After retinal surgery, you must lie on your side (or face-down) as instructed by your surgeon, typically for a few days to a week or more, depending on the tear's location, to keep a gas bubble in place to help the retina heal; the duration varies, so follow your doctor's specific guidance for the necessary hours per day and total recovery time.
Now that you know how to sleep after retinal detachment surgery, you might be wondering how long you need to carry this out. Unfortunately, the answer will vary depending on your specific needs, but we can estimate it about 3 days, it can be up to 7 days in rare cases.
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.
As the bubble dissipates, vision will slowly be restored. When the bubble reaches half its size, you will be able to see a horizontal line across your vision. As the eye refills with aqueous humor, the bubble will shrink, vision will improve and finally the bubble will resolve on its own.
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.
If side sleeping is more comfortable for you, you can continue to do so by making sure that you sleep on the side opposite to the operated eye. The key is to avoid any pressure or rubbing of the healing eye. Using supportive pillows to help keep you in place can be very beneficial during this period.
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.
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.
Early signs of an eye stroke (retinal artery occlusion or ischemic optic neuropathy) typically involve sudden, painless vision loss or changes, most often in only one eye, including blurred vision, blind spots, floaters, or a dark shadow covering part of your sight. It often happens upon waking and is a medical emergency requiring immediate attention to potentially save sight and identify a risk for a full stroke.
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.
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. It depends on the type of work you do and how you feel.
A gas bubble will be injected into the cavity of the eye. The pressure will force the retina back into position. You will often need to lie in a special position to keep the gas bubble in place. The retina will usually re-attach within several days.
This depends on the nature of the surgery. In general, most patients can resume non-strenuous activities (reading, driving) within 1-2 weeks after surgery. Your doctor will review this after your surgery is completed.
Consider the following recommendations to help you recover and keep your eyes healthy after retinal detachment surgery:
Allen Eghrari, ophthalmologist with the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine outlines five helpful tips to remember each day while recovering from cataract surgery.
The eye will be dilated and it's possible to have a mild headache afterwards. Issues like light flashes or floaters may take longer to resolve on their own. Depending on the procedure, you may have to use eye drops or wear a patch for a period of time. It is normal to experience some discomfort in the treated eye.
For another, it can indicate that high risk of suffering a major stroke. According to researchers, damage to the small blood vessels going to the eye should serve as a warning. This kind of blockage can cause almost immediate changes in vision. That includes darker spots or areas, blurriness, and shadows or floaters.
Your eyes need healthy blood circulation and oxygen to fuel good vision. Exercise—anything that gets your heart rate up and the blood pumping from a brisk walk to a run or a Zumba class—benefits your eyes because it promotes good circulation.
Visual Migraine. A visual migraine is a temporary visual distortion that often begins with a small sparkling, shimmering area that slowly expands outward. The growing spot often has jagged, zig-zag edges. The visual symptoms typically last approximately 20-30 minutes and then completely resolve.
It is recommended that you do not lie flat on your back until the gas has been fully absorbed, this can be up to eight weeks and varies depending on the concentration and type of gas we have used.
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.
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.
One drop (Durezol or prednisolone, milky fluid) is for inflammation after eye surgery. The other drop is an antibiotic to prevent infection and promote healing. The antibiotic drop (clear) will be used for 7 days after surgery only. The steroid (milky drop) will be used for 3-6 weeks typically.
The longevity of the gas bubble varies among patients but is typically about 3 to 5 days for air, 2 to 3 weeks for SF6, and approximately 6 to 8 weeks for C3F8. Optimizing the gas fill in eyes undergoing vitreous surgery requires a complete vitrectomy.
It is safe to do light, gentle exercise, such as walking, after your surgery, but please avoid all strenuous exercise, including swimming and gardening, until your eye has recovered.