Do You Have to Sleep 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 happens if you don't stay face down after vitrectomy?

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. 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.

How long do you have to be face down after macular hole surgery?

Thus, the results indicate that 3 days of strict face-down positioning are sufficient to achieve closure of even longstanding macular holes without removal of the ILM.