Red Eyes After Cataract Surgery

Quick answer: A red or bloodshot eye after cataract surgery is one of the most common and usually harmless aftereffects. It typically fades over a few days to a couple of weeks as the eye heals. It only needs attention if redness worsens alongside pain, vision changes, or discharge.

Normal post-op signs and symptoms

Some inflammation is expected, because the eye is healing from the procedure. Sometimes a small blood vessel breaks during or after surgery, causing a bright red spot called a subconjunctival hemorrhage. It can look alarming but is usually minor and clears on its own. Other normal symptoms include:

• A gritty or irritated eye
• An itchy eye
• A small amount of clear discharge
• A bloodshot eye
• Slightly blurred or distorted vision
• Seeing halos around lights

The visual effects happen as your brain readjusts to clearer signals, and improve over days to weeks. Glare or seeing the edges of the lens can occur for the same reason. For the full timeline, see the healing stages of cataract surgery.

How long do red eyes take to go away?

A red eye generally improves over the weeks following surgery. Any small bleed within the eye is gradually absorbed by the surrounding tissue over a week or more.

When a red eye needs attention

The main concern after cataract surgery is infection, which is rare but important to catch. Contact your ophthalmologist without delay if you notice:

• Swelling
• Worsening redness with increasing pain
• Worsening vision
• Flashes of light in your peripheral vision
• A dark curtain across your vision
• New floaters
• Fresh blood with a feeling of pressure in the eye
• Increasing light sensitivity
• A drooping eyelid

Flashes, a dark curtain, or a sudden shower of new floaters can signal a retinal detachment and should be treated as urgent.

Cataract care at West Boca Eye Center

Cataract monitoring and surgery are a specialty at West Boca Eye Center in Boca Raton, led by board-certified ophthalmologist Dr. Brent Bellotte. Learn more about cataract surgery or call to discuss your recovery.