Post-operative posturing following Vitreoretinal surgery
During the operation to treat your retinal condition, a bubble of gas or silicone oil was put into your eye. It is important that the gas or oil bubble floats into the correct position to support the part of the retina that needs flattening.
Posturing
To enable this, it is essential that you posture in the positions advised by your healthcare professional.
You should sit or lie in this position for 25 minutes then take a 5 minute break to walk around or use the toilet. You can take a longer break for meals, to visit the toilet or to take a shower or bath etc.
When you are not carrying out one of these essential daily activities, it is important that you continue to posture in the above position
When sleeping, you should posture in the positions advised by your healthcare professional
Face down posturing
We recognise that posturing face down can seem difficult. You
can do it in a number of ways:
- put your forehead on a pillow or cushion on a table
- sit on a chair in front of a low table or floor to do something such as reading
- lie face down on a bed (You can pull the mattress down the bed about 18 inches to allow a pillow and your arms to fit into the space at the head of the bed)
- you can use a combination of the above
See the imagery within the PDF below
- Sitting with head in face down position at a table
- Reading a book from a low table with head in face down position
- Lying on a bed with the mattress pulled down to all space for your head to be face down on a pillow
Who can I contact for more information?
Eyford Day Unit,
Cheltenham General Hospital
Tel: 0300 422 4002
Emergency Department
Cheltenham General Hospital
Tel: 0300 422 3578