated, and place drops to dilate your pupil and numb the eye. You’ll receive mild IV sedation to help you relax. You’ll be awake, but most patients feel calm and comfortable, and many remember little of the procedure.
In the operating room
Your face will be cleaned and covered with a sterile drape, and a small device will gently hold your eyelids open so you don’t have to worry about blinking. You’ll see bright lights and perhaps shifting colors, but you won’t see the instruments clearly.
If you’ve chosen laser cataract surgery, a femtosecond laser uses advanced three-dimensional imaging of your eye to plan and perform key early steps, including a precise circular opening in the lens capsule and softening of the cataract. Learn more about how this works on our laser cataract surgery page.
Your surgeon then makes a tiny incision, often around a tenth of an inch, and uses ultrasound energy to break up and remove the clouded lens. The new IOL is folded, inserted through the same small opening, and unfolds into place. These incisions are designed to seal on their own, which is why many cataract surgeries today need no stitches.
For some patients, surgeons also use ORA (Optiwave Refractive Analysis), which takes real-time measurements during surgery to help confirm lens power and positioning. If you have glaucoma, your surgeon may discuss whether a minimally invasive glaucoma procedure can be performed alongside your cataract surgery.
The surgery itself is usually brief. Most of your time at the center is spent in preparation and recovery.
Before you go home
After a short rest in the recovery area, you’ll receive a protective shield for your eye and written instructions. Your vision will likely be blurry, and your eye may feel scratchy. That’s normal. Go home, relax, and let your driver handle the rest of the day.
The First 24 Hours
Plan to take it easy for the rest of the day. Many people nap, and that’s a good idea.
Common, normal experiences in the first day include:
- Blurry or hazy vision as the eye settles and the dilation wears off
- A gritty or scratchy sensation, like an eyelash in the eye
- Mild light sensitivity
- Some watering
Wear your protective shield as directed, especially while sleeping, and don’t rub or press on the eye. Your first follow-up visit is typically the next day, when your surgeon checks eye pressure, healing, and early vision. Many patients notice brighter, clearer vision within the first day or two, though the timeline varies.
The First Week
This is when your daily routine matters most for healing.
Eye drops. You’ll usually use antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drops for several weeks. Keep a written schedule, wash your hands before each dose, and don’t let the bottle tip touch your eye. In 2019, Dr. Kavanagh became the first ophthalmologist in San Antonio to implant Dextenza, a tiny implant placed in the tear duct at the time of surgery that releases steroid medication over about 30 days and can reduce the number of steroid drops needed. Ask your surgeon whether a drop-reducing option like this is right for you.
Activity guidelines. Your surgeon will give you specific instructions, but common guidance during the early recovery period includes:
- Don’t rub your eye, even if it itches
- Avoid swimming pools, hot tubs, lakes, and rivers until you’re cleared
- Keep soap and shampoo out of the eye when bathing
- Avoid heavy lifting and strenuous exercise until your surgeon says it’s okay
- Skip eye makeup for a period after surgery
- Protect the eye from dust, wind, and debris
Driving and work. Many patients return to light activities within a few days. You can drive once your surgeon confirms your vision meets the legal standard and you feel confident. Desk work often resumes quickly. Jobs that involve heavy labor, dust, or chemicals may need more time off.
Weeks Two Through Six
During this stretch, your eye continues to heal and your vision stabilizes. Colors may look noticeably brighter and whiter than before surgery, which is a common and welcome surprise.
You’ll have additional follow-up visits to monitor progress. If you need glasses for any tasks after surgery, your final prescription is usually written once the eye is stable, often around a month after surgery. Inexpensive readers can fill the gap in the meantime.
If your second eye is scheduled, your surgeon will typically wait until the first eye is healing well. Between surgeries, your eyes may feel unbalanced, especially if you had a strong prescription before. Ask your care team how to manage glasses or contacts during that period.
Recovering From Cataract Surgery in South Texas
A few local factors are worth planning for.
Sun. South Texas sunshine is intense much of the year. After surgery, your eye may be more light-sensitive for a while, and UV protection matters for long-term eye health. Wear good wraparound sunglasses outdoors.
Heat and sweat. Summer heat means sweat can run into your eyes during yard work or outdoor activity. Keep a clean cloth handy, avoid wiping directly across the eye, and consider postponing strenuous outdoor chores during the first week.
Water. Tubing on the Comal and Guadalupe rivers, weekends at Canyon Lake, and backyard pools are part of life here. Rivers and lakes carry bacteria, so wait until your surgeon clears you before getting back in the water.
