Patients having vitreo-retinal surgery for a macular hole will need to posture face down for 14 days; for other conditions this is only necessary for 5 days.
The bubble holds the retina in place to heal correctly. 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.
How long do I have to sit in this position? After macular hole surgery, it is common to have to position face down for 1 week. Your surgeon will go over the needed time with you.
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.
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.
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.
Bending over will place pressure on the eye and this may cause unnecessary complications to your eye. The main complication will be a delay in the healing process. Avoid bending over by following these rules. No heavy lifting.
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.
Work: You may return to work in about 1 to 2 weeks. If your work involves physical activity or driving, you will need to restrict your activities and remain home longer. You may watch TV, look at magazines, or work puzzles. Reading may be uncomfortable for several days, but using the eyes will not cause any damage.
Minimize activity the day of surgery following your operation. You may walk, read, and watch TV, but it is important to follow any positioning requirements that your surgeon may have given you. You can resume your normal diet but start with light foods and drink first.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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].
Showering/Bathing
If you need to shower, do not get the eye wet for 24 hours after surgery. After 24 hours post-operatively, you can shower as normal. If you need to keep your head in a special position, eg face down, try to maintain this as much as possible while you are showering.
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.
take it easy for the first 2 to 3 days. use your eye shield at night for at least a week. take painkillers if you need to. bathe or shower yourself as usual.
Don't lift heavy objects for the first two weeks after surgery. Strenuous activity (like lifting something) can increase your eye pressure levels. Elevated intraocular pressure is one of the most frequent complications for patients that have cataract surgery.
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.
Instead of getting a special face-down pillow with a space cut out for your face, you can arrange a large towel into a horseshoe shape to support your head as you sleep. You can also place trays on top of pillows or bean bags to make a useful surface for eating, reading or using a laptop or tablet.
Your eye doctor may close your surgical incisions with stitches, but stitches are often unnecessary. An antibiotic ointment will be placed on your eye to help prevent infection. Your eye will be covered with a patch.