If you've had vitrectomy, how long before diving again?

[BORG]

I need to have cataract surgery in my my right eye in May and not long after that, I'll need to have a vitrectomy to repair a macular hole in that eye. If you've a vitrectomy done before, how long before you got clearance from eye Dr. to dive again?

I have to wait until May to let Medicare pay for it. I have lousy health insurance that doesn't cover eye surgery.


Thanks!

 

[JackOfDiamonds]

To avoid causing yourself any unnecessary damage i would ask a Medically Trained Professional, which most people here are not.

Asking Medical advice online can never end well!

 

[BORG]

I need to have cataract surgery in my my right eye in May and not long after that, I'll need to have a vitrectomy to repair a macular hole in that eye. If you've a vitrectomy done before, how long before you got clearance from eye Dr. to dive again?

I have to wait until May to let Medicare pay for it. I have lousy health insurance that doesn't cover eye surgery.


Thanks!

Silly me, I thought Diving Medicine meant someone needing medical advice or info. would come here. Thanks for not letting waste any more of my time here.

 

[JackOfDiamonds]

Silly me, I thought Diving Medicine meant someone needing medical advice or info. would come here. Thanks for not letting waste any more of my time here.

You are not asking a simple question , you are asking what could potentially cause you irreversible damage after a specialized surgery.

Even if theoretically there was a person who is medically trained to answer that question, with out knowing your specific situation and medical history he could not give you a confident answer.

Take it as you will.

 

[tursiops]

If you've a vitrectomy done before, how long before you got clearance from eye Dr. to dive again?

I don't remember, but it wasn't long enough that I worried about it. The waiting issue was possible infection. Your eye doctor will know best, for your particular situation.

 

[michael-fisch]

I had cataract surgery done in order to replace my 50 year old lenses with B&L Crystalens lenses 10 years ago. My surgeon reccomended that I wait 30 days before technical diving which was the same time frame that he gave for hard contact sports (Boxing).

Michael

 

[gert7to3]

I was an ophthalmic photographer performing diagnostic imaging for retinal specialists.

Are you sure you are having the cataract surgery, then the macular hole repair? Typically a vitrectomy and pneumatic treatment precede the cataract surgery. That is because the surgical treatment accelerates cataract formation. BTW most of us near MediCare age have started on cataracts. Post macular hole surgery, your vision will be blurry and require significant time to resolve. The prescription in the intra-ocular lens they will implant is estimated by measuring your visual acuity prior to cataract surgery.

If you have a pneumatic procedure to treat a macular hole the absorbtion of the gas in the bubble they inject will vary. This is dependent upon the size of the bubble, the type of gas and the rate your body absorbs the gas. It could take months. You will have to keep your head in a face down position for extended periods over 10 days or so initially. The bubble floats up and presses your retina against the choroid which reattaches things. Your visual acuity will likely be different.

DAN would be a good resource to contact for further information. You would not want to dive with a compressible bubble of gas in your eye. You would also be precluded from flying after the procedure until most of the bubble is absorbed.

I have attached optical coherence imaging of a couple of retinal holes, pre and post treatment.

 

[flyboy08]

To avoid causing yourself any unnecessary damage i would ask a Medically Trained Professional, which most people here are not.

Asking Medical advice online can never end well!

Duke medicine often replies here....I see no harm in posting this for his own or the possibility of another member.

@Duke Dive Medicine

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

Sorry... the specifics of this question are outside my area of expertise. General concerns after eye surgery would be risk for infection and potential for negative pressure in the mask. What has your surgeon told you about returning?

Best regards,
DDM