Can patients with hypertension undergo cataract surgery?

Generally, whether a patient with high blood pressure can undergo cataract surgery depends on the control of their blood pressure. Surgery may be performed if blood pressure is stable within a normal range, but it is not recommended to proceed immediately if blood pressure remains consistently elevated and uncontrolled. The detailed analysis is as follows:

When blood pressure is well-controlled and there are no severe complications involving the heart, brain, kidneys, or other organs, the surgical risk is relatively low. Under these conditions, ocular blood vessels remain stable, significantly reducing the likelihood of intraoperative bleeding, postoperative infections, and other complications, allowing the surgery to proceed smoothly. However, if blood pressure remains persistently high, blood vessels are under constant stress, increasing the risk of intraoperative complications such as lens capsule rupture or retinal hemorrhage, and postoperative recovery may also be impaired. Additionally, the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events may increase. Therefore, it is essential to first control blood pressure through medication and lifestyle modifications, and only consider surgery after blood pressure stabilizes.

In daily life, patients should consistently take antihypertensive medications as prescribed, adhere to a low-salt diet, avoid emotional excitement and excessive fatigue, and regularly monitor their blood pressure. Before surgery, patients must inform their doctor of their history of hypertension and current medications, and cooperate fully with preoperative eye examinations and overall health assessments to ensure surgical safety.