Messages will be relayed to your surgeon if he or she is not immediately available and you will be contacted as soon as possible. Your surgeon is always available to answer your questions. They will communicate your progress to your surgeon. Each of them is an expert in diagnosing and treating retinal disease. Some of the early follow up visits may be done by one of your surgeon’s partners. Your surgeon will be monitoring your recovery to ensure as successful an outcome as possible. Understand that complications of surgery, although rare, do happen. If you have any doubts about use of these medications, ask your doctor. Please use caution when taking these medications if you have liver, kidney disease, or a history of stomach ulcers. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) will usually suffice in alleviating discomfort after surgery. Pain medication is often not necessary after retinal surgery. If you have questions, your surgeon can advise you on restarting your medications or may ask that you consult with your internist, family doctor, or diabetes doctor to advise you. You may resume your normal diabetes medication when you have returned to your usual diet, usually within a few hours after surgery. Blood thinning medication (Warfarin, Coumadin, Aspirin, Plavix, Ticlid) can be restarted after your surgery. Resume your normal medications immediately following surgery. We discourage driving until your surgeon has deemed it safe for you to do so. They may require that you submit disability forms and they will provide those forms or will advise you on where to obtain them.ĭo not drive the day of surgery. If you need to apply for disability, please contact your place of employment. The amount of time off of work will depend on your surgery and the type of work that you do. Your surgeon may advise that you take time off of work to recover from your surgery. If you are using other eye drops, such as glaucoma drops, you should resume them the day after your surgery unless your surgeon has specifically asked you to stop. Bring all of your eye drops to each of your follow up visits. Please read and follow the separate instruction sheet provided for eye drop usage. You will be required to use eye drops after your surgery. Please refer to that instruction sheet for details regarding positioning requirements and restrictions. Your retinal surgeon and nurses will have discussed this with you and provided you with a separate instruction sheet. You may need to maintain a special position after surgery if a gas bubble is injected. Contact the office or, if the office is closed, call 91 and ask to speak to the surgeon on call. Severe pain of the eye, a severe headache, nausea or vomiting should be reported to your surgeon. It is NOT normal to experience severe pain after surgery. “Bumps” on the white part of the eye to either side of the colored part of the eye. Excessive tearing, bloody tears, mucous discharge, and crusting of the eyelids Puffy eyelids and face – it is OK to use ice-packs or cold compresses twice a day. It is normal to see the following signs after surgery and for days to weeks afterwards: Mild “ache” of the eye or around the eye often made worse with eye movements Eye irritation, often described as a “scratchy” sensation as if something were in your eye Vision GRADUALLY improves and may take several months for maximum improvement Blurred vision that is often worse immediately after surgery than before. The following symptoms are normal after surgery and may continue for days or weeks afterwards: It is OK to take a bath or shower the day after surgery. The eye shield is not required after the first day following surgery, but it is OK to tape the shield in place between eye drop applications. It is normal to see mucus and bloody discharge on the patch. Take the patch and shield off the morning after surgery and begin using your post-operative eye drops as directed. Keep the eye patch and shield on until the morning after surgery. Do not perform any “jarring” or strenuous activities like jumping, running, or straining until your surgeon has given you permission. Do not drink alcoholic beverages for 24 hours after your surgery. You can resume your normal diet but start with light foods and drink first. You may walk, read, and watch TV, but it is important to follow any positioning requirements that your surgeon may have given you. Minimize activity the day of surgery following your operation. How to Care for Yourself After Retinal Surgeryįollowing retinal surgery, it is important for you to follow a few instructions to maximize the success of surgery and to make for a smooth recovery.
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