Having cataract surgery: your lens implant record

Before cataract surgery: questions for your eye team

Your pre-operative appointment includes examining and measuring your eye. Use it to discuss your vision goals, the proposed lens and what glasses you may still need afterwards. Follow your own hospital’s instructions about medicines, contact lenses and getting home. The NHS cataract surgery guide explains the procedure and recovery.

• Which eye is being treated, and which lens is planned?
• What should I expect for reading and distance vision?
• Will I receive a lens card, label or a copy of the implant details?
• Who should I contact if I have concerns after the operation?

A planned lens is not a confirmed implant. Wait for the operation record before entering the final manufacturer, model or lens power.

After surgery: the lens details to keep

Ask the eye team for a readable record of the lens used. If the following details are supplied, keep them exactly as recorded:

• Right or left eye and the operation date.
• Lens manufacturer, product name and model.
• Lens power, including its units and any additional lens specifications.
• Serial, batch or lot number, where provided.
• Hospital, surgeon or eye-service contact details.

If both eyes have been treated, keep a separate entry for each eye. Do not copy a number from one eye to the other or assume both lenses are identical. A model number is different from the lens power.

Already had cataract surgery and do not know your lens?

Check the documents you received after surgery for an implant label or lens card. If details are missing, ask the hospital or clinic that performed the operation for the lens implant record. Give the date and which eye was treated if you know them.

You do not need to purchase a passport to ask your provider for your information. ImplantPassport cannot look up an unknown lens in hospital systems. Keep uncertain fields blank until your eye team confirms them.

Keep your record useful for future eye care

Bring your lens details to future eye appointments, particularly if you attend a different clinic. Keep the original documents as well as any digital copy, and label older records clearly if a lens is later exchanged.

Your implant record sits alongside the discharge advice and follow-up plan. It does not replace an eye examination or advice about symptoms after surgery. Contact your eye service promptly if you have concerns, using the instructions they gave you.