Recovery after vitrectomy: week by week

Every surgeon fills the eye differently, and the leaflets reflect that. One Plymouth leaflet asks for positioning for up to 14 days in the daytime, another version from the same trust says up to five days, day and night. Treat the table as a map of what different units say, then follow the written plan you were handed on the day.

The details of the operation, including why a gas bubble is used, are explained in the guide to vitrectomy.

You go home the same day with a padded, shielded eye. The Plymouth leaflet suggests resting through the evening, taking your usual painkillers or one or two paracetamol, and not taking extra aspirin. Watering and a gritty feeling are described as normal once the anaesthetic wears off, and the same leaflet asks you not to rub. Depth perception is poor with one eye covered, so take extra care on stairs, kerbs and when pouring hot drinks.

The pad comes off the next morning, as the Plymouth leaflet instructs, ahead of the review. Do not be alarmed if the eye looks red or pink or the pupil is large, it says. The visit checks the pressure and whether the gas or oil is holding the retina, and extra drops or tablets are prescribed if pressure is higher than the surgeon wants. Expect to be told how your vision is, which may be little more than light and dark.

The shield stays on at night for at least this week. Both leaflets say to keep soap, shampoo and tap water out of the eye; the Plymouth leaflet gives the first week and the Hull leaflet two weeks. If the lids crust, the Plymouth leaflet describes wiping from the inner to the outer corner with a clean tissue dipped in freshly boiled, cooled water, and the Hull leaflet describes a moderate amount of discharge in the first week.

If you are asked to hold a head position, set up breaks. The Plymouth leaflet allows ten minutes in every hour and suggests moving ankles and knees to reduce clot risk. Reading is discouraged while positioning, but the Hull leaflet says that using the eyes will not cause damage when you are free to move. Sleep on your side if told not to lie on your back.

The Hull leaflet describes reviews at about two weeks and about eight weeks. The Plymouth leaflet says a further check is needed at two to four weeks. As gas shrinks, a spirit-level line appears in your vision, with sight above it and blur below, and the line moves lower until the bubble disappears. The Leeds leaflet describes this and says the bubble moves when you move your head.

Avoid excessive bending, straining or heavy lifting for the first two weeks, says the Hull leaflet, and wear sunglasses or glasses outdoors in wind or dust. Flying, swimming and strenuous activity are off the list while gas remains, according to the Plymouth leaflet.

Drops can continue for four to six weeks, which the Hull leaflet says protect against infection and reduce inflammation. Redness fades gradually over the first three to four weeks, it says, and swimming is to be avoided for eight weeks. If oil was used, vision stays blurred until it is removed, which the Hull leaflet describes as a second operation several months later.

Cataract formation is common and is discussed at review. For a general anaesthetic for any other operation in this period, inform the anaesthetist about the gas.

Driving: one Plymouth leaflet says not to drive until your consultant clears you, which may take several weeks to a few months. The Hull leaflet says driving might resume in several days if the other eye sees well, but not with a gas bubble in position. GOV.UK says you must tell the DVLA if you have had an operation and are still unable to drive three months later, and that driving when you cannot control the vehicle safely may affect your insurance. You must also meet the eyesight standard, including reading a number plate from 20 metres.

Work: about one to two weeks for most jobs according to the Hull leaflet, longer when physical or when driving is part of it. Flying: not until the gas is gone and the surgeon confirms it, whether that is one to four weeks or up to eight.

The leaflets list more pain, a red or sticky eye, further vision loss, a new shadow in the side vision, and floaters, flashes or blurring like those before surgery. Excessive pain, loss of vision, increasing redness or discharge should be reported straight away, says the Hull leaflet. Contact the eye unit during opening hours, or use the out-of-hours on-call eye service named in your leaflet, and NHS 111 if you cannot reach them.

A hot, swollen, painful calf, or sudden breathlessness and chest pain after long periods of positioning, needs urgent attention: the Plymouth leaflets say to contact a GP or 111 as soon as possible for clot symptoms, and sudden breathlessness with chest pain is a 999 emergency.