You should avoid exercising for at least 2 weeks following your surgery. You may resume normal activities, little by little. After week 1, you may start by walking as much as a mile. You may advance to 2 miles, in the second week and can typically run by week six.
Allow the eye to heal. Don't do things where you might move your head. This includes moving quickly, lifting anything heavy, or doing activities such as cleaning or gardening. You will probably need to take 2 to 4 weeks off from work.
Watching TV and reading will cause no harm. Your vision will remain blurred / poor for several weeks. Often the vision is distorted after surgery. This will vary depending on the type of operation, e.g. if a gas bubble is inserted into the eye, as the bubble shrinks you might see the edge of the bubble.
Your doctor will tell you how long you need to stay face down. It could be anywhere from a few days to a week or more. Over time, your eye fills with its own fluid, and the gas bubble disappears.
When vision improves it is gradual. In fact complete healing after retinal surgery often takes 6 months. In most cases, the visual acuity at 6 months will be the final vision. There is normal swelling of the eye after retina surgery, which initially, will limit the vision.
You need to maintain a specific head position for at least three days after surgery. You will need to sleep with head tilted to the side opposite to where the retina break is found at the time of surgery to allow the gas bubble to keep the retina in place around the break area until the retina seals in that area.
However, we do recommend wearing sunglasses or prescription glasses during the day and a fox shield over the operated eye at night when sleeping for the first week after surgery.
You must not drive or operate machinery within 24 hours of having any anesthetic or sedation. If you were driving before the surgery, and your vision has not changed or is improved, you can drive 48 hours after the surgery if you feel visually comfortable.
In the 7 to 10 days after the operation, the gas bubble slowly starts to shrink. As this happens, the space that was taken up by the gas fills with the natural fluid made by your eye, and your vision should start to improve. It generally takes 6 to 8 weeks for the gas to be absorbed and vision to improve.
Do not lie flat on your back until the gas has been fully absorbed: this can be up to eight weeks; this varies depending on the concentration and type of gas we have used.
Do not perform any “jarring” or strenuous activities like jumping, running, or straining until your surgeon has given you permission. Keep the eye patch and shield on until the morning after surgery. Take the patch and shield off the morning after surgery and begin using your post-operative eye drops as directed.
Certain retinal surgeries require that you keep your head in a face down (parallel to the ground) position during recovery. If this position is not maintained for several weeks after surgery, the surgery will not be successful.
Don't do things that might cause you to move your head. This includes moving quickly, lifting anything heavy, or doing activities such as cleaning or gardening. If your doctor used an oil or gas bubble to hold the retina in place, keep your head in a certain position for a few days or longer after the surgery.
Retinal surgery is usually painless and performed while you remain awake and comfortable. Advances in technology have decreased the length of surgery making outpatient eye surgery possible. Before the procedure begins, you will be given anesthetic eye drops that numb the eyes.
For airplane travel, the answer is easy. No flying until the bubble is gone, without exception. Even a small bubble may expand enough for a dangerous IOP elevation, particularly in an eye with impaired outflow.
After surgery for retinal detachment
During the post-operative period: Your eye may be uncomfortable for several weeks, particularly if a scleral buckle has been used. Your vision will be blurry – it may take some weeks or even three to six months for your vision to improve.
Following retinal detachment surgery, it is important that flying is completely avoided until your eye has fully healed. This is usually for 3 to 4 weeks after surgery but possibly longer after some retinal detachment surgeries. Sometimes during surgery, a gas bubble is used to help keep the retina in place.
You should avoid exercising for at least 2 weeks following your surgery. You may resume normal activities, little by little. After week 1, you may start by walking as much as a mile. You may advance to 2 miles, in the second week and can typically run by week six.
For the first 2 weeks, do not bend below your waist, move suddenly, do any straining or lifting more than 10 lbs. Bending should always be from the knees, to keep your head above the heart. Dr. Stelton will be very specific with your positioning requirements after surgery if it is required.
Plan on taking one to three days off of work to be sure you have enough time to rest, but it is normal to resume most normal activities within a couple of days. Simple diversions like reading, watching TV, writing, and walking are okay to resume as soon as you feel up for it after your eye surgery.
Avoid any bending or lifting for 1 week after surgery. After 1 week, you may do light housework and bend over to pick up light objects. Then, gradually resume your regular activities.
You can have a shower or bath 24 hours after your surgery. Use a clean washcloth every time and normal tap water to clean secretions from your lashes or the corner of your eye. When you shower or wash your hair, keep your eye closed to keep water and soap out.
Face-down positioning (FDP) is recommended after vitrectomy and gas tamponade for rhegmatogenous retinal detachments (RRDs) [1, 2] or for macular hole (MH) surgery [1–33].
It is recommended to sleep on either side or even your front, but not sleep on your back as that would make the bubble move away from the macular hole.