After retinal surgery you'll need to sleep on your side and stay face down for 1 week after the retinal surgery.
After retina or vitrectomy surgery you have to keep your head down when laying down for 14 days.
The reason you have to stay face down after a vitrectomy is to allow the bubble or oil to remain in the correct position so it heals as quickly and effectively as possible.
The retina can sometimes detach after a vitrectomy although it's rare that happens.
Sometimes, the retina detaches again following surgery.
More surgery would be needed.
In severe cases, this complication may be irreversible.
A vitrectomy is 90 percent effective even for those over 60 years of age.
A vitrectomy itself should be painless and you should feel no pain during the vitrectomy procedure although you may experience some swelling of the eyes or eye and the eyes may be red or tender for several weeks after the vitrectomy surgery.
You may also have some pain in your eye and your vision will usually be blurry for a few days after the vitrectomy surgery.
It takes around 2 to 4 weeks to recover from a vitrectomy before you can return to your normal activities.
After having a vitrectomy the gas bubble will be absorbed slowly on it's own and leave your eyes.
The bubble of air in your eye after a vitrectomy is made up of mostly oxygen and nitrogen and oxygen with small amounts of argon and carbon dioxide and the air will absorb in 5 to 7 days.
After a vitrectomy your eyes will be dilated for 24 to 48 hours although your vision may remain blurry for at few weeks.
After retina surgery or a vitrectomy you will have to keep your head down for several days or at least a week to allow the bubble to stay in the correct position.
For those 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.
A vitrectomy can remove eye floaters from your line of vision.
With a vitrectomy surgery the eye doctor removes the vitreous through a small incision.
Your vitreous is a clear gel like substance that is meant for keeping the shape of your eye round.
Cataracts after a vitrectomy usually take a few months to a few years to develop although in rare cases the cataracts after a vitrectomy may develop within 1 to 7 days.
The indications for a vitrectomy are removal of vitreous opacities, restoring the normal anatomical relationship of the retinal pigment epithelium, accessing the subretinal space and relieving vitreoretinal traction.
You can wash your face 24 hours after the vitrectomy surgery and you can also have a shower or bath 24 hours after the vitrectomy surgery as well.
You should use a clean washcloth every time and use normal clean tap water to clean any secretions from your lashes or the corner of your eye.
When you take a shower or wash your hair after a vitrectomy you should keep your eyes closed to prevent water and soap from getting into your eyes.
Poor vision or blurry vision after a vitrectomy is normal because the surgery for a vitrectomy involves multiple cuts on the whites of your eyes and when the stitches are very close to your cornea it changes it's shape and causes blurry vision.
Blurry vision after a vitrectomy should go away within 24 to 48 hours but sometimes your vision may continue to be a bit blurry for a week.
There are 2 types of vitrectomies which are posterior pars plana vitrectomy and anterior vitrectomy.
After having a vitrectomy you should not drive until at least 2 weeks have passed.
When you have a vitrectomy you should have someone drive you to the appointment and drive you home as the doctor will likely not release you without a driver to drive you home.
You can sleep on your back after a vitrectomy once 8 weeks have passed.
You need to wait at least 8 weeks after the vitrectomy before sleeping on your back to allow the gas to be fully absorbed.
If you don't stay face down after a vitrectomy it could cause the bubble or oil to get out of the correct position.
When you keep your face down after a vitrectomy it ensures that the bubble or oil remains in the correct position and allows it to heal effectively and quickly.
You don't have to sleep face down after a vitrectomy unless you want too.
You should however keep your face down as much as possible when awake but you don't have to when you're sleeping.
After a vitrectomy it's recommended that you sleep on either side or even your front but avoid sleeping on your back as that can make the bubble move away from the macular hole.
Although it's not recommended you can go for a walk after a vitrectomy although you should not strain yourself when walking.
Simply walking around some is of no harm after you've had a vitrectomy but avoid any other strenuous exercise or activities for at least a week.
A vitrectomy does improve vision although at first your eyesight may be blurry for around 24 hours but then if your eyes are overall healthy then your vision should improve some after the vitrectomy.
The risk of a vitrectomy are.
Change in refractive error.
Increased rate of cataract formation.
Problems with eye movement after the surgery.
High pressure in the eye.
Lens Damage.
Infection and Excess bleeding.
A vitrectomy does not hurt although you might feel some slight discomfort.
However the vitrectomy will be done under general anesthesia so you should not even be aware of or feel any pain.
You can watch TV or even use a computer, phone, tablet etc after a Vitrectomy as doing so will cause no harm although your vision can remain blurry for a few days or so.
Full recovery after a vitrectomy takes around 4 weeks although you should begin to heal after the vitrectomy within a week.
A Vitrectomy is not a serious operation and in fact a Vitrectomy is considered to be a very simple and very effective procedure that carries very few risk of complications.
In most cases a vitrectomy takes about 30 minutes to an hour depending on the type of operation, but may be significantly longer depending on the surgical indication and complexity of the case.
During vitrectomy surgery, the eye doctor will make very small openings in your eye wall and remove most of the vitreous from your eye with a suction tool.
Depending on your treatment plan, your doctor may also: Use a laser or freeze treatment to reattach or repair your retina.
It may take around two-four weeks or even more to get a clear vision after the vitrectomy procedure.
The clarity of the vision after the procedure may be affected by the following factors: The eye drops used to dilate eyes during surgery may also cause blurry vision.
Vitrectomy procedures are an effective surgery and severe complications are rare.
According to the American Society of Retina Specialists, most surgeries have a 90 percent success rate.
The retinal surgeon may perform a vitrectomy either under local or general anaesthetic.
If you have a local anaesthetic, you will be awake during surgery.
They will dilate (make bigger) your pupil with eye drops first and then instil anaesthetic drops onto your eye.
Do not remove the shield / pad until you see your doctor the day after the surgery.
It is very important not to rub, bump, or put any pressure on the eye.
During the day, you should either wear a pair of glasses (sunglasses, reading glasses, distance glasses are all fine) or wear the hard plastic shield.
After the surgery, your eye may be swollen, red, or tender for several weeks.
You might have some pain in your eye and your vision may be blurry for a few days after the surgery.
You will need 2 to 4 weeks to recover before you can do your normal activities again.
A vitrectomy is a type of eye surgery to treat various problems with the retina and vitreous.
During the surgery, your surgeon removes the vitreous and replaces it with another solution.