- 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. ...
- Anytime: Use special equipment that can make it easier to stay face down or sideways. You can rent or buy equipment such as:
- Face-down chairs. These can adjust to provide support for your head and neck while you sit.
- Tabletop face cradles. These allow you to keep your hands free while sitting at the table.
- Face-down pillows. These have a space cut out for your face to help you sleep more comfortably.
- Face-down mirrors. These are angled to let you see people or objects in front of you. That way you can watch TV or speak directly with visitors.
How do you sleep after retinal surgery?
How do you sleep face down after retinal surgery? 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. Anytime: Use special equipment that can make it easier to stay face down or sideways.
Why do I have to stay face down after retinal surgery?
After some types of retinal surgery, you will need to keep your head in a face-down position. This is because a gas bubble has been put in your eye. Recovering with your head down allows the bubble to float into the correct position. The bubble holds the retinain place to heal correctly.
What is the best position to sleep after cataract surgery?
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.
What position do you Keep Your Head after retinal surgery?
Certain retinal surgeries require that you keep your head in a face down (parallel to the ground) position during recovery. If this position is not maintained f Home Our Physicians
How long do you have to lay face down after retina surgery?
You will have to keep your head face down (parallel to the ground) or lie on one side for several days to a week after surgery to allow the bubble to stay in the correct position.
How can I sleep comfortably on my face down?
On the front with the face down To do so comfortably: Get into bed and carefully roll onto the stomach. Place a slim pillow beneath the abdomen and hips. Position a pillow or a rolled-up towel under the forehead to create enough breathing space between the mouth and mattress.
What is face down positioning after vitrectomy?
1:194:01What to Know About Face Down Positioning After a Vitrectomy SurgeryYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipFace down positioning is generally best performed using a rented chair or device. Several companiesMoreFace down positioning is generally best performed using a rented chair or device. Several companies offer short-term rental of these chairs and devices. Alternatively many patients can comfortably.
What is the healthiest sleeping position?
Sleeping on your back offers the most health benefits. It protects your spine, and it can also help relieve hip and knee pain. Sleeping on your back uses gravity to keep your body in an even alignment over your spine. This can help reduce any unnecessary pressure on your back or joints.
Is it better to sleep without a pillow?
While research is limited, anecdotal reports show that sleeping without a pillow can help reduce neck and back pain for some sleepers. Stomach sleepers are generally best suited for going pillowless, because the lower angle of the neck encourages better spinal alignment in this position.
Is face down recovery necessary?
Long thought of as a standard post retina surgery recovery method, Face Down Positioning (FDP) is not necessary at New Vision Eye Center with retina procedures performed by Dr. Robert Reinauer. Typically, face-down positioning is required for several days to a week and, in some cases, longer.
Do you have to lie face down after vitrectomy?
Face down (“eyes down”) posturing is only required during waking hours, not when you're sleeping. It is recommended to sleep on either side or even your front, but not sleep on your back as that would make the bubble move away from the macular hole.
What is face down positioning?
Face-down positioning (FDP) is a standard posture recommended for patients following vitrectomy and gas tamponade procedures during macular hole (MH) surgery.
How to support head when sleeping?
Instead of getting a special face-down pillow with a space cut out for your face, you can arrange a large towel into a horseshoe shape to support your head as you sleep. You can also place trays on top of pillows or bean bags to make a useful surface for eating, reading or using a laptop or tablet.
How to plan for surgery?
When planning for surgery, go through each room of your house to determine what you may need or want during your recovery. In your bedroom, put comfortable, frequently worn pieces of clothing in a small box or in low dresser drawers so you do not have to look through your closet or tall dressers. In the bathroom, put your most-used toiletries in a basket or on a tray on the floor. In the kitchen, rearrange food on lower shelves of the fridge and put plates, bowls, cups and utensils on low shelves. Make sure you have important phone numbers or papers in easily accessible locations.
Can you color your hair before surgery?
If you color your hair, get it colored prior to surgery, as your visitors will be seeing a lot of the back of your head during recovery. Get a pedicure or paint your toenails a fun color, since you will be looking at your feet quite often.
How to keep your head down when sleeping?
While sitting at a table, lay your head on your folded arms. While sleeping, lie face down and allow your operated eye to hang over your pillow or edge of the bed. Purchase or rent equipment specifically for this type of recovery: Massage table. Adjustable face down chairs.
What is the best way to heal a retina?
After the retina has been treated, the space in your eye is refilled with a gas bubble or silicone oil to help the retina reattach or the hole to close. 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.
Can flying in an airplane cause eye pressure?
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. The good news is that your body will eventually refill the gas bubble with your body’s own natural fluids.
