Advice for Patients Following Minor Eye Surgery

Patient Information Leaflet

Your eye / eyelid may feel painful for a few days. You should take your normal painkillers if required. Avoid products containing aspirin. If your doctor has prescribed Ibuprofen in the past, you may take this.

If you experience bruising around the eye, this should fade gradually over the next few weeks.

If you have an eye pad, this may be gently removed the next morning. Your eye pad may be slightly bloodstained, but this is nothing to worry about.

You may clean your eye in the morning with cool boiled water and a small piece of cotton wool or lint. Close your eye, and then gently wipe from the inner corner to the outer corner of the eye, using a fresh piece of cotton wool or lint each time and for each eye. You may see stitches on the lid skin. These will be removed at a suitable time on your follow-up appointment. Not all stitches need to be removed, as they are designed to dissolve slowly.

Continue to use your eye drops or ointment at home as prescribed.

What if I have any problems or questions after reading this leaflet?

Please contact the Urgent Referral Clinic team at Russells Hall Hospital Eye Clinic on 01384 456111 ext. 3633 (9am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday).

Eye emergency, out of hours

In case of an eye emergency after the closing hours of the Eye Clinic at

Russells Hall (including weekends and bank holidays), please contact:

Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre on 0121 507 4440

The doctor on call is usually based at the Eye Centre, City Hospital, Dudley Road, Birmingham. They may need to call you back, and if necessary, they will arrange for you to visit them.

Note: the information in this booklet is provided for information only. The information found is not a substitute for professional medical advice or care by a qualified doctor or other health care professional. Always check with your doctor if you have any concerns about your condition or treatment. This is only indicative and general information for the procedure. Individual experiences may vary and all the points may not apply to all patients at all times. Please discuss your individual circumstances with your eye doctor.

Author: Mr S Shafquat FRCS FRCOphth
Consultant ophthalmologist
Retina lead

If you have any questions, or if there is anything you do not understand, please contact the Russells Hall Hospital switchboard number on 01384 456111 and ask for the relevant department who issued this leaflet.

If you have any feedback on this patient information leaflet please email dgft.patient.information@nhs.net

This leaflet can be made available in large print, audio version and in other languages, please call 0800 073 0510.

Following Minor Eye Surgery/SS/ST/09 2024/v5 – review 06.2027 DGH/PIL/02033