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Post-operative Care
Once you leave the hospital, you can always contact your doctor by calling our office at (780) 448-1801. Though our office hours are typically 8:30am to 5:00pm, Monday to Friday, there is an answering service available that will transfer your call to your doctor.
- Following surgery, you will be given antibiotic eye drops and may also be given other drops to keep your pressure down. You are to use all prescribed drops until your post-operative check-up, where further instructions will be given on their use.
- Please make sure to call our office on the next available weekday to schedule this post-operative appointment with your doctor. These appointments are important to ensure the health of your eye after surgery.
- Problems and Concerns:
- Call our office with any problems and concerns. Please call immediately if you experience eye pain not relieved by Tylenol, increased redness (bloodshot is expected), a marked decrease in vision in the operative eye, or if you experience nausea and/or vomiting.
- Discharge is expected for the first few days after surgery. It may be blood tinged, yellow or watery.
- Please wear protection over the operated eye at all times. You can wear sunglasses during the day or the shield provided in you post-operative kit. At night always wear the shield provided, secured with tape. Please wear an eye pad underneath the shield for the first week to absorb any tears.
- Do not lift anything that causes exertion for the next two weeks
- If you have a gas bubble, you cannot fly until it is gone, and do not lie flat on your back.
- You may be asked to position your head in a particular fashion to allow optimal healing of your retina. It is extremely important to maintain this position 90% of the time, both day and night. You doctor will provide you with instructions on which position is required.
Putting in Eye Drops
- Wash your hands prior to caring for your eye
- Clean your eyelids prior to administering your drops
- Moisten a cotton ball slightly with lukewarm water, close your eye and wipe from the inside corner to the outside corner (from nose to temple)
- Repeat if necessary with a new cotton ball
- Sit or lie down to apply the drops
- Remove the lid and place it on a clean surface
- Pull down your lower lid to make a pocket, looking up toward your forehead
- Squeeze one drop in without touching the eye or eyelashes, and close your eye gently.
- If your doctor has given you more than one drop, please wait 5 minutes before applying the next one.
Prone Positioning (face down)
It is very important that you follow these positioning instructions carefully after your eye surgery. Correct positioning will help you to achieve the best possible results from your operation.
A gas bubble was injected into your eye to help hold the retina flat against the back of the eye while healing takes place. The bubble needs to be positioned so that it presses on the macula, the center part of the retina. To do this, you must keep your head in a face down or prone position. You will need to keep your head in this position for as close to 24 hours per day as is possible for the first 1 week after surgery. Your face must be parallel to, or facing the floor. It is not sufficient to look down or slightly tilt your head. It is extremely important to keep your face down because the hole is in the back of the eye and the bubble can then rise to help flatten the hole. You can maintain face-down positioning while lying, sitting, standing, or walking. It is necessary for you to sleep on your stomach or side with your nose pointed toward the pillow. Please refer to the diagrams for examples of proper positioning. You can shower and wash your hair if you simply keep your eye closed while under the shower.
You can achieve proper head positioning while lying, sitting or standing. Changing position often will help you to be more comfortable. While lying in bed, your head must be facing into the pillow. Generally this means lying on your stomach although you may shift slightly on to your side as long as you maintain your head position. To ease neck and back discomfort, you may sit in a chair and rest your head down on a table. A donut shaped pillow can be cut from foam rubber or a child size inflatable swimming float can be used to support your head while allowing more breathing room. You can roll a towel, place it into a nylon stocking and tie it into a circular shape to use as a head support. Massage table head and body support pillows are available to rent through some health care supply outlets. A padded softball catcher’s mask has been helpful in some cases because it allows more breathing space.
You can read, while keeping your head down, by resting your forehead on a table and placing the book on your lap. Large print books, available at the library are often easier to read while recovering from eye surgery. Books on cassette tape are available at the library and at book stores to help pass the time. You can also watch T.V. by setting up a small portable television or by positioning a mirror to view the screen. Preparing your home, before your operation, will help you to maintain your post-operative positioning more comfortably.