How to Prepare for Cataract Surgery in Delhi: A Patient Checklist
Preparing for cataract surgery mainly involves a detailed eye examination, measurements to select your artificial lens, a review of your medical history and medicines, and clear instructions from your surgical team for the day of surgery. Exactly what you'll need depends on your eyes and your health — here's what to expect and how to get ready.
Why Is Preparation Important Before Cataract Surgery?
Preparation lets your surgeon see precisely what's happening inside your eye — how dense the cataract is, whether any other eye condition is present, and how your eye is shaped and sized. These details shape two of the most important decisions in your care: whether surgery is right for you now, and which intraocular lens (IOL) is likely to suit your eye afterward. The NICE cataract guideline recommends that your surgeon discuss your individual risk of complications with you before surgery — for example, people with high myopia have a different risk profile for retinal problems afterward than people without it. Preparation doesn't remove every risk of surgery, but it does mean fewer surprises on the day, and a lens power calculated specifically for your eye rather than guessed at.
What Tests Are Required Before Cataract Surgery?
Most patients go through a combination of these assessments. Not everyone needs every test — your surgeon adds or skips tests based on your eyes and your health.
Test | What it checks | When it's typically used |
Visual acuity & refraction | How clearly you currently see | Every patient |
Slit-lamp examination | Front-of-eye structures and the extent of the cataract | Every patient |
Eye pressure check | Rules out or flags glaucoma | Every patient |
Dilated retinal examination | Retina and optic nerve health | Every patient, especially with diabetes, high myopia or prior eye disease |
Optical biometry & keratometry | Eye length and corneal curvature, to calculate your IOL power | Every patient having surgery |
Corneal topography | Corneal shape in detail | If you have astigmatism, an irregular cornea, or previous corneal surgery |
Macular OCT scan | A detailed scan of the central retina | If your history or exam suggests macular disease |
One thing worth knowing: you may not need general medical tests like bloodwork or an ECG just because you're having surgery. The American Academy of Ophthalmology's Choosing Wisely guidance notes that for most people, routine preoperative medical testing isn't necessary — an ECG is appropriate if you have heart disease, a blood glucose test if you have diabetes, and so on, based on your own history and exam rather than a blanket routine. If your surgeon doesn't order a test you expected, that's not necessarily an oversight.
What Medical Conditions Should You Discuss With Your Cataract Surgeon?
Tell your surgeon about diabetes, high blood pressure, heart conditions, allergies, any previous eye surgery or injury, glaucoma, high myopia (short-sightedness), and any known retinal condition. None of these automatically rules surgery in or out — but each one changes what your surgical team watches for. Diabetes and high myopia, for instance, are reasons your retina gets an especially close look beforehand, since both can affect healing and long-term outcomes.
Which Medicines Should You Tell Your Doctor About?
List every medicine you take — prescription, over-the-counter, eye drops and supplements — at your pre-op visit. A few points worth knowing in advance:
Blood thinners (like aspirin, clopidogrel or warfarin): many patients are able to continue these through cataract surgery, since it's usually done under topical or local anaesthesia with a low bleeding risk. But whether you continue or pause yours is a decision for your eye surgeon and whoever prescribed the blood thinner, made together — never stop or adjust it on your own.
Alpha-blockers (such as tamsulosin, often prescribed for prostate symptoms): mention these specifically, even though they seem unrelated to your eyes. They're linked to a pattern called intraoperative floppy iris syndrome, and knowing about it in advance lets your surgeon adjust their technique.
Diabetes medicines: keep taking these as prescribed unless your doctor tells you otherwise; stable blood sugar in the days around surgery generally supports smoother healing.
Any change to your regular medicines should come from the clinician who prescribed it, in conversation with your eye surgeon — not from a generic checklist.
How Do You Prepare in the Days Before Cataract Surgery?
Confirm your pre-op appointment, and ask for your own instructions in writing if you can.
Complete the tests your surgeon has recommended for you specifically.
Ask exactly what you should eat, drink and take on the morning of surgery. This depends on your anaesthesia and sedation plan, so don't assume a generic "nothing after midnight" rule applies to you — get it from your own team.
If you wear contact lenses, ask when to stop wearing them before your measurement appointment. As a general pattern, soft lenses are often paused roughly one to two weeks beforehand and rigid or gas-permeable lenses for three to four weeks or longer, but this varies by lens type and by clinic — confirm the exact timing with your surgical team.
