Why would a doctor place a contact lens on a patient’s eye after cataract surgery?

There are several reasons an ophthalmologist might put a contact lens on a patient after cataract surgery. A person might have sustained drying of the surface of the eye (the cornea) during the operation and a "bandage" soft contact lens could make the eye more comfortable while the results of the drying heal. Some ophthalmologists place a bandage contact lens on an eye after cataract surgery, like we use a band-aid normally, to protect the small incision where the cataract surgery took place. Another reason is that a bandage contact lens can help antibiotic eye drops used after surgery remain in the eye longer and not be washed out as rapidly by tears.