At what level should blood pressure be prior to cataract surgery?

In general, since cataract surgery is a voluntary procedure, most surgeons would choose not to operate if there are medical problems that are found to be uncontrolled. Most surgeons would hold off on surgery if the diastolic blood pressure is above 100 or systolic blood pressure is above 160 to 180 or so. The other factor to consider is the patient’s baseline blood pressure. If the blood pressure is significantly higher than baseline then one must consider whether the patient’s blood pressure is safely under control. Sometimes anticipation of surgery can cause a spike in blood pressure on arrival to the surgery center, which will then decrease after relaxing for a while.