Dust and outdoor work. Patients from rural areas, including many of our Seguin, Gonzales, La Vernia, and Hondo-area patients, often work around dust, hay, and livestock. Protective glasses and a little extra caution during early recovery help keep debris out of a healing eye.
Warning Signs: When to Call Your Surgeon Right Away
Serious complications after cataract surgery are uncommon. In an American Academy of Ophthalmology IRIS Registry analysis of about 8.5 million cataract surgeries performed in the United States between 2013 and 2017, the rate of serious eye infection (endophthalmitis) after standalone cataract surgery was about 0.04 percent, or roughly 4 in every 10,000 eyes. Rare doesn’t mean impossible, though, and prompt treatment makes a real difference.
Call your surgeon’s office right away if you notice:
- Pain that gets worse instead of better
- Vision that gets worse after initially improving
- Increasing redness, swelling, or discharge
- New flashes of light, a shower of floaters, or a curtain or shadow across your vision
- Nausea or vomiting with eye pain
Your care team would always rather hear from you early than late.
Months or Years Later: If Your Vision Gets Cloudy Again
The cataract itself cannot come back. However, some patients develop cloudiness in the thin capsule that holds the new lens, sometimes called a “secondary cataract.” It can make vision hazy again months or years after surgery.
The fix is quick. A YAG laser capsulotomy creates a small opening in the cloudy membrane, usually in a short, painless office procedure, and vision typically clears soon after. Learn more on our cataract services page.
Cataract Surgery in San Antonio With Eye Associates of South Texas
Eye Associates of South Texas began in 2001, when Dr. Sharron Acosta founded Eye Associates of Seguin. Today the practice serves patients across eight Texas counties, with San Antonio offices in the Medical Center area on Wurzbach Road, North Central on Classen Road, and on the South Side on Palo Alto Road.
The practice’s cataract surgeons include:
- Dr. Sharron Acosta, a board-certified cataract and LASIK surgeon and Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, certified on the LENSAR laser for laser cataract surgery
- [Dr. Joseph Terrence Kavanagh](https://www.eyeassociatesofsouthtexas.com/doctors/joseph-terrence-kavanagh/), a fellowship-trained glaucoma specialist who has performed more than 20,000 cataract procedures and is known for no-needle, no-stitch, micro-incision cataract surgery
- [Dr. Jason D. Burns](https://www.eyeassociatesofsouthtexas.com/doctors/jason-d-burns/), a board-certified cataract and refractive surgeon who has practiced in San Antonio for more than 19 years
- [Dr. Ankit Kadakia](https://www.eyeassociatesofsouthtexas.com/meet-dr-ankit-kadakia-providing-advanced-cornea-cataract-refractive-care-in-south-texas/), a fellowship-trained cornea, cataract, and refractive surgeon who joined the practice in 2026
- [Dr. Richard Rodriguez](https://www.eyeassociatesofsouthtexas.com/doctors/richard-rodriguez/), a board-certified ophthalmologist with decades of experience in cataract and laser surgery who sees patients at the South Side location and is fluent in Spanish
Frequently Asked Questions
How long will I be at the surgery center?
Plan on a few hours for the full visit, including check-in, preparation, surgery, and recovery. The surgery itself is a small part of that time.
Will I be awake during cataract surgery?
Yes, but you’ll have numbing drops and light IV sedation, so you should feel relaxed and comfortable. Most patients don’t feel pain during the procedure.
When can I drive after cataract surgery?
Not on surgery day. Most patients can drive within a few days, once their surgeon confirms their vision is adequate and they feel comfortable behind the wheel.
When can I go back to work?
Many people with desk jobs return within a few days. If your work involves heavy lifting, dust, or outdoor labor, your surgeon may recommend more time off.
Are both eyes done on the same day?
Usually not. Most patients have one eye treated first and the second eye after the first has begun healing. Your surgeon will recommend a schedule that fits your eyes.
Does cataract surgery hurt afterward?
Most patients describe mild scratchiness or irritation rather than pain for the first day or two. Over-the-counter pain relievers, if your doctor approves them, are usually enough. Pain that increases over time is not normal and should be reported right away.
Schedule Your Cataract Consultation
Knowing what to expect takes much of the worry out of cataract surgery. If cataracts are affecting your vision, the surgeons at Eye Associates of South Texas can evaluate your eyes, walk you through your lens options, and build a plan around your life.
Make an appointment at one of our San Antonio locations or anywhere across South Texas.
