What to expect after your eye surgery.

Modern ophthalmic surgery — cataract removal, DMEK/DSAEK corneal grafts, retinal laser, anti-VEGF injections — is fast and mostly painless, but the first two weeks of recovery are where outcomes are made or lost. This section walks you through the recovery timeline day-by-day: which drops to instill and when, how to sleep, when driving and reading resume, warning signs that need an urgent call, and the follow-up schedule you should insist on. Written and reviewed by Dr. Shantanu Kumar Gupta, based on protocols followed at Guru Nanak Eye Centre and Shantanu Netralaya Eye Hospital, Varanasi.