You will be given a plastic shield to wear over your eye especially at night time and whilst in bed for two weeks. You will need to wash the eye shield each morning with hot soapy water and dry thoroughly prior to reapplying to your eye each night.
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.
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.
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.
Lying down: Lie face down on a pillow; have the recovering side of your face hang off the edge of the bed. This helps reduce pain and keeps pressure off your operated eye. Anytime: Use special equipment that can make it easier to stay face down or sideways.
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.
Avoid quick head movements and avoid doing anything strenuous, such as lifting, cleaning, gardening, etc. Depending on the work you do, you should consider taking anywhere from 2-4 weeks off of work. Only drive when your vision allows you to.
Other Activities: You may resume most of your activities around the house including most routine chores. However, do not bend below your waist, move suddenly, straining or lifting more than 20 pounds for the first 2 weeks after surgery. Bending should be from the knees, to keep your head above your heart.
After the retina has been treated, the space in your eye is refilled with a gas bubble or silicone oil to help the retina reattach or the hole to close. Keeping your head in this face down position allows the bubble or oil to remain in the correct position so it heals as quickly and effectively as possible.
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.
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.
Activity. For the first 48 hours after the surgery, it is important to rest as much as possible. The best thing to do is to simply relax in bed or in a chair with both eyes closed.
Special pieces of equipment like face-down chairs or tabletop face cradles can make a huge difference in how comfortably you recover from retinal surgery. Many of our patients also like to have a two-way mirror while watching television and conversing with family or visitors.
Gas is a vitreous substitute that serves to keep the retinal surface dry until it heals properly. Gas bubble can remain in the eye for about 2-8 weeks depending on the type and volume of the gas.
The most common restrictions following retinal detachment repair include avoiding air travel, maintaining certain head positions, and avoiding high-level visual tasks. A retinal detachment occurs when the retina spontaneously separates from the back of the eye, most commonly between the ages of 50 and 70.
On average, the expected recovery timeline is 2 to 4 weeks, but it can take up to several months for vision to fully recover. Vision will likely be blurry for a few weeks and it may still be up to 3 to 6 months before vision improves.
If you frequently experience stress you might wonder, can stress cause retinal detachment? The simple answer is no, stress cannot cause retinal detachment.
Close your eye and gently blot excess drops with a clean tissue. Try not to rub or touch the eye. Please wear the eye shield when bathing, showering or washing your hair. When washing your face, avoid the eye area.
Answer: Alcohol should not have any effect on your eye after retinal detachment surgery.
Aging is the most common cause of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. As you get older, the vitreous in your eye may change in texture and may shrink. Sometimes, as it shrinks, the vitreous can pull on your retina and tear it.
Eye protection:
Wear the eye shield over the operated eye at night and when sleeping for the first week after vitrectomy surgery. Avoid travelling by flight for a few days post operation.
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.
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].
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.
While there is no established standard of care for postoperative drops, a common regimen is an antibiotic drop four times a day for a week, a cycloplegic drop twice a day for a week and a steroid drop starting four times a day and tapering off over a period of four to six weeks.