After retinal surgery, you must lie face down for a period determined by your surgeon, often ranging from a few days to a couple of weeks, to keep a gas bubble pressing on the retina for healing; this usually means positioning for about 50 minutes per hour, including sleeping, and avoiding air travel until the bubble dissolves (up to 8-12 weeks). The exact duration depends on the specific condition, like a macular hole or retinal detachment, and your doctor's instructions, but it's crucial for success.
The timing depends on the type of gas used: short-acting gas (SF6) takes 2 to 3 weeks to disappear; long-acting gas (C3F8) takes about 2 months. When the gas bubble is down to half size, you will see a horizontal line across your vision, bobbing up and down with head movement.
Most patients should sleep with their head elevated for at least 1–2 weeks after surgery. The first 72 hours are the most important for controlling swelling. Your surgeon may give you a custom timeline based on your healing progress.
Face-down positioning (FDP) is the most common positioning recommendation after vitrectomy with gas tamponade for retinal detachment repair. A recent study found that FDP with side sleeping was the most recommended position at postoperative days 0 and 1.
Do not lie on your back. you have SF6 gas, eight weeks if you have C2F6 and 12 weeks if you have C3F8 gas. Posturing is used after some operations to ensure the gas bubble is positioned against the part of the retina that needs flattening.
Following a vitrectomy procedure for retinal detachment, most patients, are required to keep their face down for, at least, 4 hours. Many patients are advised face-down posturing after vitrectomy for other vitreoretinal diseases as well.
While home, you may be allowed to remove your eye shield, but you should wear it when sleeping for at least a week to prevent eye injury.
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. Raising your head, flying in an airplane or even traveling to high altitudes during recovery can raise your eye pressure and cause other vision problems.
You will need 2 to 4 weeks to recover before you can do your normal activities again. It may take longer for your vision to get back to normal. This care sheet gives you a general idea about how long it will take for you to recover. But each person recovers at a different pace.
Sitting: Fold your arms on a table and lay your forehead on your arms. 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.
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.
Studies have reported excellent results using face-down positioning for 1 to 3 days. Longer positioning may be required for holes larger than 400 µm or those with inadequate tamponade. Extended duration of face-down positioning minimizes the risk of cataract progression and provides some tamponade of the macular hole.
Allen Eghrari, ophthalmologist with the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine outlines five helpful tips to remember each day while recovering from cataract surgery.
You're advised not to drive after your operation while the gas bubble is still present in your eye. You'll notice the bubble shrinking and will be aware when it has completely gone. This can take several weeks, so ask your specialist if you're unsure when you can start driving again.
Retinal detachment can occur for any number of reasons, including advanced disease (diabetic retinopathy), trauma (a sudden blow to the head) or from aging (the most common cause). Following retinal detachment surgery, it is important that flying is completely avoided until your eye has fully healed.
Maintaining head and eye positioning after a vitrectomy involving a gas bubble or silicon oil is a very important way to contribute to the success of your eye surgery. When traveling as a passenger, you should have your eye or head turned as directed. You should always wear your seat belt when traveling.
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 will need close follow-up with your eye care provider to see if the procedure was effective. You may have a scheduled appointment the day after the procedure. Be sure to tell your eye care provider right away if you have decreasing vision, increasing pain, or swelling around your eye.
You can shower and wash your hair from the day after your procedure, however, it is advisable not to allow water to enter the eye for approximately 2 weeks following surgery.
Since your eye will still be healing, any added pressure can delay the recovery process or lead to complications, such as increased inflammation or infection. For at least the first week after surgery, make a conscious effort to avoid sleeping on the side of the eye that underwent surgery.
The best thing to do is to simply relax in bed or in a chair with both eyes closed. You can walk around the house if necessary, but be aware that your balance may be affected by having one eye closed, so move slowly to minimize the risk of a fall. After the first 48 hours, you can slowly increase your activity levels.
Pillows placed at strategic body points can facilitate face-down sleeping. A large towel fashioned into a horseshoe shape can help support the head for sleep. Being able to lie comfortably on one's abdomen is extremely important.
The 10-10-10 rule for eyes is a simple strategy to combat digital eye strain: every 10 minutes, take a 10-second break and look at something at least 10 feet away, giving your eyes a rest from near-focus on screens. This practice helps prevent eye fatigue, dryness, and headaches by allowing eye muscles to relax and encouraging blinking, which is often reduced during screen use, says Healthline and Brinton Vision.
You should continue to wear your eye shield at night and outside for at least a week. You can, if you prefer, wear sunglasses when outdoors instead of the eye shield.
And it's more common that you'd expect. About 20% of people do it, including babies. Doctors call this condition "nocturnal lagophthalmos." If you have it, you can usually close your eyes most of the way when you sleep, but not completely. Many people who sleep with their eyes open don't realize it.