Arrange for someone to accompany you and drive you home, since your vision will likely be blurred afterward.
Gather your eye reports, prescriptions and a written list of your current medicines.
Confirm your arrival time and what to expect at discharge.
How Do You Choose the Right Intraocular Lens?
Your natural lens is removed during surgery and replaced with an artificial IOL, so choosing one is part of preparing for the procedure itself. Your surgeon will weigh your eye measurements alongside your own priorities: how much you'd like to reduce your dependence on glasses, whether you have astigmatism, the health of your retina and cornea, any previous eye surgery, and the cost difference between lens options. There is no single "best" lens — a lens that suits one patient's eyes and lifestyle may not suit another's. For a detailed look at the main lens categories, see our guide to choosing an intraocular lens and our EDOF vs multifocal IOL comparison; your surgeon can walk you through which category fits your eyes at your cataract consultation.
What Should You Bring on the Day of Cataract Surgery?
Photo ID and any paperwork your clinic has asked for
Previous eye reports, prescriptions and scan results
A written list of your current medicines and doses
Any eye drops you've been asked to start beforehand
Comfortable clothing, and someone to accompany you and take you home
A bare face — skip eye makeup, lotion and perfume on the day
What Should You Ask Before Cataract Surgery?
What do my examination findings actually mean for me?
Which additional tests do I need, and why?
Which intraocular lens options suit my eyes?
What should I do with my regular medicines?
Do I need to fast, and if so, for how long?
What's included in the quoted cost, and what might be billed separately?
What follow-up visits will I need?
Who should I contact if something feels wrong after surgery?
How Much Does Cataract Surgery Cost in Delhi?
Cataract surgery in Delhi generally costs between ₹30,700 and ₹66,350 for monofocal and enhanced monofocal IOLs; multifocal, EDOF and toric lenses typically cost more. The final figure depends mainly on the lens you choose, along with any additional procedure needs identified at your consultation. For a cost estimate specific to your eyes, see our cataract surgery page and pricing page or ask for a written estimate at your consultation.
Where Can You Arrange a Cataract Consultation in Delhi?
If you're ready to discuss cataract surgery, you can book a consultation with Dr. Mayank Bansal at Claritas Eye & Retina Institute, or start with a video consultation if you're out of town. A video consultation is a useful first step, but it doesn't replace the in-person examination and eye measurements described above — those still need to happen before surgery can be planned.
Frequently Asked Questions
What tests are required before cataract surgery?
Most patients have a visual acuity check, a slit-lamp exam, an eye pressure check, a dilated retinal exam, and biometry to measure your eye for the IOL. Extra tests like corneal topography or a macular OCT are added only if your history or exam points to a reason for them.
Can a person with diabetes undergo cataract surgery?
Yes, in most cases. Diabetes means your retina gets a closer look beforehand, and stable blood sugar around the time of surgery generally helps healing, but it doesn't rule surgery in or out on its own — your surgeon will assess your individual situation.
Should I stop taking my regular medicines before surgery?
Not on your own. Many medicines, including some blood thinners, can often continue through cataract surgery, but any change should be agreed between your eye surgeon and the doctor who prescribed the medicine.
Do I need to fast before cataract surgery?
It depends on your anaesthesia and sedation plan, so there isn't one rule for every patient. Ask your surgical team for your specific instructions.
Should I stop wearing contact lenses before the eye measurements?
Usually, yes, for a period beforehand — roughly one to two weeks for soft lenses and three to four weeks or more for rigid or gas-permeable lenses is a common pattern, but it varies. Confirm the exact timing with your clinic.
Should someone accompany me on the day of surgery?
Yes. Your vision is usually blurred for a while afterward, so you'll need someone to help you get home.
How do doctors decide which lens to implant?
By combining your eye measurements with your own priorities — how much you want to reduce dependence on glasses, whether you have astigmatism, and the health of your retina and cornea — discussed together at your consultation.
How can I book a cataract consultation in Delhi?
You can book directly through our appointments page, or start with a video consultation if you're not yet in Delhi.
Before Your Surgery
The most useful thing you can do to prepare for cataract surgery is simple:
get your own, individual instructions from your surgical team, and follow them rather than a generic checklist.
If you or a family member has been advised to have cataract surgery in Delhi, book a consultation to get a clear, personal plan — tests, lens options and all — before you decide anything.
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