Cataract surgery: Do eyes look different after?

A person may worry that their eyes will change in various ways after cataract surgery, but usually, they are unlikely to look any different. There may be some minor swelling or bruising around the area, such as on the eyelids, along with eye discomfort right after the surgery. This should resolve in a day or two.

After the surgery, a person may or may not need stitches and will go home with a covering over their eye. Their eyes may also appear red and bloodshot due to the sensitivity of the area and irritation from the surgery. However, the lens should appear less cloudy and clearer.

Some studies report changes in pupil size. Cataract surgery is a surgical procedure that aims to remove cataracts, which are a cloudy part of the lens in an eye. The lens of the eye aims to focus light, which is why having cataracts can make vision cloudy and blurry.

The surgery primarily focuses on replacing the cloudy lens in the eye with a clear artificial lens, known as an intraocular lens or IOL.

Most people will feel their eyes heal after 8 weeks. However, some individuals may still experience blurry vision afterward, and approximately 1 in 10 may develop complications and not immediately see improvement.