Activity Restrictions for the First Month After Cataract Surgery

Cataract surgery uses an incision of about 2.4 millimeters, smaller than the tip of a ballpoint pen, but the wound takes a full month to seal completely. During that month, the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery recommend specific activity restrictions to protect the wound and the new implanted lens. Following the rules reduces the risk of wound leak, dislocated lens, and infection. Skipping the rules is the second most common cause of complications, after missed eye drops.

The lifting limit is 10 pounds for the first week, then 20 pounds through week four. A gallon of milk weighs 8 pounds, a medium suitcase about 25 pounds, a grandchild between 20 and 50 pounds. The reason is intraocular pressure. Any strain, including lifting, bending, straining on the toilet, or holding the breath while moving furniture, can spike eye pressure and force a small bead of fluid through the still-healing wound. ASCRS recommends explaining the limit to family members in advance so the patient is not handed heavy grocery bags at the front door.

Bending below the waist is restricted for the first week. Tying shoes, picking up a dropped pen, or weeding the garden all bring the head below heart level and increase pressure in the eye. The workaround is a long-handled reacher tool, available at any pharmacy for about 20 dollars, plus slip-on shoes and elastic-waist pants. After week one, gentle bending is allowed, but vigorous gardening, yoga inversions, and sit-ups remain off-limits through week four. Patients with arthritis who cannot avoid bending should ask the surgeon for an individualized plan.

Swimming and hot tubs are restricted for at least two weeks, and many surgeons extend the rule to four weeks. Water carries bacteria including pseudomonas, acanthamoeba, and atypical mycobacteria that can cause severe corneal infection through the still-healing wound. The same rule applies to public hot tubs, lake swimming, ocean swimming, and even some sources at home. Showers are fine starting the day after surgery, as long as the patient avoids direct spray on the eye and does not bend forward to rinse hair. Sources: aao.org/eye-health/treatments/cataract-surgery-recovery, ascrs.org/patients/post-op-care, and medicare.gov/coverage/cataract-surgery.