If you have a gas bubble in your eye, you CANNOT legally drive until the gas bubble is gone.
Driving after vitrectomy surgery is best avoided for two weeks. It is better to wait for complete visual recovery and take your doctor's permission before resuming driving. Recovery is better with good quality postoperative care.
When you look through a gas bubble, vision is very poor – you can often only see movement. The edge of the gas bubble is seen as a black line at the top of vision. As the bubble absorbs this line descends through the field of vision. Depending on the gas, it can take between 2-6 weeks for the gas bubble to dissolve.
As long as there is a gas bubble in your eye you must not fly in an aircraft or travel to higher altitudes. The reduced pressure in the cabin of an aircraft or at higher elevations, will cause the gas to expand and increase the pressure in your eye. This would be extremely painful and may lead to loss of sight.
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 patient's vision will be limited during this time.
You will not be able to drive yourself home after your procedure – it's best not to drive for a few hours afterwards. You can have a family member or friend drive you home, or you can catch a taxi. Please make sure the car windows are shut and don't let the fan blow on your eyes.
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.
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 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.
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.
You may wear your prescription glasses if these are comfortable, however please be mindful you may require new spectacle correction following the surgery. Your doctor will direct you at your review appointment when to visit your optician for new glasses.
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.
If you have a medical oil called 'Silicone oil; in your eye you should avoid lying flat on your back whilst the oil remains in the eye, this is to reduce the risk of the oil seeping into the front part of the eye causing the eye pressure to become unstable.
Some patients find it more comfortable to sit in a chair and lay their head on a pillow on a desk or table. You can also sit in a chair with your nose pointed at the floor without a positioning device. This may be more of a strain on your neck.
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.
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].
Your eye may be a little sore after the procedure, but you should be able to take over-the-counter pain relievers. You may need to wear an eye patch for a day or so. If you had a gas bubble placed in your eye during your vitrectomy, you will need to follow specific instructions about positioning after the 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.
You may shower and wash your hair carefully the day after your surgery. Do not scrub your head vigorously. Avoid getting soap and water in your eye.
Yes. Unlike some eye surgeries, several very small stitches are required with retina surgery. Fortunately, these will dissolve on their own in several weeks. Following your surgery, you will probably feel like there is something in the eye.
In most cases, it takes around 2 to 4 weeks for the vision to become clear after the vitrectomy. The extent of the clarity of the eyesight after the surgery depends on several factors, including: During vitrectomy, multiple incisions may be taken on the white of the eye called the sclera.
As the gas bubble is absorbed (taken in), you will see the edge of the bubble in your vision as a dark line. As the bubble gets smaller, it will look like a dark circle getting smaller and smaller until it disappears. It may break up into 2 or more smaller bubbles. This is normal.
You should avoid getting water in the eye for the first 3 days after the injection. There are no restrictions on watching TV or working on the computer after the injection.