Dealing with vision problems can be frightening. You rely on the ability to see well to keep you safe and enjoy your life experiences. While you can do some things to protect your vision, such as quitting smoking, there are also some eye conditions that occur from simply aging. Retinal detachment, tears and other forms of damage are all conditions that typically require surgery. Surgery for retinal detachment has a 90% success rate, and you can make sure that your recovery goes well by following these essential tips.
Use Your Prescribed Eye Drops
Your doctor will prescribe special eye drops that you’ll need to use throughout your recovery. These eye drops help to reduce inflammation and prevent infections so that your eye can heal without complications. If necessary, set an alarm or have someone remind you to use the drops according to the recommended schedule.
Maintain Face Down Positioning
Making sure that your face is always pointed downward is pretty inconvenient, but prioritizing this part of your after care is critical for reducing pressure on your eye. Using special equipment, such as face down pillows and mirrors can help to make this part of your recovery easier. You may also want to plan for someone to assist you with walking if you need to move from one place to another.
Avoid Tasks That Require Heavy Lifting and Bending
Staying face down is important, but you also want to make sure that your face stays level with your body. Bending down and lifting heavy objects adds more pressure to your eyes that can lead to post-surgery complications. Your chores can wait until you get your doctor’s approval. Wearing clothing that is easy to put on can also help you to avoid bending over.
Wear Your Eye Covering
The sutureless Yamane technique helps you to preserve your vision with the least-invasive method possible. However, you may still need to cover your eye during the recovery process to prevent bacteria from entering the surgical site. Continue to cover your eye for as long as your after care instructions recommend. If you need to remove or replace the eye guard, then only do so with clean hands and with as little disruption to the site as possible.
Rest and Eat Well
Eye surgery is often performed on an outpatient basis, which means you can go home the next day. However, your body has been through a lot and needs energy to begin the healing process. Plan to take things easy for the first couple of weeks after your surgery. If possible, prepare a few meals ahead of time that you can heat up. Soups are a great way to get the proper nutrition you need with minimal effort put towards cooking.
After your surgery, you’ll receive an after care plan from your Brooklyn retina doctor that outlines exactly what you need to do over the next several days to weeks. Make sure to follow each one of these recommendations, and reach out if you have any concerns. Working together as a team helps your retinal surgery be a success.