How to prepare for eye surgery

GEM Clinic offers both Cataract and Glaucoma surgery.

Date of Surgery

We will endeavor to give you at least one month's notice of your surgical date and time. Please be advised that due to an extensive surgical wait list and limited OR time, we are unable to provide alternative times and dates barring medical emergencies or unforeseen circumstances. Please let us know ahead of time if you have any strong preferences against certain time periods (eg. due to planned trips or other surgeries).

If you have any questions or concerns about your upcoming surgery, please call GEM Clinic and ask to speak to surgical slating or contact them at slating@gemclinic.ca.

Location of Surgery

Arrive 1.5 hours before your surgery, unless otherwise instructed.

Cancellations and rescheduled surgeries:

When you eat or drink on the day of surgery, your surgery may be canceled or postponed. Please follow the preparation instructions carefully.

Occasionally, due to eye emergencies or other unforeseen circumstances, there can be sudden changes to the schedule. This could require us to reschedule your surgery date or time, even on the day of surgery.

If your surgery has to be rescheduled for whatever reason, we apologize for the inconvenience and will endeavor to give you a close alternate date.

If you are unable to keep your scheduled date for surgery, please give us a minimum 1 week notice so that we have time to book a replacement.

Prior to your surgery date:

• Fill out and submit the assessment questionnaire to GEM Clinic. If this questionnaire is not received at least 3 weeks prior to your procedure it may result in the cancellation of your surgery.
  • Assessment Questionaire for Cataract Surgery ONLY
  • Assessment Questionaire for Glaucoma surgery or Glaucoma & Cataract combined surgery
• Book a pre-operative history and physical examination with your physician (if required). The surgical history and physical examination form must be completed by your family physician. If this form is not received at least 3 weeks prior to your procedure it may result in the cancellation of your surgery.
  • Pre-operative Assessment for Cataract Surgery ONLY
  • Pre-operative Assessment for Glaucoma surgery or Glaucoma & Cataract combined surgery
• Consent Form: You will need to sign a consent form granting permission to do the surgery.
• Consider intraocular lens options: If you are having cataract surgery, you will routinely receive a soft, foldable, single distance artificial lens which is implanted at the time of the surgery. The cost of these lenses is covered by Manitoba Health. If you are a candidate and opt for a special lens that corrects for astigmatism (Toric), for different distances (Multifocal or Extended Depth of Focus - EDOF) or both (Multifocal Toric or EDOF Toric), these are an extra cost to you and require extra pre-operative testing. We do not offer these options for patients having combined cataract and glaucoma surgery. If you have not received any information on these options and are interested, please let us know. Watch video - The IOL that filts your daily life
• Home Care: If you have Home Care please notify our office. We will fax post-operative orders to them ahead of time. If you require Home Care assistance because you are physically/mentally unable to administer your own drops and do not have family members/friends to assist you, please let us know at least 2 weeks prior to surgery. Failure to do so may prevent us from providing you with the necessary help you require.
• Work/Disability/Insurance forms: If you require work, disability or insurance forms to be completed, you must provide these forms at least 2 weeks prior to your surgery date. Failure to do so will result in delays in completing your necessary forms. Please be advised that our office charges $50 per form and you will be responsible for any charges incurred unless we are otherwise notified that a third party has arranged to cover these costs.
• Time off work: For cataract surgery, plan to take 1-2 weeks off work. For combined cataract and glaucoma surgery or any type of glaucoma surgery, plan to take 4-6 weeks off work.
• Vacations: Do not plan vacations without consulting our office in case this interferes with adequate time for post-operative care. For cataract surgery, we advise you not to travel for at least one month. For combined cataract and glaucoma surgery or any glaucoma surgery, we advise you not to travel for at least 2-3 months.
• Smoking: Do not smoke 3-4 days prior to the operation and 1 week afterwards as smoking delays and impairs the healing process.
• Stopping blood thinners: If you are having cataract surgery alone, you do not need to stop your blood thinners. If you are having combined cataract and glaucoma surgery, or any glaucoma surgery, you must stop your blood thinners in consultation with your family doctor or specialist (1 week for aspirin or Plavix; 3 days for Coumadin). You can restart them 3 days after surgery (unless otherwise stated).

On the day of surgery:

• Arrive 1.5 hours before your surgery time.
• Register at Admitting/Patient Registration on the 1st Floor, located near the Urgent Care entrance. You will be given some registration papers and a wristband. You will then be instructed to proceed to Day Surgery on the 4th floor.
• At Day Surgery on the 4th Floor, you will be prepared for surgery. You will be asked to wear a hospital gown and remove your shoes. The nurses will prepare you by confirming your details and starting some preparatory eye drops. The nurses will be able to give you an idea of when you will be ready to be picked up at this time, so you can tell your ride.
• At the time of surgery, you will be taken just outside the operating room where details will be briefly reviewed again, and your surgeon will meet you just before the surgery.
• Anaesthesia: Although you will be awake for the surgery, you will have IV (intravenous) sedation as needed to keep you comfortable. Freezing gel will be applied to your eye for all surgeries just before you enter the operating room. Local anaesthetic is applied around your eye for all glaucoma surgeries. Most people are very comfortable throughout the surgery. If you are claustrophobic or have breathing or back problems, please let us know and we will do our best to make you comfortable.
• Length of Surgery: Cataract surgery alone takes about 15-20 minutes. Trabeculectomy surgery for glaucoma takes about 30 minutes. Ahmed or Baerveldt implant surgery takes about one hour. If you are having any combined surgeries, these usually take 1-1.5 hours. Revisions of glaucoma surgeries vary and can take 15 minutes to an hour depending of the type of revision. You will be given a clear idea of this by your surgeon.
• Recovery Time: After your operation you will be taken to the Recovery area for about 30-40 minutes and then discharged home (unless an overnight stay has been booked).
• Instructions and Follow-Up: You will be given detailed instructions on what eye drops to use Post-operative instructions for Cataract Surgery, Post-operative instructions for Ahmed Valve Implant Surgery, or Post-operative instructions for Trabeculectomy Surgery a prescription for new drops, and an appointment for follow-up before you leave the hospital.
  • If you are having cataract surgery alone, you will be booked for a SAME DAY FOLLOW-UP appointment with Dr. Buffie, O.D. at GEM Clinic. You will need to see your own Optometrist one week later and also about 4-6 weeks after the surgery to update your glasses. You will see Dr. Rahman if any problems arise.
  • If you are having a glaucoma surgery, or cataract surgery combined with glaucoma surgery, you will be given an appointment to see Dr. Rahman the next day. If you are scheduled to stay overnight at the hospital, Dr. Rahman will see you at the hospital before you leave.