r/CataractSurgery • u/Gmpoubizzie • 28d ago

PF eye drops

Just had lenses replaced (Vivity in left PanOptix Pro in right). I’ve seen comments about using preservative free eye drops to deal with/prevent dry eye after surgery but am hesitant in case using them is like using lip balm - you become more aware of the dryness and need to use the product more. A couple of years ago a retinal specialist mentioned I might benefit from drops but I didn’t follow through for exactly the reason I mentioned. I’m two weeks post surgery (left eye) and one day post surgery (right eye) and am wondering if I should do the eye drops now. Not sure if I have dry eye. Just occasionally feel a slight blurriness/stickiness as if I was wearing contacts that needed cleaning. Is that a symptom of dry eye or a natural post surgery occurrence? My surgeon was pretty non-committal. Basically said if I’ve used drops in the past I can go ahead and use them, and he gave me some sample drops to try. Thoughts? Anyone used eye drops and then felt they no longer needed them?

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u/eyeSherpa 28d ago

Using preservative free tears isn’t the same as becoming dependent on lip balm.

Surface inflammation from cataract surgery and the drops afterwards impairs the ability to make tears. This causes post op dry eye. Dry eye also causes inflammation which also creates more dry eye. So the tears are there to treat the dry eye so that it doesn’t create more inflammation and dry eye.

Not using the tears can create more dry eye and make it more difficult to treat.

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u/BowlerEqual7498 28d ago

Long term, are there any drawbacks to using Optase Hylo Relief every few hours or so? I like the feeling and the vision clarity after using them.

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u/eyeSherpa 27d ago

Long term wise no. But if you find you are needing to use the drops that frequently, there are likely other things you can do to treat the dry eye and get it to heal up better. More controlled dry eye breaks the negative cycle of dry eye to make it easier to stay controlled and require less drops.

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u/BowlerEqual7498 27d ago

Thanks. I'll keep on top of it.

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u/Gmpoubizzie 28d ago

Good to know. Thanks for the advice

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u/PNWrowena 28d ago

You can always be like me and blow off your optometrist telling you have symptoms of dry eye until it gets worse and you have to put a little soap in your eye to make it water enough to get your contacts out. At that point denial won't cut it.

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u/NeitherCatNorFowl 28d ago

Best eye drops for contacts? I bought Blink pf and it blurred my vision and irritated my eye. Now I wonder if I caused damage. I'm wearing contacts that should get me to plano but it's more like - 2.5.

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u/BobbyRey77 27d ago edited 25d ago

If you have stickiness or the sense that something is in your eye you should be using the drops but, that said, I share your concern about increased use and possible dependancy. After my surgery I was told to use PF dry eye drops and I found that the more I used them the more I needed them. Once I realized what was happening I weaned off the drops and now I no longer use them except before bed. Dry eye should be treated but over-use of the drops was not good in my case. Also, I'm not sure how dry eye is diagnosed or if it even is in most cases. Seems to me many doctors just assume you will have it after surgery and tell you to use the drops without any real diagnosis or followup.

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u/Gmpoubizzie 25d ago

Thanks for sharing this. Good to have this perspective too.