Dry Eyes after Cataract Surgery

Question: I had cataract surgery on both eyes and now have to be treated for dry eyes. It has been 3 weeks on my left eye and 2 weeks for my right eye. I feel like I am looking through a dirty ocean on both eyes. My cataract surgeon is treating me for dry eyes with extra tears and Genteal® drops at night. Can this be fixed or is it something I will have to live with? 

Answer: If in fact your Cataract Surgeon has determined that you have dry eyes after your Cataract Surgery this is not a terribly uncommon problem. First, many people have low level chronic inflammation of their eyelid margins, called blepharitis, that can create oily secretions and debris in the tear film. This is often exacerbated after Cataract Surgery and can sometimes be confused with or be co-existing with dry eye problems. Second, during the Cataract Surgery procedure, and really any time there are incisions in the cornea, there is the potential for a temporary dry eye problem. Last, as part of the Cataract operation it is common to use many different types of eye drops and solutions that can also temporarily disrupt the ocular surface and tear film and cause dry eye complaints. What you need to know is that there is a solid range of help for dry eyes after Cataract Surgery. The key thing to make sure is that in fact your complaints are due to dry eye. If they don't resolve to your satisfaction within a reasonable period of time then seek a second opinion with a Cataract Surgeon who is also a Corneal Specialist who can address the ocular surface and tear film in greater depth. 

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