Pre-surgery Physicals

Many people getting ready to have cataract surgery ask me, “Do I have to have a physical before my cataract surgery?”

Well, it really matters what one means by “have to.” There are numerous studies that indicate that, for the purpose of upcoming eye surgery, there isn’t much benefit to the physical. However, it is often required by administration. Indeed, Dr. Jillian Rung and colleagues published a study in the Ophthalmology journal in May 2024 that showed that facility policies are a main driver of pre-operative care.

So, do you have to? Well, not necessarily for the purposes of my surgery from a medical perspective, but you might have to due to the policy of the place where the operating room is.