Cataract surgery for parents in India: what to arrange

Cataract surgery is short, but the weeks of eye drops and follow-ups are where help is needed. A checklist for families abroad.

By the Athnova Care team · Updated 2026-09-29

This guide is general information to help families organise care. It is not medical advice — follow your parent's doctor.

Why it matters

Poor eyesight is behind many falls, missed tablets and lost confidence. Parents put up with a cataract for years because the change is gradual. If your parent has stopped reading the paper or driving at night, suggest an eye check.

Before surgery

Ask the surgeon which lens options are suitable and what each costs.
Ask what the insurance covers; policies often cap cataract surgery.
Tell the eye surgeon about all medicines, especially blood thinners and prostate medicines.
Ask whether diabetes or BP needs to be checked beforehand.

On the day

Someone must accompany your parent and take them home.
It is usually a day procedure.
Collect written instructions for the drops.

The weeks of eye drops

This is where families abroad can help most. There are usually several drops, several times a day, on a schedule that changes each week. Older hands find it hard to put drops in, and the schedule is easy to muddle.

Make a simple chart in large print.
Ask a neighbour, relative or attendant to help with the drops.
Set reminders for each time.

Choosing where to have it done

Ask how many cataract operations the surgeon and the centre do, and who does the measurements for the lens.
Ask what happens if there is a problem at night or on a Sunday.
Prefer a centre that your parent can reach easily for the follow-up visits.
Ask for the full cost in writing, by lens type, including tests and medicines.

Questions about the lens

Several kinds of lens are offered, at very different prices. The choice depends on your parent’s eyes, their other conditions and how they use their sight — reading, driving, sewing. Ask the surgeon to explain in plain words what each option would mean for your parent, and whether spectacles will still be needed. A more expensive lens is not automatically a better one for a particular person.

What you can do from abroad

Join the consultation by video call, or ask a sibling to go.
Make the eye-drop chart and send it on WhatsApp in large type.
Arrange someone for the day of surgery and the first follow-up.
Ask your parent each day for the first week whether the drops were put in.
Note the date for the second eye, and the date for new spectacles.

Afterwards

Follow-up visits on the dates given.
Protective glasses, no rubbing, care with water in the eye, as instructed.
New spectacles when the surgeon says so.
The second eye is usually done after an interval.

Severe pain, sudden loss of vision, increasing redness or discharge need the surgeon’s attention the same day.

Questions families ask

Does my parent need someone at home after cataract surgery?

It helps for the first few days, and help with eye drops is useful for several weeks.

Is cataract surgery covered by insurance?

Usually yes after a waiting period, often with a cap on the amount. Check the policy.

How soon can my parent return to normal activities?

It varies. The surgeon will say when it is safe to bathe normally, bend, cook, travel and drive. Get those instructions in writing.

Athnova Care tracks and coordinates care. It does not diagnose, prescribe or replace a doctor. In a medical emergency in India call 112.