Can you keep your head down after retinal surgery?
Contact Us. Certain retinal surgeries require that you keep your head in a face down (parallel to the ground) position during recovery. If this position is not maintained for several weeks after surgery, the surgery will not be successful. Here is the reason why: Surgery to correct a retinal detachment or a macular hole involves the removal ...
How To Sleep After Retinal Detachment Surgery With Best Position
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the face down position after retinal surgery is considered as the best sleeping position after retinal detachment surgery.
Best Practices Before Going To Bed After Retinal Detachment Surgery
If your eye surgeon says nothing but stays face down at all times, you must follow that advice while standing, sitting, eating, walking, and sleeping.
What Is The Recovery Time?
Basically, the detached retina recovery time and the patient can go back to normal after 2 to 4 weeks from the surgery date.
General problems for some days
You may know all surgery has some potential risks. Although meniscus surgery is considered a safe procedure because of the 1.3% complication rate, some problems may arise.
Five things you should always avoid after retinal detachment surgery
To prevent bacterial infections and inflammation, you should avoid eye drops prescribed by a doctor.
Final Thought
Among many other serious problems of our body, we discuss two issues: one for the eye and the other for the knee. Those mentioned two problems suffer the affected people more.
My Suggestions for Face-Down Survival
The following was helpful for me, and I hope that some of this information will be helpful for you in pre-op planning. However, everyone is different and you will probably discover other techniques/hints that work for you. Be sure to check with your doctor concerning any products mentioned in this document.
Importance of Face-Down Positioning
As stated previously, the pressure of the gas bubble is essential for the hole to close. Here is my layman’s reasoning/interpretation: If you have a bad cut and put on a Band-Aid, that Band-Aid needs to stay on for good healing. If you keep taking that Band-Aid off and then putting it back on, the cut does not heal well.
Meet Antonio Capone, Jr., MD, and His Pioneering Work in Face-Down Positioning after Macular Hole Surgery
Antonio Capone, Jr., M.D. is a board-certified ophthalmologist whose special interests include pediatric vitreoretinal diseases, complicated retinal detachment, ocular oncology, and macular disease.
Vitrectomy (Face-Down) Equipment
It’s my belief that without strict compliance to post-operative face-down positioning, macular hole surgery will most likely be unsuccessful or of limited success. It would have been impossible for me to remain face-down consistently for the six-week recovery period without vitrectomy (face-down) equipment.
Advance Preparation
Anticipate what might be needed and make it accessible. The following tips may sound compulsive, but for me, it was helpful to easily access what I needed. Obviously, everyone has different needs and different living styles.
Sleep Aids
These aids helped me through my recovery period. Though I did not experience any side effects from any of the suggestions below, you should get your doctor’s advice and guidance before trying any of them.
Eye Drops
Many eye drops are required following surgery. In the beginning, I had three different prescriptions, each to be given four times per day. After I developed high intra-ocular pressure, I was given additional drops. It’s important to keep track of the time and dosage of all of your medications.
How to keep your eyes in the right position after retina surgery?
Taping a tennis ball to your upper back will also help keep you in the right position and you will know when you are not in a good position. 7. Eye Care. Taking the right care of your eye will have an impact on detached retina surgery recovery.
How to recover from detached retina surgery?
Activity. After the procedure, you should rest only when you really feel tired. Similarly, you should avoid doing things that make you move your head. You have to give your eye some time to heal.
Why is it important to seek immediate medical help for a detached retina?
It is important to seek immediate medical help because it is possible to restore your vision with greater success when the procedure is performed before the central area or macula is detached. There're different types of surgeries for a detached retina, and the exact procedure you'll have depends on your specific condition.
Why do you need eye drops?
Eye drops work great to keep your eye sanitized, moist, and protected all the time. Never miss your scheduled appointments with your doctor because regular checkups are of immense importance. It is important to keep your head in a certain position if your doctor has used a gas bubble during the procedure.
How to get rid of bruising under eye?
Ice and Elevation. You may use ice on your eye to reduce swelling and any bruising. Simply apply a cold pack on your eye for about 10-20 minutes at a time. Repeat once every couple of hours. Always keep a thin cloth between your skin and the ice. 4. Eating and Drinking.
How to avoid lowering your head after a syringe?
Try to bend at the waist whenever you want to. Opt for low stools, TV trays, or coffee tables for ease. Stick to softer foods after your surgery to avoid lowering your head when swallowing it.
How long after eye surgery can you lay on your back?
You will have to take some care for at least 1-3 weeks after surgery, like avoid lying on your back and avoid airplane travel because the change in altitude may cause the bubble to expand and put pressure on your eye.
